CHICAGO, IL – U.S. Cellular Field
July 18, 2005 ~ Park #1
I’ve been to 12 Major League Baseball stadiums. U.S. Cellular Field was the first park I went to, yet the last one I photographed. I don’t know the date of my first game at “The Cell,” but the earliest ticket stub I have on file is July 18th, 2005. I have pictures of games before that date, I have memories of games before those, but this is the only bit of hard evidence that gives me a date and a specific game I can point to.
These pictures are from the last game in the 2013 season. One of the worst seasons in White Sox history, the question of whether Paul Konerko would retire was still up in the air. I wasn’t going to take the chance missing his final game, however, so I went to the park that day. I thought it may be a good idea to document the Cell as I had every other park I’d been to, if only for consistency’s sake. It was strange to take pictures of things I had seen regularly for 8+ years and it was sometimes difficult to determine “Is this unique? Should I take a picture of it?” Less than four months after that game, I wound up moving to Florida. As a White Sox fan, U.S. Cellular Field was my home park, but as you will soon see, it does not benefit from any sort of hometown bias.
U.S. Cellular Field is very easy to get to. Located just off of two different expressways (Dan Ryan and Stevenson), it’s also accessible from two different elevated trail lines (red and green) and a suburban train line (Metra’s Rock Island). I’m sure you can get there by bus too, but I never really learned much about the routes. Unlike many parks, you can’t actually make a full lap around the outside and there’s really no reason to. Aside from the main entrance, the outside is nothing special. There are no statues or inscribed bricks 
or plaques or interesting bits of architecture waiting to be discovered. Everything you need to see is by the main gate. Following the 2005 Championship season, the White Sox erected a two sided statue/mural celebrating the first White Sox title in 88 years. Important moments in the playoff run are immortalized in 3D statues and 2D etchings in the black stone. The statue sits in the center of a plaza that contains bricks that fans were able to purchase and inscribe with messages. My family has one. Along the edges of this plaza are larger white stones that contain a timeline of events in White Sox history. Moving back out even farther, the monument plaza is surrounded by cement columns that are about waist high and placed every few feet. Their real purpose is to prevent a car from jumping the curb and driving through the plaza like the Blues Brothers, but the Sox have dressed these columns up so that each one honors a retired White Sox player. There are two plaques on each pillar. The top plaque has the player’s name and number and the bottom one contains a bulleted list of the player’s position, years with the White Sox, and accomplishments. This is the first of three ways the White Sox honor their retired legends. To the left of the championship statue are the box office windows and a place where the day’s lineup is presented pictorially. To the right is a stage where a band is always performing on game day. Just past that is the sidewalk that will take you to the various entry gates. If you are carrying any bags with you, you’ll have to open them up for a quick search. Something you can bring in is a sealed bottle of water. A lot of people don’t know this, so it’s a good thing you’re reading. I just saved you $4. I’ll save you some more money by planting this idea in your brain: refill your empty water bottle at the various drinking fountains around the park. It’s a great tip on a hot Chicago day.
On the north side of 35th street lies the former site of old Comiskey Park. It is mostly a parking lot now with a new set of buildings along the street, but the place where home plate used to be has been marked, along with the infield dirt around home, the batters boxes and the foul lines. The aforementioned “new set of buildings” consist of a team store, box office, restaurant/bar, and another gate to enter the park. The team store is a two story structure, so it’s fairly large, but the selection of White Sox items is limited. Part of the issue is that this shop is called the “Chicago Sports Despot” and contains items from a variety of Chicago based teams like the Bulls, Blackhawks, Bears and even some college teams. The restaurant/bar is called “Bacardi at the Park” and is sponsored by the vodka of the same name. It is open before, during, and after the game and can be a great hideout if the weather gets too extreme. You can follow the game in progress on the numerous flat screen TVs. To get into the park from this alternate entrance, you walk up a set of stairs (the only set in the park), take the elevator, or ascend the escalator to a bridge that is even with the main concourse level of the park. The playing field is at street level, so you need to go up a story to reach the concourse. You cross over 35th street and into U.S. Cellular Field.
The first thing that will hit you is the smell of grilled hot dogs and onions. After that, you’ll quickly notice that you can see the field from anywhere on the concourse. This is not true for some other parks like Wrigley Field or Busch Stadium. I think this is a must for any ballpark. It keeps the air moving, the bad smells from lingering and keeps you involved in the game as you’re walking around. It’s not uncommon to hear a crack of the bat and wild cheering and see people walking on the concourse stop to see what’s going on or rush to the isles to see what they missed. It’s also a great feature if it starts to rain. People who don’t want to sit in the mist, yet still watch the game, can do just that. They walk up the stairs and take their place on the concourse. And if it downpours, the open air prevents the jam packed concourse from becoming a stifling sweat box. The Cell has a pretty good variety of food and a decent beer selection, or so I’ve been told. I don’t drink so I won’t be able to provide much insight on alcohol selections/pricing.
