PTR: Matt Goes to Cellular Field

[mcjaco]

So last week, I was fortunate enough to get a little look see at Celluar Field (home of the Chicago White Sox for those of you that don't know). My buddy is a season ticket holder and once a year, they open up the park to them for a looksee at real insides of the park.

 

This Cub fan stepped inside, and took a look around. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to throw a bullpen session on an actual bullpen mound. Naturally as a Cub fan, I made sure to do it in the visitor bullpen.

 

With that, here we go.....

This PTR was made in Pakistan.

Once again, I managed to get in and out of Cellular Field without being killed.

After my arm fell off we did one more lap around.

Here it is. History was made here. I pitched for the first time on a major league mound. It was worth the price of admission......free!

This was my chance. I blew it. However, I do like the fact that only Knockers is visible on my shirt.

While waiting in line for a picture with something I should of tried to trash, I took this BE U TEE FULL picture.

Followed by a little Carlton Fisk. I know at least one Boston fan that will like this.

They unveiled the Harold Baines statue earlier in the week. Win Ugly, baby. Win ugly!

Black Jack McDowell. Good pitcher. Not so good musician.

They've got a nice little museum. Here's the Big Hurt's bat. Surprisingly it was a 34 inch/31 ounce. Fairly normal size.

Marco demostrates the look after most Sox games. A loss.

Letting multiple helpings of ribs and fried chicken settle, we checked out the press room.

Part of the evening is a free buffet with free crappy beer. An Acer would feel right at home!

We're up in the ChiSox bullpen now. This area is filled with dead arms.

I've gone artsy fartsy. A look down the left field line.

Next he demostrates a look often found within in the Sox dugout. Complete confussion as to what's occuring on the field.

Here Marco takes Ozzie's spot. Sadly he dropped about as many F-bombs in the same period of time.

The view if you were to be a wild pitch.

Sadly this is the closest I'll ever get to warming the bench in a MLB dugout.

This leads right out past the nasty visitor bathroom, and into the dugout.

These finely tuned athletes eat nothing but the best. Jesus H. Look at all that crap!

First stop the Visitor clubhouse.

We entered in a back gate that led us through the tunnels underneath. Ha, I said back gate.

Welcome to the Cell. The last of the new era cookie cutter baseball stadiums.

[Tömmioh]

Granted I don't know much about baseball, but still I enjoyed this funny TR. Stadium tours are always nice, especially if they're free.

 

Oh and I wonder how many work hours this PTR took to finish in Pakistan

[BeemerBoy]

Cool report, Matt...and awesome that they let you pitch in the bullpen. Although "The Cell" has gotta be one of the most drab looking parks in the world. Seriously, that place has always looked more like a prison than a ballpark.

 

Anyway, in the pic of the clubhouse snackbar, where were the syringes located?

[mr_teisco_delrey]

Anyway, in the pic of the clubhouse snackbar, where were the syringes located?

 

In the "juicebar" of course. I know, thats bad. If you wanted to see a drab ball park, try the Metrodome, or the old Kingdome. When a ball is hit at the Metrodome, it sounds like a wiffleball. The Metrodome will not be missed.

[Guest]

Been a Sox fan my whole life and im so used to seeing the vast sea of blue its still really weird to see the park empty with all the new green seats. Although the changes theyve made the past few years (seats, batters eye, roofing, etc) it looks much nicer than it used to.

 

Ive always enjoyed going to the Cell more than Wrigley, which is just nasty and old to me. Plus one game I went to at Wrigley was a Cubs Sox game and so many old, fat, drunk Cubs fans tried kept threataning to kick my ass for being a Sox fan, and I was eight or nine years old at the time .

[Jew]

Very cool! I did the tour of Camden Yards a few years ago and thought it was neat to see everything from a different perspective.

[MisterP]

"The last of the new era cookie cutter stadiums"? What does this mean? The "cookie cuters" were built in the late 60s & early 70s. The Cell (new Comiskey) debuted in 1991. Its not part of any class of stadiums. It was built before Camden Yards and the new wave of "retro" stadiums, but its not a cookie cutter. That term specifically refers to the multi-purpose stadiums with artifical surfaces - mainly the ones built in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.

 

The Cell was built without any influence from any contemporary stadiums. The previous two before it were domes: Skydome in Toronto in 1989 and the Metrodome in Minesota in 1982. the ones after it were "classic-looking", beginning with the amazing Camden Yards.

 

The Cell is boring based on its own merits (or lack thereof), but it does not qualify as "cookie cutter". This is a very specific baseball term that doesn't apply here....

[Scaparri]

Seriously, that place has always looked more like a prison than a ballpark.

 

Well, it is the southside.

 

Nevertheless, awesome report, Matt. As if the pictures weren't cool enough, the numerous Sox jabs made it a great read.

[mcjaco]

"The last of the new era cookie cutter stadiums"? What does this mean? The "cookie cuters" were built in the late 60s & early 70s. The Cell (new Comiskey) debuted in 1991. Its not part of any class of stadiums. It was built before Camden Yards and the new wave of "retro" stadiums, but its not a cookie cutter. That term specifically refers to the multi-purpose stadiums with artifical surfaces - mainly the ones built in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.

 

Are you one of the commentors on my Cubs blog? You must be to find one comment and turn it into a ridiculous point.

 

Fine, it's not one of the "cookie cutters." It was the last ballpark built before the retro movement. Is that better.

 

 

[mr_teisco_delrey]

The Cell was built without any influence from any contemporary stadiums.

 

 

Actually, HOK (the Cell's designers) was influenced by one of their earlier projects, Royal's now Kaufmann Stadium. The Cell was originally designed for consruction in suburban Addison, Ill, but was moved back to 35th St by the State of Illinois. Another little tidbit. HKO had a design for the new park that was eerily similar to Camden Yards. The Sox owners turned it down. They wanted a shiny modern stadium.

[i am legend--in bed]

Go Sox!

 

Although, I am being forced to go to a Cubs game in late August so I plan on bringing my iPod and a hoodie.