Comiskey Park
Encyclopedia
Comiskey Park was the ballpark
in which the Chicago White Sox
played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey
after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis
, and was the site of four World Series
(one of which was played by the Chicago Cubs
because of a lack of seating at Wrigley Field
) and more than 6,000 major league
games. The field was also the site of the 1937 heavyweight title match in which Joe Louis
defeated then champion James J. Braddock
in eight rounds.
For a number of years, off and on, the Chicago Cardinals
of the NFL
called Comiskey Park home when they weren't playing at Normal Park
or Soldier Field
. The 1947 NFL championship game
was held at Comiskey.
The successor to Comiskey Park was built across 35th Street south of the 1910 ballpark, and opened in 1991. The new Comiskey Park was renamed U.S. Cellular Field
in 2003. The original Comiskey Park is now sometimes referred to as "Old Comiskey Park".
. It was originally built as White Sox Park, but within three years was renamed for White Sox founder and owner Charles Comiskey
. The original name, White Sox Park, was restored in 1962, but it went back to the Comiskey Park name in 1976.
Comiskey Park was very modern for its time. It was the fourth concrete-and-steel stadium in the major leagues, and the third in the American League
. As originally built, it sat almost 29,000, a record at the time. Briefly, it retained the nickname "The Baseball Palace of the World."
The park's design was strongly influenced by Sox pitcher Ed Walsh
, and was known for its pitcher-friendly proportions (362 feet to the foul poles; 420 feet to center field). Later changes were made, but the park remained more or less favorable to defensive teams. For many years this reflected on the White Sox style of play: solid defense, and short, quick hits.
The first game in Comiskey Park was a 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Browns
on July 1, 1910. The last game at Comiskey was a win, 2-1, over the Seattle Mariners
on September 30, 1990. The White Sox won their first-ever home night game, over St. Louis on August 14, 1939, 5-2. The first no-hitter
at Comiskey Park was hurled by Vern Kennedy
on August 31, 1935, in a 5-0 win over Cleveland.
. In 1917
, the Chicago White Sox won games 1, 2 and 5 at Comiskey Park and went on to defeat the New York Giants
four games to two. It was the last Championship for the White Sox for 88 years.
In 1918
, Comiskey Park hosted the World Series between the Chicago Cubs
and Boston Red Sox
. The Cubs borrowed Comiskey Park for the series because of its larger seating capacity
. The Red Sox defeated the Cubs four games to two. Games one, two and three were played at Comiskey Park. The Red Sox won games one and three. It was the last Championship for the Red Sox for 86 years. Attendance was under capacity in that war
year. The best crowd was game 3, with some 27,000 patrons. This was an ironic case—all three teams would see a long drought afterward.
In 1919
, the White Sox lost the infamous "Black Sox" World Series to the Cincinnati Reds
, five games to three in a nine-game series. Games three, four, five and eight were played at Comiskey Park. The White Sox won game three and lost games four, five and eight.
In 1959
, the White Sox lost four games to two to the Los Angeles Dodgers
. Games one, two and six were played at Comiskey Park. The White Sox won game one and lost games two and six.
Comiskey also saw post-season action in 1983, when the White Sox lost the American League Championship Series to the Baltimore Orioles
, 3 games to 1, with games 3 and 4 being in Chicago.
s, and each of them marked a turn in the direction of dominance by one league or the other:
This coincidental connection of White Sox ballparks to significant points in All-Star history would continue at U.S. Cellular Field. Beginning with the game at the Cell in 2003, new rules awarded the winning league home field advantage in the World Series. The American League All-Stars won the 2003 All-Star Game on Chicago's South Side, and began an American winning streak that continued through 2009.
(owner of the White Sox from 1959 to 1961, and again from 1975 to 1981). Another Veeck innovation was the "picnic area", created by replacing portions of the left field walls (the side of the field not facing the setting sun) with screens and setting up picnic tables under the seating areas. This concept was later extended to right field. During Veeck's second ownership, he installed a shower behind the speaker horns in the center field bleachers, for fans to cool off on hot summer days.
From 1960 to 1990, Sox fans were also entertained by Andy the Clown
, famous for his famous Jerry Colonna-like elongated cry, "Come ooooooooooon, go! White! Sox!".
On August 20, 1965, The Beatles
performed at the ballpark.