The main concourse houses some of the best features of the park. In the left field corner is the hat shop. Inside you’ll find a wide 
range of Sox hats and fitted hats from every team in the majors. Home hats, road hats, alternate hats, throwback hats…they’re all there. Moving from left field toward right, you’ll run into the Frank Thomas statue. Each player who has had their number retired (except Ted Lyons for some reason) has been immortalized in a slightly larger than life sized bronze statue. These statues are spread across the outfield concourse. Team founder Charles Comiskey also has a statue. The Fundamentals Deck, built above the left field concourse, is where the White Sox house their kids area. It is accessible from every level of the ballpark, but only if you have a child with you. The White Sox are big on rules and this is one of them. I was able to get on the deck during a special open house, so I can pass along the top secret information the Fundamentals Deck holds. There are a variety of baseball themed games kids can play, from hitting in batting cages to pitching accuracy to running around a scaled down replica of U.S. Cellular Field. During each game, a contest is held where a child must knock a wiffle ball out of this miniature park. Some hit the ball so hard that it flies off of the deck entirely and into the crowd below. There is another area on the deck where kids can race a cutout of a Sox player to 1st base and vie for the best time of the day. When I saw the game the player was Scott Podsednik. I have no idea who it is now. The Fundamentals Deck is also the place where you will find the White Sox Mickey Mouse. Following the 2010 All-Star Game at Angel Stadium, every team received a Mickey Mouse statue painted with their logos and colors. Some teams display them in their park, other do not.
Moving on from the Fundamentals Deck is something that was moved over from the old park: the outfield shower. Especially popular on hot days, a fan steps into the shower area, pulls the handle and is doused with refreshing water. There are some other cooling stations in the outfield that utilize misters, if you should require their services on a warm day. In straightaway center field stands the fan deck. This open air deck rises out of the concourse and is used for party rentals. On most nights you’re not allowed up there unless you are with the group who has purchased the space. No one was watching on the last day of a terrible season though, so I was able to get up there. It’s just a lot of standing room and some tables. Nothing too exciting. At the base of the deck there are concession stands and a plaque to honor a 460 foot bomb hit by Jim Thome that carried the White Sox into the 2008 playoffs. Other concourse activities include speed pitch, a video game area where people can play the latest version of MLB 2K and a social media lounge for… people who use social media? I honestly don’t know it’s purpose, but it’s the only place you can charge your cell phone in the park, so at least it does that. If
you go down a set of ramps, you can reach the Bullpen Sports Bar. This is a bar under the outfield stands that has an outdoor seating area that is separated from the playing field by the right field fence. Patrons can also sit in an area that looks eye level into the visiting bullpen. The Bullpen Sport Bar opens a half hour (I believe) earlier than any of the other gates, so if you’re lined up on a really hot day or there is a giveaway item you really want, this is your gate. You just have to sit in the bar until they open the rest of the park. Obviously, this trick will only work if you’re 21. To get to the gate, take a right at the championship statue and take the sidewalk as far down as you can go. It’s the last gate you can enter. Behind home plate sits the organ booth that at one time housed Nancy Faust, White Sox organist for 41 years. She ended her run in 2010 as the Sox continued to downsize the role of the organ at the games. They replaced Nancy with someone for Sunday games, but no live organ is played during any other game. One of Nancy’s trademarks was playing “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” when an opposing pitcher was removed from a game.
The scoreboard is located in center field. I much prefer this to the boards that are positioned in left field or right field in other parks. The Sox have two smaller boards on either side of the main board. One shows the lineups for each team, some stats, and out of town scores while the other board shows the box score, special messages, and the count. The main score board boasts 7 pinwheels, something that was introduced in the old park. When a home run is hit, fireworks go off and the pinwheels “spin” through the use of moving lights. The video board is somewhat small and not a high definition screen. The score board is home to your traditional in game activities like the kiss cam, which hat is ball under, and a race of some kind. Past seasons have seen a partnership between the White Sox and Blackhawks where animated Hawks players race blues mobiles through a Chicago maze. The Sox do have an awesome video before the game starts though. It’s a pump up piece that goes through White Sox history via pictures and video clips and segues right into the lineups, announced over the roar of Thunderstruck and capped off with a few fireworks.
I’m a very big fan of how the White Sox choose to show off their championships, pennants, and division titles. They took space that was being wasted, the scaffolding of the lights, and stretched banners across them that listed the team’s accomplishments. If they add another division title, a new banner is printed that contains the new flag. I like this system because you can see the championships in any weather and they are easy to spot in the park. Some teams fly flags with years on them, but if the wind isn’t blowing that day, you can’t read the flags. The Reds put their championships under the press box behind home plate. Unless you’re facing home plate, you won’t see them. Championships should be displayed for all to see, not hidden away.
