CHICAGO | Will the Sox leave US Comiskular Rate Field?

[Steely Dan]

We have a thread for Bears relocation discussion.

Now that rumors are rumbling, here's one for the fate of the Sox.

[Busy Bee]

Will this be even more of a time-waster than the Bears thread?

[twister244]

The Bears leaving the city is one thing... The Sox leaving would probably ruffle some serious Southside feathers, no?

[Rizzo]

There is forces working against a Chicago departure and it’s a different situation than the bears

- I doubt MLB will agree to a location that isn’t downtown adjacent. It’s been a priority for recent and upcoming ballpark locations.
- A relocation to a weak market like Nashville, Charlotte or Portland is unlikely. The quantity of companies and their corporate sponsorship. The ease of attracting fans with disposable income is unmatched. I realize there’s an empty spot on a map geographically, making Nashville logical. But imagine the relocation fees, stadium funding, and lack of an established fan base. It never seems to be a problem for NFL, but with MLB it’s complicated.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by twister244

The Bears leaving the city is one thing... The Sox leaving would probably ruffle some serious Southside feathers, no?

Lile the bears' fanbase, I think most sox fans are in the burbs, so a move to some suburban location probably won't be met that harshly

But a move to Nashville or some such other market? Yeah, that'll anger the blood.

Originally Posted by Rizzo

- MLB will not agree to a location that isn’t downtown adjacent. It’s been a priority for recent and upcoming ballpark locations.

I don't think that's true anymore.

Over the past decade or so, there have been 3 new MLB ballparks built, plus the potential new A's stadium in Vegas:

Rangers new ballpark - 2020
Braves new ballpark - 2017
Marlins new ballpark- 2012

None of those 4 are in downtown/downtown-adjacent locations.

[k1052]

I'm not so sure MLB wants parks to be in downtowns so much as ownership has realized they can squeeze more revenue out of teams by doing mixed use development in conjunction with a park assuming they have a stake.

In this context Reinsdorf looking for a move makes sense.

[digitallagasse]

For the A's possible stadium while it will not be located near downtown Las Vegas it will be on the Strip. The Strip is the functional center of the metro. They were looking at some sites in the burbs and all of those would have been a bad idea.

[Steely Dan]

^ sure, but it's still not conceptually a "downtown stadium" , which was all the rage in MLB 20 years ago.

The new model for professional sports stadiums, which Vegas will follow, is to build them as part of larger sports/entertainment complexes with all revenue under MLB's (or the NFL's) control. This model doesn't really work in urban downtown areas.

[Rizzo]

Howard Terminal in Oakland (no longer applicable but mentionable) and the future Royals stadium still are examples of recent Commitment by the MLB to build and expand their periphery in or close to downtown areas if financing is in the teams favor.

The examples you presented are geographical centers of their fanbases apparently. I don’t know if that’s logical for the Sox. I don’t know if that’s logical for growing their fan base. I don’t know if that’s logical for dozens of people I know that will attend games after work or when visiting on business. Relocating out of Chicago is a step backwards. I’m certain MLB wouldn’t agree with it.

[nomarandlee]

Possible relocations?


- Reconfigured Soldier Field (with a 200million rehab)

- Arlington Heights / Arlington Park (either as part of a Bears stadium complex or a sale from the Bears)

- Comisky footprint

- The 78 (I don't think it will likely fit given that a ballpark needs approximately 700-800ft from end-to-end, side-to-side).

- Over the Amtrak Yards either north or south of Roosevelt

- Rosemont? Where was the offer to lure the Cubs at? Still available?

[munchymunch]

I think they’ll stay in the Chicago area. I just don’t know if the south side location works, jerry is looking at ricketts did in the wriggled area and is probably thinking the same. I struggle to see how the current area could support such development.

[Kngkyle]

Originally Posted by munchymunch

I think they’ll stay in the Chicago area. I just don’t know if the south side location works, jerry is looking at ricketts did in the wriggled area and is probably thinking the same. I struggle to see how the current area could support such development.

Why couldn't the vast fields of parking lots around the stadium support development?

[Mister Uptempo]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

I would saw my leg off I'm so confident the Sox are not going to stop being the Chicago White Sox anytime soon (read: never). That said, just to play devils advocate...

Unlike the Cubs which have a much larger regional geographic following - all the way from Iowa to halfway downstate and a good chunk of Indiana - the Sox core fanbase is much more concentrated, not much beyond the metro area and specifically the SW city and the S/SW burbs with the western burbs probably evenly split. So a hypothetical stadium should cater to that game attending fanbase. I'd love to see a new stadium built pretty much on site or site adjacent but honestly if they proposed an awesome complex around Ford City that also included finally getting that Orange Line extension, that wouldn't be half bad.

I would rather the Sox stay on 35th. The fact that Guaranteed Rate is a incredibly mediocre place to watch baseball and is surrounded by a wasteland of parking is largely Reinsdorf's doing. Not sure whether any new stadium development would be any better. Jerry's motivations have not changed one iota over time, and a new home for the Sox would likely reflect that.

The state might be able to make a few bucks selling the land the park is on to developers. Bridgeport has become a place for Chinatown overflow, and this could be sold as Bridgeport East.

Ford City is a great idea. Always thought that area would be ripe for a rebuild with an Orange Line extension; doubly so if the N-S portion of the Lime Line were to ever get built. Same goes for some that power center garbage on the west side of Cicero in Burbank. The one thing Ford City does not have is easy access from an interstate, which might be a sticking point. It's about 4.5 miles from I-55, but would mean slogging through airport traffic on Cicero.

