Comiskey Park facts for kids
 |
|
| Former names | White Sox Park (1910–1912, 1962–1975) |
|---|---|
| Location | 324 West 35th Street Chicago, Illinois |
| Owner | Chicago White Sox |
| Operator | Chicago White Sox |
| Capacity | 28,000 (1910–1926) 52,000 (1927–1937) 50,000 (1938) 51,000 (1939) 50,000 (1940–1946) 47,400 (1947–1953) 46,550 (1954–1972) 44,492 (1973–1982) 43,695 (1983–1985) 44,087 (1986–1987) 43,931 (1988–1989) 43,951 (1990) |
| Record attendance | 55,555 (largest) May 20, 1973 White Sox vs. Minnesota 511 (smallest) May 6, 1971 White Sox vs. Boston |
| Field size | (1910) Foul lines – 363 ft (111 m) Power alleys – 382 ft (116 m) Center field – 420 ft (128 m) Backstop – 98 ft (30 m) (1986) Foul lines – 347 ft (106 m) Power alleys – 382 ft (116 m) Center Field – 409 ft (125 m) Backstop – 86 ft (26 m) |
| Surface | Natural grass AstroTurf infield (1969–1975) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1910 |
| Opened | July 1, 1910 |
| Closed | September 30, 1990 |
| Demolished | 1991 |
| Construction cost | US$750,000 ($23.6 million in 2014 dollars ) |
| Architect | Zachary Taylor Davis Osborn Engineering |
| General contractor | George W. Jackson |
| Tenants | |
| Chicago White Sox (MLB) (1910–1990) Chicago Cardinals (NFL) (1922–1925, 1929–1958) Chicago Bulls (AFL) (1926) Chicago American Giants (NAL) (1941–1952) Card-Pitt (NFL) (1944) Chicago Mustangs (NASL) (1967–1968) Chicago Sting (NASL) (1980–1985) |
|
Comiskey Park was a famous baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois. It was the home field for the Chicago White Sox baseball team from 1910 to 1990. The stadium was built by the White Sox owner, Charles Comiskey. It was designed by Zachary Taylor Davis.
Comiskey Park hosted four World Series events. More than 6,000 Major League Baseball games were played there. It was also the site of a very famous boxing match in 1937. In this match, Joe Louis won against the champion James J. Braddock. This victory started Louis's long career as a heavyweight boxing champion.
The Chicago Cardinals football team also played many games at Comiskey Park. They even won the 1947 NFL Championship Game there. Other sports teams, like the Chicago American Giants (baseball) and Chicago Sting (soccer), also used the park.
Comiskey Park closed in 1990. A new baseball stadium was built right across the street. This new stadium was also called Comiskey Park at first. Later, it was renamed U.S. Cellular Field and then Guaranteed Rate Field. The original Comiskey Park was torn down in 1991.
The Early Years of Comiskey Park
The land where Comiskey Park stood used to be a city dump. Charles Comiskey bought the land in 1909. He wanted to build a new stadium to replace the old wooden South Side Park.
The stadium first opened in 1910. It was originally called White Sox Park. But after only three years, it was renamed Comiskey Park. This was to honor the team's owner, Charles Comiskey. In 1962, the name went back to White Sox Park. Then, in 1976, it was changed back to Comiskey Park again.
Comiskey Park was very modern for its time. It was one of the first stadiums built with concrete and steel. When it first opened, it could seat almost 32,000 people. This was a record for stadiums back then. People even called it "The Baseball Palace of the World."
Comiskey Park's Final Years
In 1969, a new type of playing surface was added. AstroTurf was put down in the infield area. The outfield, however, remained natural grass. This was the first time an outdoor baseball field used artificial turf. After seven seasons, the AstroTurf was removed in 1976.
Towards the end of its life, Comiskey Park was still very popular. In its last eight years, more than 2 million fans visited the park three times.
Comiskey Park was torn down in 1991. The demolition started behind the right field corner. It took the whole summer to complete. The last part to be removed was the center field bleachers and the famous "exploding" scoreboard. The area where the old park stood became a parking lot. This lot is used by fans attending games at the new stadium.
When Comiskey Park was demolished, Chicago had two very old baseball stadiums. Together, they were 157 years old.
A famous baseball owner, Bill Veeck, once said, "There is no more beautiful sight in the world than a ballpark full of people!" Comiskey Park was often packed with fans. More than 55,000 people would fill the stands. The stadium's design helped capture and echo the crowd's noise. A Chicago sportswriter once said, "Wrigley Field yayed and Comiskey Park roared."
Images for kids
-
Comiskey Park in 1986
-
Longtime White Sox organist Nancy Faust
-
Site of Comiskey Park as it looked in 1992
-
Comiskey Park as it looked in 1912