Starting in the 1970s, Sox fans were further entertained by organist Nancy Faust
who picked up on, and reinforced, the spontaneous chants of fans who were singing tunes like, "We will, we will, SOX YOU!
" and the now-ubiquitous farewell to departing pitchers and ejected managers, "Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey-hey, GOOD-BYE!"
Before he became an institution on the north side with the Cubs, Sox broadcaster Harry Caray
was a south side icon. At some point he started "conducting" Take Me Out to the Ball Game
during the seventh-inning stretch
, egged on by Veeck, who (according to Harry himself) said that the fans would sing along when they realized that none of them sang any worse than Harry did. Harry would sometimes broadcast from the center field bleachers, where he could hobnob with fans and get a suntan (or a burn).
The largest crowd ever at Old Comiskey Park was a crowd of 55,555 (which was 11,063 over capacity) on May 20, 1973 for a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins
, which also had the promotion of "Bat Day". By contrast, just over two years earlier, the smallest attendance at the park was recorded, with a puny number of 511 souls showing up for a game on a Thursday, May 6, 1971 against the Boston Red Sox
.
and White Sox promotions manager Mike Veeck (Bill's son) on July 12, 1979. Between games of a make-up doubleheader between the White Sox and the Detroit Tigers
, Dahl and his crew destroyed a pile of disco records that fans had brought in in exchange for a ticket with a discounted price of 98¢
(US
) in honor of Dahl's station at that time, WLUP-FM, the frequency of which was 97.9 MHz. More than 50,000 fans were in attendance, along with another 20,000 who crashed the gates even though the game was sold out. After the demolition, several thousand fans, many of them intoxicated, stormed the field, stealing equipment and destroying the infield. The nightcap of the doubleheader was canceled and forfeited to the Detroit Tigers
.
and Richie Zisk
and other members of a team that was tagged "The South Side Hit Men". They were long removed from their days as "The Hitless Wonders". During that time the ballpark also featured a lounge where one could buy mixed drinks. This prompted some writers to dub Comiskey "Chicago's Largest Outdoor Saloon".
was installed in the infield only much like Tim McCarver Stadium
in Memphis would be in the 1980s and Telus Field
in Edmonton
in the 1990s. This was removed in 1976. The outfield in all three stadiums had remained grass.
During the last 8 years of its existence, Comiskey's annual attendance surpassed the 2 million mark three times, including the final season when the team contended for much of the year before losing the division title to the Oakland Athletics
.
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf
received more than $200 million in public financing for the new stadium after threatening to move the club to St. Petersburg, Florida
. An interesting phenomenon occurred in the Illinois state legislature, in that the Speaker literally stopped the clock
on the evening of June 30, 1988 so that the legislature could report that the money had been granted on June 30, and not July 1. The stadium now called Tropicana Field
was constructed by officials in St. Petersburg in an effort to lure a Major League Baseball club to Florida. The deal was sealed in a last-minute legislative maneuver by then-governor James R. Thompson
.
Comiskey Park was demolished in 1991, a process that started from behind the right field corner, and took all summer. The last portion to come down was the center field bleachers and the "exploding" scoreboard. The site of the old park was turned into a parking lot to serve those attending games at the new Comiskey Park (later renamed U.S. Cellular Field
).
At the time Comiskey was demolished, Chicago's two baseball stadiums were a combined 157 years old.
Bill Veeck once remarked that "There is no more beautiful sight in the world than a ballpark full of people!" On its best days, Comiskey was stuffed to the gills, with 55,000 people or more lining the aisles and even standing for nine (or eighteen) innings on the sloping ramps that criss-crossed behind the scoreboard. The nearly-fully enclosed stands had a way of capturing and reverberating the noise without any artificial enhancement. As a Chicago sportswriter once remarked, "Wrigley Field yayed and Comiskey Park roared."
'Old' Comiskey's home plate is a marble plaque on the sidewalk next to U.S. Cellular Field, and the field is a parking lot. Foul lines are painted on the lot. Also, the spectator ramp across 35th Street is designed in such a way (partly curved, partly straight but angling east-northeast) that it echoes the outline of part of the old grandstand.
Shortly before the park's demolition, the ballpark was featured in the movie Only the Lonely
. John Candy
's character (on a first date) arranged to have a private picnic on the stadium grass under the lights with his date (Ally Sheedy
). Candy referenced the stadium's impending demolition during the date.
