Old Comiskey Park

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

The good old days, memories

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

memories of old comiskey park

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

1985 happy birthday comiskey park

[sschirmer]

I went to Old Comiskey four times. Great park, great memories.

[History Of Baseball Fan]

i've never been there before, but after looking at old photographs of it, i say it was a pretty cool looking stadium.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Originally Posted by History Of Baseball Fan

i've never been there before, but after looking at old photographs of it, i say it was a pretty cool looking stadium.

Old comiskey park was alot better than that dump they call home now days.they could have stayed at old comiskey park but the owners threated to leave chicago if they did not get there new stadium.i was there once in 1991 for the auction of items from the old comiskey park. and i will say it was and i am sure still is a dump today.

[sschirmer]

Two things bother me about the new park: A. The owners kept claiming that the neighborhood they were in was killing them. So what did they do? Built the new park across the street, of course. B. New Comisky was an antique as soon as Camden Yards opened. Whoever designed the place lacked imagination and vision.

[bluezebra]

I went to Old Comiskey many times, mainly to see the visiting teams (I'm a Cubs fan). I had friends who were Sox fans, and their Dad used to drive. We used to sit in the lower deck in right field. Some of the fans would buy a beer, pour it out, and fill the cup with "hard stuff" they snuck in in their coats. We had two guys sitting behind us one night, and they would bet on every pitch, whether it would be a ball or strike.

In 1947, we were out there when Yogi Berra was a rookie playing right field. A Roberto Clemente, he wasn't. The Sox fans were brutal in their comments. In the top of the seventh, he hit one into the upper deck, and when he came out in the bottom of the inning, the stands were quieter than a funeral.

In those days, the Sox were terrible, and the two upper decks were opened ONLY for Sunday and holiday double headers.

In August, 1948, I had a cousin who was a photographer with the Chicago Times. He took me with him to a Wednesday afternoon game, and I was on the field before the game. I stood within three feet of Joe DiMaggio, and all I could do was gawk at him. During the game, he hit a line drive into the third deck in left field that broke a seat. Since no one was up there, it sounded like a bomb went off.

My Dad told me he saw The Babe hit one out of the park, not over the roof, but through one of the openings.

Bob

[RedSox2004]

I miss the old girl

http://www.ballparktour.com/Former_Chicago.html

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Here is a seating diagram for old comiskey park.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

This photo showing a section of comiskey park seats is from a white sox scorecard.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Here is a photo showing the centerfield bleachers at old comiskey park.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Here is a program cover from a 1959 world series program from comiskey park.

[Solair Wright]

I was only two when they destroyed the ballpark in favor of the pale imitation, which isn't like the old one. They could've built an almost exact replica of Comiskey, but no, they decided to move across the street. Despite the (Jail) Cell being newer than old Comiskey, I refuse to go there. Comiskey was a classic, whereas the Jail Cell is not.

The lady was knocked down at the end of 1990-early 1991 to make room for that Jail Cell.

[Solair Wright]

Here's another photo of the original home of Comiskey, before they moved across to the street to the dump that gives Comiskey a bad name. In 2003, it was renamed to the Cell, but I call it the "Jail Cell" because it's just disgraceful that they knocked down the original Comiskey Park. The new one gives Comiskey a bad name.

From 1910-1990, it was the home of the White Sox greats. Then the fateful 1991 demolition...I still miss this ballpark. Here's a photo of it during a day game:



Let's compare this to the Jail Cell...



Even though I was 2 when the ballpark was demolished, I wish I could go back in time and attend a game at the original Comiskey Park.

Edit: I apologize for the size of the image, it was the best picture I could get of New Comiskey Park.

[redbuck]

Old Comiskey Park had a lot of history to it. It also had posts, a lot of awkward viewing angles and was in a lot of ways somewhat ugly. Still, most of the seats were pretty close to the field, and the old scoreboard was impressive. By 1990 it was definitely showing its age, and attendance was not very good. That isn't to say it wasn't a great park.

But at some point all old parks have to be replaced. New Comiskey opened to tremendous reviews. Unfortunately with the onslaught of Camden Yards and the real retro parks, its reputation quickly fell because of the steep upper deck (which I don't mind), the lack of a good view out of the outfield and some elements that could have been done a lot better.

With the renovations I like it. I've said before that the fact that something is new is not sufficient grounds to hate it. At the Cel (terrible new name) I love the symmetry and the lower concourse. No other park in baseball has such great smells and interesting carnival-like atmosphere on its main concourse. It's not the best new park, but it seems silly to call it a "dump".

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Originally Posted by redbuck

Old Comiskey Park had a lot of history to it. It also had posts, a lot of awkward viewing angles and was in a lot of ways somewhat ugly. Still, most of the seats were pretty close to the field, and the old scoreboard was impressive. By 1990 it was definitely showing its age, and attendance was not very good. That isn't to say it wasn't a great park.

But at some point all old parks have to be replaced. New Comiskey opened to tremendous reviews. Unfortunately with the onslaught of Camden Yards and the real retro parks, its reputation quickly fell because of the steep upper deck (which I don't mind), the lack of a good view out of the outfield and some elements that could have been done a lot better.