The third and final way the White Sox honor their retired players is by hanging their numbers. For many years, they had used the outfield wall for this. The name, number, and picture of the player was printed on the outfield wall padding. I loved it. It was easy to see and right in the action of the game. In 2013, for reasons I cannot fathom, they decided to remove the wall mural and put the name and number of each player onto a circle and hang them above the Stadium Club restaurant in right field. The names are nearly impossible to read and the numbers are out of the way and are not nearly as noticeable as they were before. Now you may say they wanted the extra wall space for ads, and that would be logical, except that they didn’t sell more wall ads. They still had plenty of space for these retired numbers.
The old outfield wall
U.S. Cellular Field has five seating levels. Level 1 is the main concourse, levels 2 and 4 are suites and level 3 is my favorite, known as the 300 level. The concourse is carpeted and closed off from the elements, the food and bathrooms are nicer than the general levels and they have an incredible dessert cart. There are flat screen TVs and comfortable chairs in the concourse as well. Basically, it’s the perfect escape if it’s too hot, cold, or rainy outside. To get to your seat, you go outside through a glass door and sit in a small section with your own waiter who can bring you food so you won’t miss a single pitch. I like the 300 level so much because your seat is still outside, but you have that insurance policy of the closed off concourse. It’s not as crowded and the amenities are nicer. Also connected to this level is the Stadium Club, which is a nicer restaurant. You need special passes to get into this sit down restaurant and those usually come with a season ticket package. The glassed in dining area provides a great view of the game from right field. I’ve also sat in the suites at the Cell. The rooms are large with two rows of seats and glass windows that can be opened to let the fresh air in. Unfortunately, opening the windows is the closest thing you’ll get to sitting outside. All of the seats are indoors and there are no balconies or anything. The suite level has it’s own private entrance in the front of the park. Just past the World Series statue, there are 4 elevators that can bring you up to one of the two suite levels. Each level has it’s own private corridor with bathrooms, shops and food options. While the 300 level is my favorite, I most often sit in the 500 level, or the upper deck. The tickets are the cheapest and this level has, in my opinion, the best view. From up there, you can see the entire playing field and take in everything that is going on. The upper deck concourse is much barer than the main level concourse and doesn’t have quite as many food offerings. What it does offer though is a fantastic view of the Chicago skyline and a very cool mural that runs from one end of the deck to the other showcasing the White Sox through their history.
As much as I love the upper deck, it demonstrates two of the worst things about U.S. Cellular Field. The first is that if you have tickets for a 500 level seat, you are not allowed to go onto the main concourse. So if you’re visiting town, you can’t see the statues, go to the hat shop, use the shower or visit any friends/relatives who may be working on the main level. They have checkpoints with metal barricades set up at all entrances to the main level and an attendant needs to see your ticket before they let you in. I don’t know why they do this. The Sox have had falling attendance every single year since 2006 and drew under 2 million fans in 2013. 
Games are not being sold out, so it’s not as if people are trying to sneak down to snag a seat that weren’t able to purchase. The rumors I have heard indicate this policy exists because of an event that happen one night in 2002. Two fans ran onto the field and jumped the Royals’ first base coach. Anyhow, the rumor is that these two fans had 500 level seats and so the Sox don’t let people with 500 level seats onto the main level in order to prevent similar incidents. Pretty stupid, huh? But of the 12 parks I’ve been to, this is the only place I can’t get onto the main level from the upper deck. I call it fiscal segregation. Another problem with the park is that there are no stairs in the entire place. You take the escalators to get to your level when the game begins, but to get out after the game, you need to take the ramps. Now let’s say you want to go between levels during the game. Good luck. The escalators are blocked off so you’ll have to walk up the ramps, which is a tiring and time consuming process. When it comes time to leave the park, make for that bridge over 35th street that I talked about earlier. Even if you have to walk halfway around the park, you’ll save loads of time by taking those stairs down.
U.S. Cellular Field was built in 1991 before the renaissance of park building. Some people would call it a cookie-cutter park. I just call it average. They offer some unique things like the Fundamentals Deck, outfield shower, and Bullpen Sports Bar, do a fantastic job honoring their retired greats (3 different ways!) and championships and have a very good food selection, but have imposed some terrible rules and lack some basics like a museum for the general public (there is plenty of history that could be showcased). The more parks I see, the less I like the Cell.
Here’s a fun note. The naming rights were sold to U.S. Cellular in 2003 for $68 million over 20 years. In 2013, U.S. Cellular pulled out of the Midwest and sold their business units to Sprint. With 10 years left on the contract, U.S. Cellular says the name will stay until 2023, but I can’t see a company continuing to pay for branding in a market they don’t even exist in. Is Sprint Stadium coming soon or will the contract be voided/bought out and a new sponsor brought in? Panera Bread Park? Starbucks Stadium? Five Guys Field?
More pictures of U.S. Cellular Field
Gnome's Ballpark Tour 