When the Sox won the 2005 World Series
, their victory parade began at U.S. Cellular Field, and then circled the block where old Comiskey had stood, before heading on a route through various south side neighborhoods and toward downtown Chicago.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in which the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey
Charles Comiskey
Charles Albert "The Old Roman" Comiskey was a Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League and later owned the Chicago White Sox...
after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis
Zachary Taylor Davis
Zachary Taylor Davis was the architect of several major Chicago buildings, including St. Ambrose Old Comiskey Park , Wrigley Field , Mount Carmel High School , and St...
, and was the site of four World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
(one of which was played by the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
because of a lack of seating at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
) and more than 6,000 major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games. The field was also the site of the 1937 heavyweight title match in which Joe Louis
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
defeated then champion James J. Braddock
James J. Braddock
James Walter "The Cinderella Man" Braddock was an American boxer who was the world heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1937....
in eight rounds.
For a number of years, off and on, the Chicago Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
called Comiskey Park home when they weren't playing at Normal Park
Normal Park
Normal Park is the name of a former football field in Chicago, Illinois. It was on Racine Avenue between 61st and 63rd Streets. Normal Avenue is also sometimes given as one of its bordering streets, although Normal Avenue is about 7 blocks east of Racine , at least under the current city grid...
or Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. The 1947 NFL championship game
NFL Championship Game, 1947
The 1947 National Football League Championship game was the 15th annual championship game and was held December 28, 1947 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The attendance was 30,759. The game featured the Western Division champion Chicago Cardinals and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Eagles...
was held at Comiskey.
The successor to Comiskey Park was built across 35th Street south of the 1910 ballpark, and opened in 1991. The new Comiskey Park was renamed U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field is a baseball ballpark in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, it is the home of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball's American League. The park opened for the 1991 season, after the White Sox had spent 81 years at old Comiskey Park...
in 2003. The original Comiskey Park is now sometimes referred to as "Old Comiskey Park".
Early years
The park was built on a former city dump that Comiskey bought in 1909 to replace the wooden South Side ParkSouth Side Park
South Side Park was the name used for three different baseball parks that formerly stood in Chicago, Illinois at different times, and whose sites were all just a few blocks away from each other....
. It was originally built as White Sox Park, but within three years was renamed for White Sox founder and owner Charles Comiskey
Charles Comiskey
Charles Albert "The Old Roman" Comiskey was a Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League and later owned the Chicago White Sox...
. The original name, White Sox Park, was restored in 1962, but it went back to the Comiskey Park name in 1976.
Comiskey Park was very modern for its time. It was the fourth concrete-and-steel stadium in the major leagues, and the third in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. As originally built, it sat almost 29,000, a record at the time. Briefly, it retained the nickname "The Baseball Palace of the World."
The park's design was strongly influenced by Sox pitcher Ed Walsh
Ed Walsh
Edward Augustine Walsh was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He holds the record for lowest career ERA, 1.82.-Baseball career:Born in Plains Township, Pennsylvania, Walsh had a brief though remarkable major league career...
, and was known for its pitcher-friendly proportions (362 feet to the foul poles; 420 feet to center field). Later changes were made, but the park remained more or less favorable to defensive teams. For many years this reflected on the White Sox style of play: solid defense, and short, quick hits.
The first game in Comiskey Park was a 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
on July 1, 1910. The last game at Comiskey was a win, 2-1, over the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
on September 30, 1990. The White Sox won their first-ever home night game, over St. Louis on August 14, 1939, 5-2. The first no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
at Comiskey Park was hurled by Vern Kennedy
Vern Kennedy
Lloyd Vernon Kennedy was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1934 through 1945, he played for the Chicago White Sox , Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians , Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds...
on August 31, 1935, in a 5-0 win over Cleveland.
World Series
Comiskey Park was the site of four World SeriesWorld Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. In 1917
1917 World Series
In the 1917 World Series, the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Giants four games to two. The Series was played against the backdrop of World War I, which dominated the American newspapers that year and next....
, the Chicago White Sox won games 1, 2 and 5 at Comiskey Park and went on to defeat the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
four games to two. It was the last Championship for the White Sox for 88 years.
In 1918
1918 World Series
The 1918 World Series featured the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Chicago Cubs four games to two. The Series victory for the Red Sox was their fifth in five tries, going back to . The Red Sox scored only nine runs in the entire Series; the fewest runs by the winning team in World Series history...
