US CELLULAR FIELD

US Cellular is the new name of Comiskey Park. I think this name is terrible and will refer to the park as Comiskey in this review.

Comiskey Park was opened in 1991, replacing the old Comiskey next door. Although this park is an obvious improvement over its cramped predecessor, it is not remarkable, having missed the retro fad by about two years, but is still enjoyable as a ballgame venue. 

Located on Chicago's south side at 35th St and the Dan Ryan Expressway, Comiskey has retained some traditions from the old park and added some interesting features as well. The lower concourse is spacious and filled with a wide variety of food vendors. A shoeshine box is available behind first base. In the outfield are two showers and a misting station that cool you down during the summer heat. The bullpens are located in the outfield as well, and you can walk down and watch the pitchers warm up from directly behind them. This is also a good place to get autographs before the game. 

In front of each entrance to the seating sections on the lower level is a banner that contains either a famous baseball quote, or a famous baseball player (not necessarily just the White Sox). It can be fun just walking around the concourse trying to read all of them, other fans will look at you with curious glances. Another tribute can be seen on the facing between the two decks - seven retired numbers are listed, including stars such as Nellie Fox and Luke Appling.

One of the places that you may want to visit is the Bullpen Sports Bar, located behind the right field fence. Anyone over the age of 21 can get in, and for a extra fee, you can sit at one of the tables to watch the game.  

The upper level is a bit too high for my liking, in fact the first row of seats in the upper deck is farther away from home plate than the last row was in Old Comiskey. However, from the north face of the upper deck, you can get a great view of downtown Chicago.

The final sight to see is Old Comiskey Home Plate - located just across the street. The foul lines are also drawn in, so you can picture some 80 years of baseball history occurring at that point.

We recommend taking the red line to the park - at $18 parking is a rip-off. The park is easy to get to as it is right next to the highway, but getting out might be a problem.  

Seating is no longer reasonably priced after the 2005 World Championship,  but again the best seats are reserved for season ticket plans. One special - all tickets are half-price on Monday.

The scoreboard is a replica of the original Comiskey scoreboard that was designed by Bill Veeck. When the Sox homer, look for fireworks and spinning fans on the scoreboard - another tradition brought over.

Sox win!!!

Of course, Comiskey will never compare with it's crosstown rival. But even then, if you are in Chicago at the same time as the Sox, why not hop on the train and head south to 35th Street - Comiskey has it's own attractions to offer.

Another view