Cool sketch of Comiskey from the 40's

[southsider2k5]

http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/whitesox-ta...mp;feedID=10338

[Milkman delivers]

What's it say for Comiskey's nickname? Something Roman.

[iamshack]

What's it say for Comiskey's nickname? Something Roman.

The Noblest Roman.

[Harry Chappas]

What a cool place that joint was can't beat outfield upperdeck.

[Quin]

I wish I could have seen a game there.

[Harry Chappas]

I wish I could have seen a game there.

 

As biased as a person could be, I will say it was better than Wrigley. The underneath was similar in that you came up to the field and it just exploded in front of you. All you saw was green. The place looking huge as well. The bigger difference in the two is the size of the place. Wrigley's concourses and are cramped and while Comiskey was larger and allowed for room to walk. Also Comiskey smelled of beer and food. The concourse of Comiskey allowed you to walk around the entire underneath of the stadium.

 

It just seemed large compared to Wrigely. I visited both often when I was young and Wrigley seemed small with the buildings behind it and tucked in the neighborhood. You saw the lights of Comiskey as you drove in whether on the Ryan or the Stevenson.

 

It was the Baseball Palace of the World.

[southsider2k5]

As biased as a person could be, I will say it was better than Wrigley. The underneath was similar in that you came up to the field and it just exploded in front of you. All you saw was green. The place looking huge as well. The bigger difference in the two is the size of the place. Wrigley's concourses and are cramped and while Comiskey was larger and allowed for room to walk. Also Comiskey smelled of beer and food. The concourse of Comiskey allowed you to walk around the entire underneath of the stadium.

 

It just seemed large compared to Wrigely. I visited both often when I was young and Wrigley seemed small with the buildings behind it and tucked in the neighborhood. You saw the lights of Comiskey as you drove in whether on the Ryan or the Stevenson.

 

It was the Baseball Palace of the World.

Great post.

[Quin]

As biased as a person could be, I will say it was better than Wrigley. The underneath was similar in that you came up to the field and it just exploded in front of you. All you saw was green. The place looking huge as well. The bigger difference in the two is the size of the place. Wrigley's concourses and are cramped and while Comiskey was larger and allowed for room to walk. Also Comiskey smelled of beer and food. The concourse of Comiskey allowed you to walk around the entire underneath of the stadium.

 

It just seemed large compared to Wrigely. I visited both often when I was young and Wrigley seemed small with the buildings behind it and tucked in the neighborhood. You saw the lights of Comiskey as you drove in whether on the Ryan or the Stevenson.

 

It was the Baseball Palace of the World.

 

/this-only-makes-me-sadder

[The Ginger Kid]

As biased as a person could be, I will say it was better than Wrigley. The underneath was similar in that you came up to the field and it just exploded in front of you. All you saw was green. The place looking huge as well. The bigger difference in the two is the size of the place. Wrigley's concourses and are cramped and while Comiskey was larger and allowed for room to walk. Also Comiskey smelled of beer and food. The concourse of Comiskey allowed you to walk around the entire underneath of the stadium.

 

It just seemed large compared to Wrigely. I visited both often when I was young and Wrigley seemed small with the buildings behind it and tucked in the neighborhood. You saw the lights of Comiskey as you drove in whether on the Ryan or the Stevenson.

 

It was the Baseball Palace of the World.

Well put. That was the first stadium I ever went to in my life and the first time I went there my seats were in the upper deck above 3B. I just remember that first glimpse and how it kind of took your breath away. And that scoreboard...so wild.

[HuskyCaucasian]

What a cool place that joint was can't beat outfield upperdeck.

A part of me still wishes they'd do this:

[Cali]

Was there ever an explanation as to why that was never done? I know those were only proposed plans, maybe they leaked, but that would have been awesome. Although it would have been a little too much of a rip off of Texas. Maybe put it in the left field stands instead and put the fan deck in right?