, Comiskey Park hosted the World Series between the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. The Cubs borrowed Comiskey Park for the series because of its larger seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
. The Red Sox defeated the Cubs four games to two. Games one, two and three were played at Comiskey Park. The Red Sox won games one and three. It was the last Championship for the Red Sox for 86 years. Attendance was under capacity in that war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
year. The best crowd was game 3, with some 27,000 patrons. This was an ironic case—all three teams would see a long drought afterward.
In 1919
1919 World Series
The 1919 World Series matched the American League champion Chicago White Sox against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. Although most World Series have been of the best-of-seven format, the 1919 World Series was a best-of-nine series...
, the White Sox lost the infamous "Black Sox" World Series to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, five games to three in a nine-game series. Games three, four, five and eight were played at Comiskey Park. The White Sox won game three and lost games four, five and eight.
In 1959
1959 World Series
The 1959 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers beating the American League champion Chicago White Sox, four games to two. It was the first pennant for the White Sox in 40 years . They would have to wait until 2005 to win another championship...
, the White Sox lost four games to two to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. Games one, two and six were played at Comiskey Park. The White Sox won game one and lost games two and six.
Comiskey also saw post-season action in 1983, when the White Sox lost the American League Championship Series to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, 3 games to 1, with games 3 and 4 being in Chicago.
All-Star Games
Comiskey Park was the site of three Major League Baseball All-Star GameMajor League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
s, and each of them marked a turn in the direction of dominance by one league or the other:
- The first-ever All-Star Game1933 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 1933 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the first playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 6, 1933 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, the home...
was held there in 1933. It began as a promotion by Arch WardArch WardArch Ward was the sports editor for the Chicago Tribune and personal friend of the owner, Robert R. McCormick. He created the MLB All-Star Game, the All-America Football Conference , the Golden Gloves amateur boxing tournament and the College All-Star Game. Ward was twice offered the job as...
, sports editor of the Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, in connection with the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition being held on Chicago's lakefront. The Americans defeated the Nationals, helped in part by a home run by Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, who was nearing the end of his career, but could still swing a mighty bat. The game also inaugurated a stretch when the Americans dominated, winning 12 of the first 16 (skipping 19451945 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 1945 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was to have been the 13th annual playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League, the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
because of wartime travel restrictions). - The park next hosted the July classic in 1950, a game unfortunately best remembered for Ted WilliamsTed WilliamsTheodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
' collision with the outfield wall that broke his elbow and ended his playing season. Less remembered is that it began a turnaround for the Nationals, who won the game in extra innings and started to win frequently, a trend that continued for more than three decades, building up an astounding 30 wins against only 6 losses and 1 tie (during 1959-1962, two games were held each year). - The 50th Anniversary All-Star Game in 1983 was held at Comiskey Park in commemoration of the first All-Star Game at that same venue. The American League's lopsided win, including the first-ever grand slam in an All-Star Game, by Fred LynnFred LynnFredric Michael "Fred" Lynn is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles , Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres .Fred Lynn was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in and to the College Baseball Hall of Fame...
, turned out to signal an end to the National League's crushing dominance in the mid-summer classic. During the last 8 years of the park's existence the Americans went 5-3, and they have continued to win much more often than not since then, as of 2007. Hosting a winning All-Star Game was also a good omen for the Sox, as they won their division in 1983, the first baseball title of any kind in Chicago since the Sox won the 1959 pennant. - Comiskey Park was the most frequent home to the Negro League East-West All-Star Game from 1933 to 1960. The Negro Leagues' All-Star Game achieved higher attendance in some years than its Major League Baseball counterpartMajor League Baseball All-Star GameThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, thanks in part to Comiskey's high attendance capacity.
This coincidental connection of White Sox ballparks to significant points in All-Star history would continue at U.S. Cellular Field. Beginning with the game at the Cell in 2003, new rules awarded the winning league home field advantage in the World Series. The American League All-Stars won the 2003 All-Star Game on Chicago's South Side, and began an American winning streak that continued through 2009.
