For all my baseball life, I’ve been Southside or Die.
Now the Sox could be Southside AND Die.
Despite our loyal and passionate fan base, Guaranteed Rate Field isn’t a must-see ballpark. From the baseball enthusiasts to the average tourist in Chicago, there isn’t a draw to take in a Sox game when the history and lore of Wrigley Field are just up the Red Line. In fact, not even that it’s not a must-see, The Rate is often ranked with the likes of Tropicana Field and the Oakland Coliseum as one of the worst parks to take in a game. If the Sox stay on 35th and Shields, it could be the end of the Sox staying in Chicago long-term.
Sox fans are the best in baseball and deserve to be treated as such. The Sox deserve to stay in Chicago and not be moved to Nashville or Charlotte in the future.
This is why I am proposing that Jerry Reinsdorf teams up with the Chicago Bears to build a new stadium in the Arlington Heights complex. If the Chicago Bears do go through with the project, the 326-acre property will contain a brand-new enclosed football stadium, restaurants, shopping, hotels, parks, offices, and residential buildings. Why not add a beautiful new baseball stadium to the mix?
The Braves were pioneers in MLB when they moved out of Turner Field into the brand new Truist Park just outside of the city and surrounded by restaurants, stores, hotels, and even a concert venue. Every Braves game I have been to in the new park is at least 75-80% filled – even for a midweek 1 PM start. It has become a must-see attraction for everyone from die-hard Braves fans to casual baseball fans to tourists visiting the city for the first time. The Battery, which the complex is named, is buzzing with excitement for hours before the first pitch and hours after the last out. Looking for tasty barbeque pre-game? There’s a place for you. Looking for a place to enjoy a cold one and discuss the results of the night’s game? There’s a place for you too.
The White Sox should follow the Braves’ lead and build an attractive new ballpark. And luckily for Jerry, he doesn’t even have to fork up all the money to build it. He can partner with the already existing plans the Bears have dreamed up.
Imagine driving into or taking the train to Arlington Heights for a game and grabbing a delicious meal and a few beers that are not price gouged inside a ballpark, heading into the game in a newly constructed stadium with unique dimensions, fun attractions, good views, and maybe even a fourth-level bar just like the Rockies. Leaving after a Sox victory, you could hit up the bars or grab an ice cream cone to celebrate the game.
For tourists or general sports fans visiting the great city of Chicago, the new complex would be a must-see, especially come September. Who wouldn’t want to spend a Sunday hitting a noon Bears kick and following it up with a Sox nightcap – all within walking distance?
With a new stadium attracting fans and tourists alike, our neighbors up in Wrigleyville won’t be able to hang our stadium over our heads as an insult to our fanbase. The new stadium in Arlington Park would put the Sox back in the national spotlight for something positive for the first time in what feels like a long time.
As for the stadium itself, the Sox would finally play at a cool field that isn’t the last of the boring, cookie-cutter stadiums of the ’80s and ’90s. They have an empty blueprint and could dream up anything. For those arguing that the Sox would lose the Southside mentality, the new stadium can be designed to portray and give off that gritty vibe that connects the Sox to their fans.
Jerry, do the right thing and move the Sox to Arlington Heights.
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Featured Image: arlingtonpark.com
The Sox belong on the South Side of the City of Chicago, end of discussion.
Great thoughts and an ideal location for the White Sox, but really: when would Jerry ever do the right thing by Sox fans?!?
Can you supply one single reason why Sox fans are the best in baseball? Pre 2005 there was a poll asking 100 Sox fans, “if you could guarantee seeing a Sox World Series championship in your lifetime, or guarantee the cubs would never win it all, what would you pick?” Sox fans OVERWHELMINGLY chose the Cubs never winning. Not only is that not the best fan base, that’s not a fan base and all. That’s just a bunch of Cubs haters disguised as a fan base.
I’m sure if you took that tongue in cheek type poll on the Northside before 2005, you would get a similar response from Cubs fans hoping the Sox never won. Its called a rivalry.
Why are Sox fans great
1. Knowledge of the game
2. When they are there, its to watch baseball.
Not build beer snakes and do the wave.
As far as Cubs hating? If anything, I’m a bit jealous of the job GM Jed Hoyer has done rebuilding. You have a pretty good future in the next few years.
Original poster is correct. Cubs fans are cubs fans because they like the cubs. Sox fans are Sox fans because they hate the cubs. Cubs fans never think of the Sox. We have a beautiful ball park in a thriving neighborhood that is always sold out and a good time. We’re too busy enjoying things. It’s sox fans who stew all day in their sterile stadium breathing in the fumes from the Dan Ryan secretly wishing they had it as good as the cubs do.
