SOUTH SIDE PARK

South Side Park, former home of the Chicago White Sox

CHICAGO, IL

As charter members of the American League, the Chicago White Sox have played at three ballparks since their inception. There first ballpark, South Side Park, is least known to Sox fans as Comiskey Park served as their home, beginning in 1910 for 80 years and Guaranteed Rate Field since 1991. There have been a number of ballparks in Chicago known as South Side Park. In 1884 the Chicago Browns of the Union Association played at a ballpark with this name and from 1891 to 1983 the Chicago Pirates and Colts played at a ballpark named South Side Park.

In 1900 owner of the White Stockings, Charles Comiskey, constructed a small wooden ballpark for his team along West Pershing Road and South Princeton Street on the southside of Chicago. The minor league club played here during the 1900 season. South Side Park had a seating capacity of 12,500 with the single tier grandstand mainly behind the infield and down the foul lines. In 1901 the American League was established and the Chicago White Sox became a professional baseball team. They played their first professional game at South Side Park on April 24, 1901 against Cleveland. Luxury boxes were added atop the single tier grandstand behind homeplate that season, but were removed in 1907 due to an order from the building commission from the City of Chicago. By 1909 Comiskey wanted a new ballpark for his team as other clubs were building new modern steel and concrete ballparks. Four blocks north of South Side Park, Comiskey Park was built. The White Sox played their final game at South Side Park on June 27, 1910. South Side Park became the home of the Chicago American Giants of the Negro League after the White Sox left. It was renamed Schorling’s Park and was home to the Giants until it caught fire on Christmas Day 1940. Today apartments are located on the site.