 

The park is only 20 years old at this point. An added upper deck in the bleachers is still a possibility before they just go ahead and build another park...

[Quin]

A part of me still wishes they'd do this:

 

Do want

[Rooftop Shots]

What a cool place that joint was can't beat outfield upperdeck.

 

The thing that really made the wrap around upper deck so unique to the park was that when a home run was hit and the fireworks went off, the THUNDER of them echoing and bouncing off of the enclosed walls used to make your chest just ABSOLUTELY THUNDER with an UNDESCRIBABLE INTENSITY. I went there on the 4th of July once, and during the grand finale, to this day, my chest has never thundered with that degree of pounding not only from the booming of how intense everything was being blown off, but also the reverberation of how it all bounced off walls and kept coming and coming and coming. It was the only time in my life that the level of pounding on my chest that I felt had actually FAR outweighed the loudnes that I heard as the bombs were being blown off. Granted..it needed some serious renovations and upgrades, but over all.............Man o Man how I miss that place.

I'm sure that Big Ed Walsh can tell some great stories from his times there as well.

[witesoxfan]

I went there on the 4th of July once, and during the grand finale, to this day, my chest has never thundered with that degree of pounding not only from the booming of how intense everything was being blown off, but also the reverberation of how it all bounced off walls and kept coming and coming and coming.

 

ANNNNNNNNNNNNND that's what she said

[iamshack]

ANNNNNNNNNNNNND that's what she said

ANNNNNNNNND then you woke up

[iamshack]

I went to the old Comiskey for about 8 years before it closed, including the final game. I still have the programs and tshirts and stuff. I can distinctly remember being in the bullpen bar (or whatever it was called) and taking pictures of Greg Hibbard as he played catch that day.

 

As much as the old Comiskey was awesome (much like the Old Chicago Stadium was awesome), the new Park, especially how they have renovated it, is by far the best venue we've ever had to watch White Sox baseball in. I am a fan of nostalgia as much as the next guy, but IMO, our current ballpark is really underrated.

[Harry Chappas]

I went to the old Comiskey for about 8 years before it closed, including the final game. I still have the programs and tshirts and stuff. I can distinctly remember being in the bullpen bar (or whatever it was called) and taking pictures of Greg Hibbard as he played catch that day.

 

As much as the old Comiskey was awesome (much like the Old Chicago Stadium was awesome), the new Park, especially how they have renovated it, is by far the best venue we've ever had to watch White Sox baseball in. I am a fan of nostalgia as much as the next guy, but IMO, our current ballpark is really underrated.

 

The opportunities in the fundamentals for kids alone are incredible.

[Milkman delivers]

If I was ever at Old Comiskey, it had to have been when I was 5 or younger. I have no recollection of it at all.

[BigEdWalsh]

Oh, how I loved that ballpark. I remember when there was no Dan Ryan. I was just a kid, I don't remember which street we drove down to get to the park but I remember my first glimpse of Comiskey Park. It was an August night and I was knocked out by the lights and how enormous the ballpark was. Back then especially in the summer you had the unusual aroma of the stockyards filling the air. That, combined with cigar/cigarette smoke and beer. It was glorious. I was part of both the largest crowd (55,555) and the smallest crowd (I believe it was 511) ever. The 55,555 was a bat day in 1973. I sat in the centerfield bleachers. You could see me in a crowd shot on the front page of the Tribune sports section the next day. I wrote to the Tribune and they sent me a black and white enlargement of the photo, which I still have. I ought to post it on here.

The smallest announced crowd was only two years earlier. 1968-1971 were such dark days for the White Sox. Attendance was really really low. I went to several games when attendance was at around 1,000 or even below. You could sit anywhere you wanted. Usually I was stoned. I saw the White Sox lose a home opener 12-0 in front of about 11,000. I was at a drizzly September Monday doubleheader when the attendance was something like 600. Ah, those were the days!