I think you are grossly misinterpreting the mindset of lifelong Sox fans. We aren’t lured to ballparks by the amount trendy bars and sushi spots outside the park. We are lured to the park by competitive team that shows grit and desire to win. Personally I think the Park has come a long way from its original KC style design. It is now a beautiful park with ample parking and room for tailgating before the game. The main issue to me is how great it would have been if it was a retractable dome. Unfortunately, it was planned before the Skydome in Toronto set the tone for retractable domes. I think the much bigger concern is what happens when new ownership comes in at some point. The Sox need to win and be competitive to stay here or Nashville may happen. Just don’t confuse Sox fans showing up for craft beers and crab cakes. We want winning baseball and a front office that strives for that. Unfortunately, we have neither.
Ok. Why then is that park consistently empty even when the Sox are fielding a great team? I see more Sox fans showing up at wrigley to hate on the cubs when we’re playing the pirates than I do at Comiskey for any home game.
I understand your point. The Sox with good teams tend to rank around 15th in attendance but did crack the top 10 in 2006 the year after a world series. From 1951 to 1967 the Sox consistently outdrew the Cubs. In 1983 the Sox were the first Chicago team to draw 2 million fans. Now for the reasons. The Sox lost Harry Caray and WGN. The combination of Harry Caray, WGN, and nationally televised day games built a large national fanbase for the Cubs. The Sox draw is more local, not suburban or out of state fans. A new shiny stadium does not save the Sox from Nashville or Charlotte. The Sox have to win to stay middle of the road in attendance and draw a their much smaller local fan base. Cubs fans should always remember the role of Harry Caray and WGN, they built their popularity for generations.
The Bears and Sox needs to stay in the City.
The hotels, entertainment, all that you mention can be built on the Southside. There is MORE THAN ENOUGH VACANT LAND to do it. Buttt EWWWWW too many BPssssss
The owners need to encourage and support gentrification of the south side to do this. The Northside wrigliville is the way it is because the owners and business people bought up that area and developed it here. The same thing needs to be done south.
Let’s not forget those areas weren’t always as nice as they are now. Someone came along and made them that way. Until the south side is Made to be better it won’t be.
Thats a bad idea, the bears need to go back to the table with the city and stay in the city. the white sox need to stay in the city as well. next you,ll be talking about the museums too. those are the our attractions that tourist come from all over the world to chicago to see.
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no thanks
A lively district outside the stadium….hmmm…so you’re pretty much proposing the Sox build their own Wrigleyville, but instead of being a lively, accessible, and vibrant city district it will be a second rate sterilized, soulless tomb to corporate America in what can best be described as the armpit of the northwest suburbs. Classic Sox.
The only thing more classically Sox is needing additional amenities, entertainment, and distractions at your stadium because you can’t use baseball to pull people in.
You’re also fooling yourself if you think all the businesses right out side the stadium, in the stadium owned entertainment district, won’t also gouge you on your beer and hot dog.
Oh. Any Atlanta’s Battery is awful. Maybe you need to go to some more games because they’re usually half full at best. Maybe you’re referencing ticket sales and not actual attendance? They took the stadium out of a central city district and moved it to the middle of nowhere expressway interchange. The traffic is so bad and there is no transit option I wouldn’t be surprised if they are selling 75% of their tickets but only 50% are able to get into the stadium because of its poor location
Right on!!!
Wh÷n People ask me where I’m from…Chicago….SOX SIDE!!
Reinsdorf does not spend money… he get the taxpayers or suckers other investors to pony up. This idea is nothing more that a pipe dream. If he won’t crack $100 million dollar mark for a player contract… he is sure as heck not going to spend $100 million with the McCrapskey’s.
Let the Sox go and get a real franchise into a new ballpark.
So the White Sox would be taking a south side team to the northwest suburbs. So how would that play for the White Sox marketing and history? The Cubs have the north side, northern and northwest suburbs fan support locked up. The White Sox fans are largely on the south side and south/southwest suburbs. Trust me, I have lived in the city, plus the western, northwest and southwest suburbs. All I ever saw in the northern suburbs were Cubs flags while White Sox flags hang proudly in the south and southwest suburbs. The Cubs fans would never let the Sox live down moving up north. There would be no more North side vs. South side games and the Cubs fans would rub it in forever. Moving to Arlington Heights would be like the Sox waving the white flag.
Never happen. Jerry Reinsdorf loves his no rent stadium with tons of parking where people have to come to and spend in the park then GTFO after. When Jerry dies a new owner will be tasked with moving out of the south side. Go out to the burbs where the fans can actually make it to a game on time. 7pm starts are hard for alot to make during the week. These 6pm starts and day games are impossible. Need to draw more than on weekends when weather is nice and Cubs games….. Just hope this happens before Jerry signs an extension on lease past the 2029 expiration.
Guaranteed, no lease extension will be signed.