The Chicago White Sox, also known as “The South Siders” are one of two teams in the Major League Baseball (MLB) from Chicago, Illinois, United States. As serious competitors in the league, they have been three time World Series Champions so far. Moreover, they have also been AL West Division Champions twice and AL Central Division Champions four times while earning the AL pennants seven times till date. The team is notable for their rivalry with the Chicago Cubs (Crosstown Classic). They are also divisional rivals of the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins.
Throughout the 2023 MLB season, the Chicago White Sox had an average performance and ranked #4 in AL Central Division. Under manager Pedro Grifol, they gained a win-loss-draw record of 61-101-0 throughout the season.
What is the name of Chicago White Sox’s Stadium?
Guaranteed Rate Field, previously known as New Comiskey Park from 1991-2003 and U.S. Cellular Field from 2003-2006 is the present stadium for the Chicago White Sox.
It is located in Chicago, Illinois, United States and the team has played in this stadium since 1991. The ballpark has various modern facilities to attract both veteran and new baseball fans to it.
Guaranteed Rate Field History/ Guaranteed Rate Field Construction and Cost
The preparations for the Guaranteed Rate Field started after the Chicago White Sox wanted to move away to Florida to have a better ballpark in the 1980s. The impressive ceremony for the stadium was held on May 7, 1989 and the stadium itself was inaugurated on April 18, 1991. After being named as the New Comiskey Park and U.S. Cellular Park, it was finally renamed to Guaranteed Rate Field in 2016 after Guaranteed Rate, a private mortgage firm purchased the naming rights.
Although the park was designed along the “modern style’’ of the 1960s, it was later changed to retro classic design. It borrowed many features from the old Comiskey Park. This includes the exploding scoreboard and the arched windows along the front facade. The stadium has several features like flickering LED lights, Fan Deck, Rain rooms, Home Plate Club, Scout Seats, Xfinity Zone, Craft Kave, 47 Shop and New Era Cap Corner. There are also several facilities available for foods and beverages. These include Pizza Pub cafe, ChiSox Bar and Grill, indoor and outdoor dining facilities as well as showering facilities. There are also speed pitch machines in the stadium.
The field surface is made up of Kentucky Bluegrass. The left field is 330 feet, while the left center field is 375 feet. The center field is 400 feet while the right center field is 375 feet. The right field is 335 feet while the backstop is 60 feet. Finally, the outfield wall height is 8 feet.
The construction of the Guaranteed Rate Field cost $137 million in 1991, which amounted to $294 million as of 2022. The renovations of the stadium from 2001-2007 cost $118 million, which amounts to $167 million as of 2022. The stadium was constructed by HOK Sport. From 2001-2007, renovations were done by HKS, Inc.
Guaranteed Rate Field Capacity
The Guaranteed Rate Field presently has a capacity to support 40,615 fans as of 2024. Among them, 400 seats are already reserved for disabled fans, especially those using wheelchairs. This is a look at the capacity of the stadium from the beginning till now.
| Years | Capacity |
| 1991-2000 | 44,321 |
| 2001 | 47,522 |
| 2002-2003 | 47, 098 |
| 2004 - Present | 40, 615 |
Guaranteed Rate Field Stadium Seating Chart
The following is the seating chart available for the fans at the Guaranteed Rate Field for the Chicago White Sox games:
Remarkably, the stadium authorities have already informed that fans seating in sections 108-156 are at risk of being hit by bats, balls and bat fragments. That is why they have provided netting to protect these fans in these sections.
What is the parking cost at Guaranteed Rate Field?/Parking Map
The following is the parking map at the Guaranteed Rate Field for the Chicago White Sox games:
As per the stadium authorities, the parking lots open 2 hours before the game is scheduled to start. Therefore, fans who arrive early get the best parking lots. Lots A, B, C and G are pre-paid parking lots and to park there, it costs $27 from Mondays-Saturdays and $17 on Sundays.
Lots F and L are Day of Game Credit//Debit Parking lots. There are limited spaces available in these lots. It costs $30 to park here from Mondays-Saturdays and $20 for Sundays. All parking transactions are to be conducted only with the official parking staff within the lots.
Lot B at Gate 5 is Disability Parking. Disabled fans and audiences will be picked up and dropped back at Lot B by the ballpark personnel before and after the game. However, they need to have proper documentation, cards or placards to inform them of their disability.
Finally, there is the Overflow Parking. This applies for standard parking. If these are filled up before important games, then fans will be taken to Overflow lots at McCormick Park or IIT. In such cases, they will be given free shuttle service to and from the stadium before and after the game.
Guaranteed Rate Field’s Notable Events
The Guaranteed Rate Field has had several notable events in it besides being the home stadium for the Chicago White Sox. Talking about baseball, these are some of the notable events:
| Date | Events |
| April 18, 1991 | Inaugural game at the stadium against the Detroit Tigers. |
| September 14, 1997 | The Chicago White Sox retire jersey #72 of Carlton Fisk |
| July 15, 2003 | The 74th MLB All-Star game is hosted in the stadium |
| July 25, 2003 | Frank Thomas scored the 400th home run of his career. |
| October 22, 2005 | The first World Series game in the stadium, ultimately won by the Chicago White Sox |
| January 20, 2009 | The Chicago White Sox honors the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama outside Gate 6. |
| July 30, 2011 | A replica statue of Frank Thomas is unveiled at the stadium |
| May 23, 2015 | The Chicago White Sox retire jersey #14 of Paul Konerko |
| May 25, 2021 | MLB umpire Joe West umpired his 5,376th game and broke the record of Bill Klem for most games umpired |
| October 10, 2021 | First playoff game in the stadium since 2008. |
These are the non-baseball notable events in the stadium which include music concerts and football games.
Musical Concerts
| Date | Events | Attendance |
| September 13, 2002 | The Rolling Stones perform their first concert in this stadium as part of the Licks Tour | NA |
| August 13, 2003 | Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform for the first time as part of The Rising Tour | 34,439 |
| September 24, 2016 | Chance the Rapper perform as part of Magnificent Coloring Day Festival | 47,754 |
| September 7 & 8, 2023 | RBD perform as part of the Soy Rebelde Tour | 63,763 (Total) |
Football
The first collegiate football game was played at Guaranteed Rate Field on November 9, 2016. The Northern Illinois Huskies faced the Toledo Rockets in an event called the Huskie Chi-Town Showdown. The game was attended by 10,180 fans and eventually the Toledo Rockets defeated the Northern Illinois Huskies 31-24 in the game.
FAQ's On Chicago White Sox Stadium
A. The Guaranteed Rate Field is the official stadium for the Chicago White Sox.
A. The first baseball game played at Guaranteed Rate Field was on April 18, 1991.
A. The construction cost of the Guaranteed Rate Field was $137 million in 1991.
A. The first MLB All-Star game at Guaranteed Rate Field was played on July 15, 2003.
A. The first World Series game at Guaranteed Rate Field was played on October 22, 2005.