One of my favorite memories was sitting almost next to Harry Caray while he broadcast a game from the centerfield bleachers (with his shirt off). That was probably 1973. My worst memory was the home opener in 1974. Ron Santo made his White Sox debut that day. Making matters even worse, the game was held up a couple of times by streakers. One guy made it to centerfield wearing nothing but gym shoes and a White sox hat. He did a handstand before being whisked off. There were several fights/brawls and I remember one guy getting choked at the left field upperdeck railing. I seriously thought he was going to go plummeting to his death. Oh, yeah and the Sox lost to Nolan Ryan. What a crappy day. I swore I would never go to another opening day and I didn't until last year (though it was the Mariners!).

[Milkman delivers]

Oh, how I loved that ballpark. I remember when there was no Dan Ryan. I was just a kid, I don't remember which street we drove down to get to the park but I remember my first glimpse of Comiskey Park. It was an August night and I was knocked out by the lights and how enormous the ballpark was. Back then especially in the summer you had the unusual aroma of the stockyards filling the air. That, combined with cigar/cigarette smoke and beer. It was glorious. I was part of both the largest crowd (55,555) and the smallest crowd (I believe it was 511) ever. The 55,555 was a bat day in 1973. I sat in the centerfield bleachers. You could see me in a crowd shot on the front page of the Tribune sports section the next day. I wrote to the Tribune and they sent me a black and white enlargement of the photo, which I still have. I ought to post it on here.

The smallest announced crowd was only two years earlier. 1968-1971 were such dark days for the White Sox. Attendance was really really low. I went to several games when attendance was at around 1,000 or even below. You could sit anywhere you wanted. Usually I was stoned. I saw the White Sox lose a home opener 12-0 in front of about 11,000. I was at a drizzly September Monday doubleheader when the attendance was something like 600. Ah, those were the days!

One of my favorite memories was sitting almost next to Harry Caray while he broadcast a game from the centerfield bleachers (with his shirt off). That was probably 1973. My worst memory was the home opener in 1974. Ron Santo made his White Sox debut that day. Making matters even worse, the game was held up a couple of times by streakers. One guy made it to centerfield wearing nothing but gym shoes and a White sox hat. He did a handstand before being whisked off. There were several fights/brawls and I remember one guy getting choked at the left field upperdeck railing. I seriously thought he was going to go plummeting to his death. Oh, yeah and the Sox lost to Nolan Ryan. What a crappy day. I swore I would never go to another opening day and I didn't until last year (though it was the Mariners!).

 

I know plenty of stoners, but one of the last things I'd equate with them is baseball.

[Quin]

As much as the old Comiskey was awesome (much like the Old Chicago Stadium was awesome), the new Park, especially how they have renovated it, is by far the best venue we've ever had to watch White Sox baseball in. I am a fan of nostalgia as much as the next guy, but IMO, our current ballpark is really underrated.

 

I love our new park. It's my home away from home.

[southsider2k5]

I know plenty of stoners, but one of the last things I'd equate with them is baseball.

 

Behind the scoreboard and on the ramps there were usually people getting high at the games.

[Milkman delivers]

Behind the scoreboard and on the ramps there were usually people getting high at the games.

 

I don't doubt it. I just wouldn't expect stoners to enjoy baseball.

[southsider2k5]

I don't doubt it. I just wouldn't expect stoners to enjoy baseball.

 

This was the 70's and 80's. It was pretty much everywhere.

[YASNY]

I also have a nostalgic love for Comiskey Park. The memories of my first time in the old ballyard are strikingly similar to BigEd's. I actually, honestly believe I became a life long Sox fan the second I hit the top of the ramp, right field line lower deck. I was 5 years old and I remember that moment like it was yesterday. I know it makes no financial sense whatsoever, but I really wish it was still there and the team could play a series or two a year there.

 

That said, the Cell is every bit a first class Major League ballpark and I enjoy watching games there. It'll just never quite tug at the heartstrings like Comiskey Park did. But really, how can you top your first game at a ML ballpark?