Chicago White Sox Guaranteed Rate Field was the first ballpark on my MLB home tour, and it’s a ballpark I had the opportunity to visit as a teenager in 2008 when I visited Illinois Institute of Technology as part of science summer camp.
In terms of appearance, the design of the Guaranteed Rate Stadium is rather plain, and the building façade is not very distinctive. In the annals of stadium design, it is actually at the end of the era of giant concrete doughnuts (Concrete Doughnuts: refers to the fact that in the late 1950s, when automobile became popular in the United States, all construction facilities were designed with cars as their main consideration for transportation. Therefore, a stadium with a high passenger capacity required a lot of parking lots, resulting in the stadium being often isolated in a sea of parking lots. The popularity of reinforced concrete has led to the extensive use of these two materials in stadium design, hence the name Concrete Doughnuts). It is an asset owned by the Chicago City Government and the team pays rent to the government every year.
According to the book " BALLPARK BASEBALL in the AMERICA CITY" written by Paul Goldberger, HOK Architects decided to design a suburban baseball stadium. Philip Bess, who held the opposite opinion, hoped to build an urban baseball stadium on Armour Square Park north of the old Comiskey Park without destroying the community and add many residences and businesses around the stadium, so as to interweave the stadium with the urban context. In the end, the former plan won out and formed the current isolated island stadium standing in the middle of the parking lot.
Ballpark Facilities:
As soon as we arrived at the parking lot on the right side of the stadium, we saw a burst of white smoke. At first glance, we thought someone's car had burned out due to lack of water in the radiator. But don't worry, this is actually a special pre-game activity of the White Sox - "Tailgating".
Tailgating is an American sports culture. Before the game, people would load their trucks with barbecue equipment, a few chairs and some toys and eat and chat with friends in the parking lot. The parking lot B can be used for this activity.
The parking lot also has another special commemorative significance, that is, before the new stadium was built, the old Comiskey Park was standing here. Now the original home plate is still here for fans to take pictures.
Gate 5 is the main entrance for most fans. There is a two-story team merchandise department on the far left where you can buy souvenirs. After entering the gate, you have to cross the 35th Street overpass to enter the stadium.
However, I recommend that you go through Gate 5 and go further back. There are more things to see at Gate 4 just behind home plate. Champions Plaza was established by the Chicago White Sox after they won the championship in 2005.
That year, the White Sox played against the Houston Astros (when they were still in the National League) and swept their opponents in just four games, including a walk-off home run in Game 2 and a 14-inning battle in Game 3, allowing White Sox to win the championship again after 1988.
There are many red bricks here which are donated by fans and contain messages. There are many interesting sentences that you can check out.
In addition, each side barrier is engraved with a retired player's number, which records the player's career, etc.
Enter from Entrance 5 and there is ChiSox Bar & Grill on the first floor where you can have a snack or a drink before gate opening.
Ballpark Interior Facilities:
From the escalator to the 100 level, you will see the center field windmill, which was the landmark of the 1991 Comiskey Park. Because Chicago is the windy city, in order to show the wind, seven windmills were set up in the center field of the stadium. At important moments, lights will be used to show the feeling of wind passing through the windmills rotating.
In addition, there is a game-used merchandise department on the third base side, which has balls, base bags, bats, jerseys, etc. used in various games. Sometimes different products are launched for a limited time, so fans can come and see what good things are available at any time.
Behind the Section157 in left field is the Xfinity Kids Zone. The third floor is a children's play area, where children can burn off energy during the long two and a half hour game.
At the same time, children can also join the Kids Club. There are many related activities and discounts for young members to participate in first, and gifts will be given to young members from time to time during the season.
On the protective wall of the game area, there are several past players with their glorious moments recorded on them. Children can also look at this history while playing.
In addition, there are various body sizes of players, such as height, stride or vertical jump height, for children to take photos.
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There was even a fun game where kids competed with the players in speed. Many of the kids were really fast and everyone was sprinting as hard as they could.
Area 161 is another highlight of the stadium. It is a facility from the old Comiskey Park. It provides a cooling shower room for fans who are too hot in the summer sun. This shower is functioned! If you come, you can go and take a shower!
In center field, near the CIBC Fan Deck, is the bronze statue area. The statues of the retired players with the same numbers outside the field just now stand quietly here in the warm afternoon sun.
Behind the CIBC Fan Deck is the check-in offer pick-up area for the Ballpark App. Fans who have downloaded the app should remember to check in to confirm whether they have won a prize. Winners can come to this booth to claim their gifts.
If you walk further to the right field 103 section, you will see SOX DJ playing music. They will perform here for the entire stadium before the game starts, and sometimes they will also perform between innings.
The seating area at Miller Lite Landing, 106 and 107, has leather sofas, reclining beds and standing seats, and the bar's work area is made from a CTA Red Line car.
Seat View:
The seats in Section 118 are very close to the back of first base. Sometimes the baserunning coach will interact with the fans or even throw the ball in. You can hear the referee chatting with the players' coach, and even see the players warming up on deck.
Section 151 is in the left field area behind the third base line. Foul balls may fly over here, and the view is very clear. It is suitable for friends who want to save money but still want to be at Level 100.