With the renovations I like it. I've said before that the fact that something is new is not sufficient grounds to hate it. At the Cel (terrible new name) I love the symmetry and the lower concourse. No other park in baseball has such great smells and interesting carnival-like atmosphere on its main concourse. It's not the best new park, but it seems silly to call it a "dump".

The current white sox stadium is a dump its just as bad as the dump that the detroit tigers play in these days.

[redbuck]

It's one thing if you don't like it. I don't think dump is the right term. It doesn't sound like you've given any of the new ballparks much of a chance, sadly, but I would assume the reasons you don't like it have to do more with its overly modern style and kind of sterile apperance rather than it being rundown, dirty or architecturally outdated.

No negative feelings intended, but are there any ballparks under 50 years old that you tolerate? The fact of architecture is that at some point buildings must be replaced. Why is it that every replacement is automatically bad? It takes time to develop character.

[serumgard]

Originally Posted by redbuck

It's one thing if you don't like it. I don't think dump is the right term. It doesn't sound like you've given any of the new ballparks much of a chance, sadly, but I would assume the reasons you don't like it have to do more with its overly modern style and kind of sterile apperance rather than it being rundown, dirty or architecturally outdated.

No negative feelings intended, but are there any ballparks under 50 years old that you tolerate? The fact of architecture is that at some point buildings must be replaced. Why is it that every replacement is automatically bad? It takes time to develop character.

Well put. I would not put "New Comiskey" with some of the better new stadiums (Comerica Park in Detroit being one of them), but Comiskey Park was a hole. I went there once - for Opening Day in 1988 - and even as a 10-year-old I could recognize the place was a dump. Just like the Memorial Stadiums in Baltimore and Cleveland and Tiger Stadium, Comiskey Park needed to go. They had their days - but those days were 40 or 50 years past.

[riverfrontier]

I've never considered the new parks as 'dumps'. They are extremely well-kept, and very nice post cards are made from aerial photographs. The steep prices at the concession stands are, like airport prices, ridiculous but avoidable. You don't have to buy anything other than a ticket. But you do have to regret the fact that the upper deck is not a viable option if you want to actually watch the game, rather than just participate in the atmosphere of the game.

[redbuck]

Certainly true. From your avatar I'm guessing you're a Reds fan. I move around but attend several games there each year and prefer the upper deck seats at GABP - I like to see the river and have a really good view of the scoreboard.

I enjoy visiting a park like Fenway, but I certainly wouldn't want to spend a season there. It's just too cramped, dark, dirty and somewhat awkward. That's, of course, what gives it its charm but I don't mind the new parks one bit, except for their universal uniformity.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Originally Posted by serumgard

Well put. I would not put "New Comiskey" with some of the better new stadiums (Comerica Park in Detroit being one of them), but Comiskey Park was a hole. I went there once - for Opening Day in 1988 - and even as a 10-year-old I could recognize the place was a dump. Just like the Memorial Stadiums in Baltimore and Cleveland and Tiger Stadium, Comiskey Park needed to go. They had their days - but those days were 40 or 50 years past.

The current comiskey park is a dump. i did go into the stadium in 1991 after my friend payed my way into the auction for items of the old comiskey park.the upper deck stinks bad. a couple of years after it opened the stadium had cracks in the foundation.and old comiskey park was not a dump. granted it was not as well kept up as tiger stadium in detroit but it was no dump.i still hate the new comiskey park just as i did in 1991.and i refuse to go there for a game.if i do go to chicago i always stop across the street were old comiskey park was and checkout homeplate and the batters boxes and the foul lines.i hate this current white sox ballpark just like i hate the new stadium in detroit.

[serumgard]

Originally Posted by POLO GROUNDS 1957

The current comiskey park is a dump. i did go into the stadium in 1991 after my friend payed my way into the auction for items of the old comiskey park.the upper deck stinks bad. a couple of years after it opened the stadium had cracks in the foundation.and old comiskey park was not a dump. granted it was not as well kept up as tiger stadium in detroit but it was no dump.i still hate the new comiskey park just as i did in 1991.and i refuse to go there for a game.if i do go to chicago i always stop across the street were old comiskey park was and checkout homeplate and the batters boxes and the foul lines.i hate this current white sox ballpark just like i hate the new stadium in detroit.

Well for once you're talking with some knowledge, since you at least have been to the new Comiskey Park. But how on earth can you hate a stadium that you admit you've never been to?

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Originally Posted by serumgard

Well for once you're talking with some knowledge, since you at least have been to the new Comiskey Park. But how on earth can you hate a stadium that you admit you've never been to?

As far as the stadium in detroit last fall i had jury duty and on my lunch hour i walked all the way around comerica park to checkout the stadium for myself.so now nobody can say anything to me about my opinion since i have been to the stadium in detroit. and i still say that its a dump like the stadium in chicago.

[serumgard]

Originally Posted by POLO GROUNDS 1957

As far as the stadium in detroit last fall i had jury duty and on my lunch hour i walked all the way around comerica park to checkout the stadium for myself.so now nobody can say anything to me about my opinion since i have been to the stadium in detroit. and i still say that its a dump like the stadium in chicago.

Oh geez. You realize that if you had walked around Tiger Stadium you would've thought it was a warehouse? You've never seen a game there, so you have no idea what the stadium is like when it's crowded and lively.

I have no idea why I insist on challenging your opinions. Nothing you say comes close to changing my opinion of you.