Fans
From the 1970s until its demolition in 1991, Comiskey was the oldest park still in use in Major League Baseball. Many of its known characteristics, such as the pinwheels on the "exploding" scoreboard, were installed by Bill VeeckBill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
(owner of the White Sox from 1959 to 1961, and again from 1975 to 1981). Another Veeck innovation was the "picnic area", created by replacing portions of the left field walls (the side of the field not facing the setting sun) with screens and setting up picnic tables under the seating areas. This concept was later extended to right field. During Veeck's second ownership, he installed a shower behind the speaker horns in the center field bleachers, for fans to cool off on hot summer days.
From 1960 to 1990, Sox fans were also entertained by Andy the Clown
Andy the Clown
Andy the Clown was the performing name of Andrew Rozdilsky, Jr. , a lifelong Chicago resident who performed, unofficially, as a clown at Chicago White Sox games at Comiskey Park for 30 years from 1960 to 1990....
, famous for his famous Jerry Colonna-like elongated cry, "Come ooooooooooon, go! White! Sox!".
On August 20, 1965, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
performed at the ballpark.
Nancy Faust
Nancy Faust is the popular former long-time stadium organist for Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox.-Early life:...
who picked up on, and reinforced, the spontaneous chants of fans who were singing tunes like, "We will, we will, SOX YOU!
We Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. Rolling Stone ranked it #330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA placed it at #146 on its list of Songs of the Century...
" and the now-ubiquitous farewell to departing pitchers and ejected managers, "Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey-hey, GOOD-BYE!"
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" is a song written and recorded by Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo and Dale Frashuer, attributed to a then-fictitious band they named "Steam". It was released under the Mercury subsidiary label Fontana and became a number one pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1969,...
Before he became an institution on the north side with the Cubs, Sox broadcaster Harry Caray
Harry Caray
Harry Caray, born Harry Christopher Carabina, was an American baseball broadcaster on radio and television. He covered four Major League Baseball teams, beginning with a long tenure calling the games of the St...
was a south side icon. At some point he started "conducting" Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song. The song is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of...
during the seventh-inning stretch
Seventh-inning stretch
The seventh-inning stretch is a tradition in baseball that takes place between the halves of the seventh inning of any game – in the middle of the seventh inning. Fans generally stand up and stretch out their arms and legs and sometimes walk around. It is a popular time to get a late-game snack as...
, egged on by Veeck, who (according to Harry himself) said that the fans would sing along when they realized that none of them sang any worse than Harry did. Harry would sometimes broadcast from the center field bleachers, where he could hobnob with fans and get a suntan (or a burn).
The largest crowd ever at Old Comiskey Park was a crowd of 55,555 (which was 11,063 over capacity) on May 20, 1973 for a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, which also had the promotion of "Bat Day". By contrast, just over two years earlier, the smallest attendance at the park was recorded, with a puny number of 511 souls showing up for a game on a Thursday, May 6, 1971 against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.
"The Night Disco Died"
The most famous (or infamous) promotional event ever held at Old Comiskey was "Disco Demolition Night", organized by longtime Chicago radio personality Steve DahlSteve Dahl
Steven Robert Dahl has been an American radio personality and humorist for more than thirty years. He is currently podcasting, and releases the podcasts for download daily from his own website as well as the iTunes store...
and White Sox promotions manager Mike Veeck (Bill's son) on July 12, 1979. Between games of a make-up doubleheader between the White Sox and the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Dahl and his crew destroyed a pile of disco records that fans had brought in in exchange for a ticket with a discounted price of 98¢
Cent (currency)
In many national currencies, the cent is a monetary unit that equals 1⁄100 of the basic monetary unit. Etymologically, the word cent derives from the Latin word "centum" meaning hundred. Cent also refers to a coin which is worth one cent....
(US
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) in honor of Dahl's station at that time, WLUP-FM, the frequency of which was 97.9 MHz. More than 50,000 fans were in attendance, along with another 20,000 who crashed the gates even though the game was sold out. After the demolition, several thousand fans, many of them intoxicated, stormed the field, stealing equipment and destroying the infield. The nightcap of the doubleheader was canceled and forfeited to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
Transitions
When Bill Veeck re-acquired the team, he took out the center field fence, reverting to the original distance to the wall (posted as 440 in the 1940s, re-measured as 445 in the 1970s)... a tough target, but reachable by sluggers like Oscar GambleOscar Gamble
Oscar Charles Gamble is a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. He played for 17 seasons, from 1969 to 1985, on seven different teams: the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees on two separate occasions, as well as the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland...
and Richie Zisk
Richie Zisk
Richard Walter Zisk is a retired Major League Baseball player currently in charge of pro scouting in Florida for the Chicago Cubs.-Pittsburgh Pirates:...
and other members of a team that was tagged "The South Side Hit Men". They were long removed from their days as "The Hitless Wonders". During that time the ballpark also featured a lounge where one could buy mixed drinks. This prompted some writers to dub Comiskey "Chicago's Largest Outdoor Saloon".
