Categories: Sports & Recreation Spectator Sports
Chicago White Sox
Author: Emily Capdevielle
White Sox fans everywhere burst out in song with Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" as the White Sox won the World Series in 2005 for the first time in 88 years. Fans hope to sing those lyrics once again as the team heads into the 2008 season at U.S. Cellular Field.
History
The team's original elongated name was the White Stockings, named after the white stockings the players wore. It was later abbreviated, thus the White Sox. The team was inaugurated in 1900 and entered their first season as a Major League franchise one year later under the ownership of Charles Comiskey.
They won the league championship that first year and won the national championship in 1906 by defeating the Cubs four out of six games. In 1917, the White Sox made history again as they won the World Series against the New York Giants.
In 1919, however, the White Sox became the only team to ever attempt to throw the World Series. Eight players from the team were accused of "fixing" the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for payoffs from gamblers. Players included "Shoeless" Joe Jackson; pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude "Lefty" Williams; infielders Buck Weaver, Arnold "Chick" Gandil, Fred McMullin and Charles "Swede" Risberg; and outfielder Oscar "Happy" Felsch. In 1920, the players were charged with conspiring to fix the outcome of the World Series and were banned from Major League baseball ever since. After the scandal, the White Sox were branded with the nickname the Black Sox.
The White Sox scandal that plagued the reputation of the team didn't spoil the enjoyment of future games to come, though, as fans flooded Comiskey Park. The new addition was added in 1927 and seated 23,200 more fans.
Shortstop Luke Appling and pitcher Charlie Robertson made their mark, enacting two of the team's greatest performances in 1922. Robertson made White Sox history throwing the only perfect game and Appling had a .388 batting average with a 27-game hitting streak that landed him into the Hall of Fame in 1964.
The White Sox have quite the history behind them and a promising future as they broke the curse of the Black Sox scandal in 2005, but so does the field in which they play.
The White Sox called the 39th Street Grounds home until 1910, when they moved their playing field to Old Comiskey, where they played until 1990. The team moved again to New Comiskey Park, which was re-named U.S. Cellular Field--the current home of the White Sox--in 2003. The stands of U.S. Cellular Field--are where avid White Sox fans of all ages can go to enjoy the atmosphere and support their team.
Cheering on the White Sox throughout the season is fun at home while sitting back on your recliner, but nothing beats actually being in the bleachers with a Chicago-style hotdog in hand while mingling with more than 40,000 other White Sox fans.
Dining
The Stadium hosts a number of venues and concessions in the arena to satisfy any acquired hunger pains throughout the game. Places to eat are spread out in different sections like the Triple Play Café in Section 110 and the Go Go Sox Grille in Section 120.
If money is no object when it comes to your favorite baseball team, you can wine and dine while watching the game at the Stadium Club or at the Diamond Suites that you can reserve for special events. The two-tiered Fan Deck also provides you with food to eat and a panoramic view of the playing field above center-field concession stands. On the Fan Deck you can root on the White Sox in private with your own White Sox posse.
Dining options outside of U.S. Cellular Field is plentiful as well. Franco's Ristorante is a great place to fuel up before the game for pasta-lovers. Ferro's is another restaurant familiar to all Sox fans with a classic menu including hotdogs and hamburgers. You can also spice up your palate with authentic Mexican food by dining at the Nuevo Leon Restaurant.
The bar scene is also abundant with many places to celebrate a victory game or to lift your spirits after a heart-wrenching loss. The closest bar to U.S. Cellular Field is Jimbos, where Sox fans crowd the place for a Miller Lite and a quick sandwich before or after the game. Cork & Kerry, Jaks Tap and Junior's Sports Lounge are also post-game hotspots to visit.
The Sox have fell short of winning the Series after their victory in 2005, though the team has stayed busy by continually making records with players Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome exceeding 40 runs in the same season in 2006. Seven players players from the team were also All-Stars in the same year, including: Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Bobby Jenks, Paul Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski, Mark Buehrie and Jose Contreras.
With two seasons under their belt since the team's last World Series, White Sox players are sizing up for another ring on their fingers this spring in hopes for another.
Check out places of interest near Chicago White Sox:
Harry Caray's Tavern
3551 N. Sheffield Ave.,
Chicago, Illinois 60657
Harry Caray's Tavern is the premier pre- or post-Cubs game hang-out, located across from Wrigley Field on the corner of Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue. This is the newest Harry Caray-themed restaurant paying tribute to beloved Cubs announcer, Harry Caray. Harry Caray's Tavern serves classic American bar snacks and delightful italian entrees.
Harry Caray's Tavern
3551 N. Sheffield Ave.,
Chicago, Illinois 60657
Harry Caray's Tavern is the premier pre- or post-Cubs game hang-out, located across from Wrigley Field on the corner of Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue. This is the newest Harry Caray-themed restaurant paying tribute to beloved Cubs announcer, Harry Caray. Harry Caray's Tavern serves classic American bar snacks and delightful italian entrees.
