Guaranteed Rate Field: One of the Most Modified Stadiums Ever…

The Story of Guaranteed Rate Field One of the most modified stadiums in Baseball...

References:

Boca Raton News

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"US Cellular Field Chicago" by FaceMePLS is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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"U.S. Cellular Field. Chicago Illinois." by A. McMurray is licensed under CC BY 2.5.

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"US Cellular Field - formerly Comiskey Park - Chicago, home of the Chicago White Sox" by Ben Sutherland is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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[forgottenplaces]

*One correction, there were several Ballparks about as old as Comiskey at the time of its demo however it was just slightly the oldest at demolition by a few years.

[jimjohnson]

Thank you for making a video on the White Sox even if not very positive lol. As a die hard fan it feels like we get forgotten about all the time, especially with the Cubs tourist appeal across town. Never forget we won it all in 2005!

[davidbressler]

As modified, this is a great stadium. There are no bad or obstructed seats (other stadiums have high seats, too), concourses are wide, lots of legroom, guys don't urinate on each other at bathroom troughs, food is great and access is easy. It is popular to p!ss on this place, but in truth it is a great place to see a game.

[Mr.E]

I’m biased because I’m a White Sox fan, but think every change has helped it a lot. And personally I don’t think it’s anywhere near as bad of a place as fans of other teams claim (I know your not gonna agree with me on that). Now if it were up to me Old Comiskey Park never would’ve been replaced, and these days I’m starting to think more and more that we should build a new ballpark that more directly resembles Comiskey, but that’s just my opinion

For the record, the rule that prohibits people with upper deck tickets from going to the lower decks wasn’t implemented until the early 2000s after a drunk guy and his son ran onto the field and attacked an umpire. They had upper deck tickets so that’s when they implemented that rule and have just never repealed it. I remember when you could go down to the lower decks and when the incident happened. I’m told that after a certain inning they stop enforcing that rule and you can go down to the lower decks but I’ve never tested this theory.

[markbrown]

Went to a Sox game here once. It was another ballpark to take off my bucket list. I liked the atmosphere and the traditions they tried to bring over from the old Comiskey, but that upper deck was a nightmare. Very steep. Reminded me of the old upper bowl at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. If you misstepped, you were on your face and your beer would be all over the steps with everyone sitting nearby laughing and applauding.

[ThatWeirdGuyYouKnow]

Yeah I’m a fan of this ballpark. Been going here my entire life and I just don’t understand what everyone’s issue is with it. I love being able to walk around the outfield without feeling claustrophobic like at Wrigley (beautiful historic field, but not a fan of the close quarters). The kids area is fantastic for families with batting cages, pitch clock, a mini field for little ones to run around, and more. Plus there are several great craft beer areas as well as a decent variety of ballpark food. They even have an awesome bench & brews deal where you get tickets, a hot dog, and 2 beers.

[bigmonmagoomba]

Chicago native who moved away years ago. Go back often. Still say Guarantee Rate field has the best hot dogs in Chicago.

[rcopdycke]

Old Comiskey was the oldest in the majors; older than Tigers Stadium, Fenway, Wrigley.

[peterdavidson]

I will say that of the 20 MLB parks I’ve visited over my lifetime the white Sox park has the best food I’ve ever had at a spitting event. I also didn’t think the stadium was awful. It was just meh.

[richierogers]

Unpopular opinion, I liked the original 91 version better, but than again I’m not really a fan of the green seat throwback stadium. OPACY was a revolutionary stadium but once every team started to hop on the wave it kind of killed it for me, Marlins Park was a breath of fresh air.

[davidburrow]

Like most White Sox fans, I call this park "Comiskey" rather than "Your Name Here Field". I don't mind the park, and I love that it's easily accessible by transit. The fact that it's not as popular as Wrigley keeps prices down and means there's a diverse group of fans at the games. I've always thought, though, that they should have turned things 90 degrees so that the park faces the skyline rather than an abandoned neighborhood that was formerly public housing. Other parks (like the retro-parks in Baltimore, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh) face their cities' skylines, and it's a shame the White Sox didn't choose to face one of the most iconic skylines in the world.

[owenherndon]

I went to a Indians white sox games about a decade ago. It was 103 in Chicago that day and nobody could sit in the seats because the blacks seats where to hot to sit on. Everyone was packed into the concourse

[moose]

Remember when stadiums used to be named after someone/something that wasn't a corporate sponsor?

[lmaga]

All the changes keep making the stadium nicer. I love it.

[Jeschitown]

The renovations have been awesome and it's a great place to watch a game as it stands now. It looks new and it's over 30yrs old.

[principalmcvicker]

I've always loved the pinwheels or whatever those are. Something nice to look at in a somewhat boring view. I'd like to visit it sometime

[williamhild]

I went to a White Sox game not long after it opened. It shook out that my seat was in the upper deck behind home plate. I got such horrible vertigo that I had to leave after just a couple innings. I had this terrible feeling that if I even leaned forward in my seat, that I'd go tumbling down. Childish, I know, but it was too unsettling for me to stay. I never saw a game in "old/original" Comiskey Park, but I'm guessing that it would have been a much more enjoyable experience.

[alk]

The one thing that the new orverhang created was an obstructed view from the last few rows due to the support beam needed to hold it up.

[jeffbengert]

Very interesting piece, my friend. When discussing stadiums, this one gets alot of negatives. From your piece, I now know why. Great, succinct job.

[jimjohnson]

I’m a giant Sox fan and have been to the stadium at least 100 times including both recent playoff games. It pains me that we destroyed Comiskey for this and it hurts more knowing the people who built Camden Yards wanted to build ours but Jerry (the owner) wouldn’t let it happen. The renovations over the past 10 years have helped keep the stadium looking modern enough but oh boy does this place stink overall. Such much potential I see wasted