Final years
In 1969, AstroturfAstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
was installed in the infield only much like Tim McCarver Stadium
Tim McCarver Stadium
Tim McCarver Stadium was a stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. It was primarily used for baseball and was the home of the Memphis Blues , the Memphis Chicks , and the Memphis Redbirds ....
in Memphis would be in the 1980s and Telus Field
TELUS Field
Telus Field is a baseball stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is home to the Edmonton Capitals of the independent North American League, and was home to the former Edmonton Trappers, an AAA baseball team of the Pacific Coast League. The Trappers moved to Round Rock, Texas, and became the...
in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
in the 1990s. This was removed in 1976. The outfield in all three stadiums had remained grass.
During the last 8 years of its existence, Comiskey's annual attendance surpassed the 2 million mark three times, including the final season when the team contended for much of the year before losing the division title to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
.
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry M. Reinsdorf is a CPA, lawyer and an owner of the MLB's Chicago White Sox and the NBA's Chicago Bulls. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the head of the White Sox and Bulls for over 20 years.He made his initial fortune in real...
received more than $200 million in public financing for the new stadium after threatening to move the club to St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. An interesting phenomenon occurred in the Illinois state legislature, in that the Speaker literally stopped the clock
Stopping the clock
Stopping the clock is a controversial practice in American and Canadian legislative procedure in which a legislature literally or notionally stops the clock , usually for the purpose of meeting a constitutional or statutory deadline...
on the evening of June 30, 1988 so that the legislature could report that the money had been granted on June 30, and not July 1. The stadium now called Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college...
was constructed by officials in St. Petersburg in an effort to lure a Major League Baseball club to Florida. The deal was sealed in a last-minute legislative maneuver by then-governor James R. Thompson
James R. Thompson
James Robert Thompson, Jr. , also known as Big Jim Thompson, was the 37th and longest serving Governor of the US state of Illinois...
.
U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field is a baseball ballpark in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, it is the home of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball's American League. The park opened for the 1991 season, after the White Sox had spent 81 years at old Comiskey Park...
).
At the time Comiskey was demolished, Chicago's two baseball stadiums were a combined 157 years old.
Bill Veeck once remarked that "There is no more beautiful sight in the world than a ballpark full of people!" On its best days, Comiskey was stuffed to the gills, with 55,000 people or more lining the aisles and even standing for nine (or eighteen) innings on the sloping ramps that criss-crossed behind the scoreboard. The nearly-fully enclosed stands had a way of capturing and reverberating the noise without any artificial enhancement. As a Chicago sportswriter once remarked, "Wrigley Field yayed and Comiskey Park roared."
'Old' Comiskey's home plate is a marble plaque on the sidewalk next to U.S. Cellular Field, and the field is a parking lot. Foul lines are painted on the lot. Also, the spectator ramp across 35th Street is designed in such a way (partly curved, partly straight but angling east-northeast) that it echoes the outline of part of the old grandstand.
Shortly before the park's demolition, the ballpark was featured in the movie Only the Lonely
Only the Lonely (film)
Only the Lonely is a 1991 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Chris Columbus. It starred John Candy, Ally Sheedy, Maureen O’Hara and Anthony Quinn. The plot is similar to the earlier award-winning film Marty.-Plot:...
. John Candy
John Candy
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
's character (on a first date) arranged to have a private picnic on the stadium grass under the lights with his date (Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy
Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. She is best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.-Early life:...
). Candy referenced the stadium's impending demolition during the date.
When the Sox won the 2005 World Series
2005 World Series
The 2005 World Series, the 101st Major League Baseball championship series, saw the American League champion Chicago White Sox sweep the National League champion Houston Astros four games to none in the best-of-seven-games series, winning their third championship and first since 1917.Home-field...
, their victory parade began at U.S. Cellular Field, and then circled the block where old Comiskey had stood, before heading on a route through various south side neighborhoods and toward downtown Chicago.