How The White Sox Can Transform Their Franchise

First, build a new stadium. I know, I know – the current one is only 28 years old. Yeah, that’s the sentiment of a club who gets a new stadium, oh, every 100 years. But the same could have been said about Turner Field in Atlanta, which was a nicer park than Comiskey—er, Guaranteed Rate Field. The Braves didn’t wait until their stadium was decrepit and decayed, they’ve transformed the customer experience into something more and more compelling. The Sox could do this too if they were a franchise that focused on potential returns rather than cost.

Tear down the concrete edifice that was made obsolete the second Camden Yards opened in Baltimore just one year after the “new” Comiskey Park opened in 1991. Camden Yards was creative, unique and built for the ultimate fan experience, and transformed the way baseball parks would forever be thought about. Comiskey II had no such vision.

Build a new stadium in a new location – ideally on the shores of Lake Michigan where players could hit “splash landing” home runs like they do at Oracle Park in San Francisco – and get out of the current ghetto perception no matter what historical significance the existing location of 35th and Shields yields. Build a modern “smart” field with green environmental elements and as much traditional baseball charm and culture as possible. They could knock the “Sox” off baseball fans across the country and restate the brand promise of the Chicago White Sox.