I'm not sure moving the Sox to Soldier Field would work. Using Google, Guaranteed Rate and Soldier Field are both right around 17-18 acres. But I don't see how a baseball stadium could fit in SF's narrow footprint, unless you wanted to recreate the Dodgers' experience in the LA Coliseum in the 50's.


Trying to re-jigger the area to fit baseball would likely mean moving things like the Gold Star Families' Memorial. That'd be a tough sell. But, to bring up a sore spot for many, does One Central make any more sense with 81 MLB games a year than with 8 or 9 NFL games?

Guaranteed Rate, park and parking included, is around 85 acres, which rules out the West Side near United Center. Bronzeville Lakefront, is around 95 acres, if the truck marshalling yards are counted. The 78 is 62 acres. South Works is probably too out of the way.

Looking at the suburbs, if, as you say, much of the Sox fandom is concentrated in the S/SW/W burbs, the old mental health center site in Tinley Park looks like a natural. The property is right off I-80, only a few miles from where it intersects with I-355 to the west and I-57 to the east. The Metra-Rock Island station on 80th Ave. is within walking distance as well. There are 275 acres to build on, more than three Guaranteed Rate complexes. Plenty of room for Reinsdorf to build a "ballpark village".

The state still owns the site. So, consider that Illinois' contribution to the stadium effort. The Village of Tinley Park has been fighting with the state just maintain the property. The town has plans to one day use some of the site for parks and convert the rest to residential, but they had similar plans a few years ago and were more than willing to toss those plans in a dumpster when the possibility of a racino came up. They'd likely do it again for the Sox.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

Why couldn't the vast fields of parking lots around the stadium support development?

Yeah, if reinsdorf had even the slightest little modicum of vision, that could've been accomplished around new comiskey decades ago.

He's always been out of step with time.

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Yeah, if reinsdorf had even the slightest little modicum of vision, that could've been accomplished around new comiskey decades ago.

He's always been out of step with time.

Reinsdorf is essentially out of time. He's 87 years old and, after a couple of decades, just cleaned house and decided to fold. It's an entirely different situation from the Bears ownership, which is a legacy family-run business. The White Sox are not going to get passed down to Jerry's kids. He is essentially washing his hands of the franchise. Considering they only every won a playoff series in a single season during Jerry's ownership (1981-present), I'm sure the Sox fans are elated at the prospects of new ownership as much as they might dread that a new owner will relocate the team.

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Yeah, if reinsdorf had even the slightest little modicum of vision, that could've been accomplished around new comiskey decades ago.

He's always been out of step with time.

The man is 87 years old.

Chicago is probably best served consulting an actuarial table.

Also it’s hard to envision Reinsdorf who is a notorious cheapskate actually spending money on a new stadium, and the current financial arrangement is as good as it gets for any team.

I feel like a move out to the suburbs would just cement the White Sox’ declining relevancy versus the Cubs. Do we really think tourists and new fans are going to hike out to Tinley Park? Probably be about as successful as the Chicagoland Speedway.

If the team is being sold then who knows if they’ll relocate to another city or not.

[DalronJ]

Personally, I'd love to see the Sox @ The 78. Them, the Bears, Fire, any of our teams really.

[intrepidDesign]

This is just bananas to me. My GF is a Sox fan and since we've been dating I've obviously been going to more Sox games. First of all, their stadium is great, I say this as a life long Cubs fan and someone who loves Wrigley. It's a great place to watch a game, I literally can't find anything wrong with it. Easy to get food, drinks, get around, stuff for kids to do. It's a great place. Second, I'm always blown away by just how much unused area there is around Sox park. Vast swaths of land that could support an entertainment district, there's a dedicated L stop, access to and from the highway could be better, but that's a very solvable problem. I mentioned earlier being a Cubs fan, so I'm used to the Wrigleyville experience, bars, a lively neighborhood on game days and recently hotels and marquee restaurants. There is ZERO of that around Sox park, why? Every Sox fan I know would like to do the same thing we do on game day around Wrigley, which is go to bars and pregame, get some food afterwards, maybe buy some new threads. Sox park might as well be in a desert. Im just curious why no one has capitalized on this yet. Hell, lets throw money together and buy a plot of land and build the most basic of sports bars around Sox park, sit back and watch the money roll in. Just crazy that there's next to nothing there.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by intrepidDesign

There is ZERO of that around Sox park, why?

It's been that way for a LONG time. Even before the Dan Ryan the strip between the railroad tracks wasn't much of a neighborhood.


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Such a district would have to be built from scratch.


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[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by intrepidDesign

There is ZERO of that around Sox park, why? Every Sox fan I know would like to do the same thing we do on game day around Wrigley, which is go to bars and pregame, get some food afterwards, maybe by some new threads. Sox park might as well be in a desert. Im just curious why no one has capitalized on this yet.

For the same reason that the United Center has never had any development.

The White Sox were unfortunate enough to get purchased by a slumlord owner who just wants government to pay for their stadiums and to collect parking fees.

It is obvious that the quickest way to make money from the White Sox would be some new commercial development, but that would take an invested owner.

There’s a good chance that what this is really about is that the lease expires in 2029, and ISFA might expect the team to actually chip in some money this time around. Otherwise the team is preparing for a sale, and who knows what to expect from a new owner?