Section 162 is the outfield Bleachers. Unlike the independent seats in the infield, there are rows of metal benches. The distance between the seats is wide enough and I feel very comfortable. The view is far away from the infield, but it is very spacious and there are many food stalls in the convenience at the back, as well as a lemonade stand. I recommend buying a cup and then sitting down to enjoy the view.
Section 514 was once sold to us by a school student organization for $5 after tax. It is really far away, so if you want to enjoy the game without being disturbed, you can choose this area.
Huntington Bank Stadium Club:
Next, I would like to introduce a special seat - Huntington Bank Stadium Club, which is located behind Section 109. You can walk back through the door and take the elevator upstairs.
The entire club is divided into two floors. The first floor is the buffet area. For US$99+tax, you can enjoy a delicious salad bar, freshly cut steaks by the chef, and a variety of desserts.
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On the upper staircase is a photo of White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle pitching the 18th perfect game in major league history on July 23, 2009. The photo on the far right, "The CATCH," is a classic, and it made those present at the time believe that this would be a game that would go down in history.
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There are many items related to the team's history on the walls and walkways. Wool jerseys from the 1900s and some artifacts are on display here. It's like a small museum.
The restaurant on this floor is also divided into two areas, one is the area close to the floor-to-ceiling windows; the other is on the same level as the bar.
If you want to sit down by the window, you have to pay an additional five dollars, but after buying a $5 admission ticket on a second-hand platform, you can sit here for about $15.
If you sit on the second floor, your view will be blocked by the window frames. I think it will have some impact, but it is still very comfortable to eat and watch the game indoors with air conditioning.
A burger with fries and a coke can satisfy your taste buds and a hungry stomach for about $30. Watching the game in the coolness keeps the hot afternoon sun away.
Atmosphere:
Although the stadium's appearance is not special or intertwined with the urban texture, the seats are still very comfortable and there is no sense of oppression on the upper floors.
When buying food, you can also see that the situation inside the stadium is different from that of the Cubs Wrigley Field. The food is served very quickly, so if you come early, you can buy it quickly. You can also buy a special menu for $5 on Tuesday games.
I like to buy baseball cap ice cream at the stadium. You can buy it at every stadium, so it is a collectible souvenir. Another one is Footdog, a 30 cm hot dog with pickles, tomatoes, jalapenos and yellow mustard, which is also a must-try delicacy.
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Another advantage of the White Sox stadium is that there is no camera restriction. You can bring your own professional camera (many stadiums do not allow cameras with detachable lenses), so you can get very close-up photos.
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We also joined the Angels when they visited the White Sox. It was the first time I saw so many Japanese fans at Guaranteed Rate Field. Shohei Ohtani's performance in these three games was extraordinary, hitting 3 home runs, 5 RBIs, and helping them win the series.
The atmosphere of the game, shooting the actual situation of the game from the 500 level seat, you can find that the distance is really far because when it was designed, the seats below were moved back and raised a lot to avoid being blocked from the view, but the distance is very far.
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There is also a fireworks show after the summer baseball games. The 15-minute fireworks show is set off on a large scale in left field, giving everyone a happy holiday in the summer.
The White Sox also has many souvenirs to take home, and there is a great chance to pick up a game ball. The top left corner is my first major league ball in my life. The Angels came to visit the White Sox to watch Shohei Ohtani. We sat on the third base side. When the White Sox players changed innings, they threw the ball to our side, but it bounced and was picked up by this kid named Brock. Later, he and his friends wanted to sit in our row because they thought the players would throw the ball to the same position again. I said of course they could! Unexpectedly, after an inning, the ball was thrown to him and he actually caught it! He was so excited that he ate peanuts 🥜 and said that it was his lucky peanut, so I chatted with him. His father took him to spring training so he got several autographs on the cap. He also collects baseball cards. There were several friends who came to watch the game together. Suddenly, Ohtani hit a foul ball, and White Sox third baseman Moncada threw it up and he caught it again! Three balls in a single game! He excitedly gave me one, and I said that this was hit by Shohei Ohtani and you should keep it. Later he gave me another one. In the top of the last 9th inning, we shouted together hoping that Liam Hendricks could come up and close the game (7:3 with runners on first and second base). Then after game, I said goodbye to him, his friends and dads, and ended this great Tuesday Baseball Night.
One is in sixth grade and the other is in second year of graduate school. With a 16-year age gap between us, it was wonderful that we had the opportunity to chat and interact with each other because of baseball!
Of course, when the famous YouTuber Tainan Josh came to the Chicago White Sox, we watched the game with him. I picked up the ball that day and he also picked up two balls. It was a wonderful experience.
During the summer vacation, I was lucky enough to go to "Hito MLB" and share with Adam the special attractions of the White Sox stadium. Friends who are interested can go and listen (Mandarin Only):
Ballpark Information:
Public Transportation: CTA Red Line to Sox-35th Station
Gate Open: 1.5 hours before the game
Bag Policy: Backpacks are not allowed, transparent tote bags of 12*12*6 inches are allowed; personal food is allowed (ziplock bag 1 gal.)
Payment Policy: Credit Card Payment
Seat view: Good in all areas
Home Team Dugout: Chicago White Sox at third base
Website:
Chicago White Sox official website: https://www.mlb.com/whitesox
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