Baseball fans on the north side of Chicago are passionate about the Cubs, but make a trip to the south side of the city and White Sox baseball is the focal point. The White Sox history dates back to the 1890s and the club was one of the eight original members to form the American League. The franchise has had stops in Sioux City and St. Paul, but has called Chicago home since 1900.
Ballpark / Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
After spending the 1910 through 1990 seasons at Comiskey Park, the White Sox moved to Guaranteed Rate Field in time for the start of the 1991 campaign. The park has had a number of seating changes throughout its history, but has had an official capacity of 40,615 since the 2004 season. Guaranteed Rate Field’s features include a number of statues of past White Sox greats, an area recognizing the team’s 2005 World Series championship and, just outside the park, the home plate from Comiskey Park.
World Series Championships
A newsworthy moment in the White Sox history is the 1919 World Series, during which eight members of the Sox were banned from baseball for fixing the series. The scandal became known as the Black Sox Scandal. This scandal aside, the White Sox have enjoyed World Series glory at three points in their history — 1906, 1917 and 2005. The club has also won six American League Pennants and five division titles.
Chicago White Sox Roster
A number of members of the Baseball Hall of Fame once appeared on the White Sox roster and wear the Chicago cap on their plaques. These names include Luis Aparicio, Luke Appling, Eddie Collins, Charles Comiskey, Red Faber, Nellie Fox, Ted Lyons, Ray Schalk, Frank Thomas, Bill Veeck and Ed Walsh. Other notable members of the team have included Harold Baines, Carlton Fisk, Paul Konerko, Mark Buehrle and Jim Thome.
Spring Training
The White Sox play the home games on their Spring Training schedule at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix, AZ. The stadium, which opened in 2009, is also the Cactus League home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. With a capacity of 13,000, the park is the largest among the Arizona-based Spring Training facilities. The White Sox held their Spring Training games at Tucson Electric Park between 1998 and 2008. The White Sox Minor League Baseball affiliates are the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, Double-A Birmingham Barons, Advanced-A Winston-Salem Dash, Class-A Kannapolis Intimidators and rookie league Great Falls Voyagers and Dominican Summer League White Sox.
The Ballpark Guide hasn’t visited the Chicago White Sox yet, but hopes to in the near future. If you’re excited to read a fan guide to Guaranteed Rate Field, check out the many ways you can support The Ballpark Guide on future baseball road trips.