Going to a Chicago White Sox game? Here’s what to know if you’re headed to Guaranteed Rate Field this season.

Amanda Kaschube, Chicago Tribune
·9 min read
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Welcome back to another Chicago White Sox season at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Groundskeeper Roger Bossard — aka “The Sodfather” — will have the playing field ready, consisting of bluegrass sod with eight blends of grass. And manager Tony La Russa has most of his starting lineup back. Center fielder Luis Robert could be in the American League MVP discussion, an award first baseman José Abreu won in 2020.

Here’s what to know if you’re going to a White Sox home game this season.

Planning your trip to the ballpark

What’s the White Sox’s 2022 schedule?

If you had the schedule marked down on a calendar when it was announced last August, you’re going to need a big eraser (thanks, MLB lockout!).

Under the revised schedule, the Sox opened the regular season Friday against the Tigers in Detroit, with their home opener scheduled for Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners. Here’s the full schedule — and here’s our guide to watch or stream all the games.

What’s the ticket policy?

White Sox tickets are exclusively mobile tickets — via email. Fans must present their smartphones at the gates for entry, and those with technology issues can go to any ticket window for help. For rainouts and game rescheduling, specific information will be provided on a game-by-game basis.

What promotions will be given away this season?

There’s a long list of items, from a White Sox Hawaiian shirt to a Paul Konerko/Captain America bobblehead to a Los White Sox soccer jersey.

But the combo Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert bobblehead is our early favorite — so see you at the ballpark June 25, when the first 20,000 fans will receive this (Eloy glare included).

What time does the ballpark open before games?

Gates open 90 minutes before games, and any adjustments to that will be announced on social media. Here’s a map of the various gates in relation to parking lots and seats.

When can I hear the fireworks?

That all depends on the White Sox lineup. After a Sox home run, 20 fireworks will ignite from the scoreboard in center field. So swing away, batters.

There are also full-length fireworks shows after some games.

What’s the bag policy?

Except for small clutch purses that are less than 9-by-5-by-2 inches in size, no bags are allowed into Guaranteed Rate Field. Some exceptions are made for medical and diaper bags (when an infant is present), but those will be inspected before entry.

Here’s what to leave at home:

  • Weapons of any kind, including pepper spray

  • Selfie sticks

  • Aerosol spray cans (hair spray, sunscreen, etc.)

  • Bottles, cans, hard-sided coolers and any type of alcohol

  • Tobacco products of any kind

  • Drones

Can I bring an umbrella into Guaranteed Rate Field?

Yes, but it must be small and compact — no golf-size umbrellas allowed — according to ballpark guidelines. When opened, the umbrella cannot obstruct the view of anyone around you.

You can also bring these items into the ballpark:

  • Food in a small, clear plastic bag

  • One sealed plastic bottle of water, one liter or smaller in size. But no other beverages of any kind are allowed to be carried inside.

What’s the best way to get to the ballpark?

Guaranteed Rate Field is located at 333 W. 35th St. in Chicago’s Armour Square neighborhood.

Public transportation is easy and cheap to get to White Sox home games, and on-site parking is also available.

Chicago Transit Authority

Check out transitchicago.com for fare information, route schedules and maps. Cost is $2.25 by bus or $2.50 by train. Extra service is planned before and after home games. Masks are required.

Plan to buy tickets in advance using the Ventra app.

By CTA bus

Use Nos. 1/ Bronzeville/Union Station (during rush periods only Monday through Friday), 4 Cottage Grove, 24 Wentworth, 29 State, 31 31st (which runs until 7 p.m. Monday through Friday), 35 35th (connects with Orange and Green lines), 39 Pershing (which connects with Orange and Green lines) or 44 Wallace/Racine.

By CTA “L” train

Metra

Check metra.com for route schedules and maps. Plan to buy tickets in advance using the Ventra app.

Day passes — available only in the Ventra app — cost $6 or $10, depending on distance traveled.

Pace

The Guaranteed Rate Field Express bus will not operate during the 2022 regular season because of a driver shortage. Fans can sign up for email updates to be notified if service returns.

By bike

Racks are located outside Gates 2 and 3 and along 35th Street near Gate 5.

Riding a Divvy? There’s a docking station near Gate 6 on 35th Street.

By rideshare

Fans can be dropped off and picked up in Lot A.

How much is parking and where is the best spot?

There are a variety of parking lots to choose from that surround the ballpark. Lots open three hours before first pitch. Some spots can be purchased in advance through Spothero and StubHub.

Accessible parking for cars displaying state-issued disability placards or license plates is available on the north side of the ballpark in Lot B (adjacent to Gate 5).

  • Lots A, B, C and G: Located on the north side of the ballpark, these areas offer parking paid for in advance. Cost is $25.

  • Lot D: VIP parking

  • Lot E: Tailgate area with reserved parking

  • Lots F and L: Credit or debit cards accepted for parking on day of game in these areas located on the south side of the ballpark. Cost is $27.

What about street parking?

Check ParkChicago to find the nearest metered parking areas and restrictions.

Can I tailgate?

Oh, yeah — and don’t forget the brats and the bags.

“It is my favorite tradition at the Sox game,” said Erin Gorecki, of Tinley Park. “Everybody is so nice. You meet so many cool people.”

Fans can tailgate in all of the parking lots except C and D. Fans who tailgate must set up in their respective parking space and avoid blocking pathways and traffic.

Once you’re at the ballpark

Where should I sit?

That’s up to you — and your wallet. But if you’re concerned about foul balls (or flying bats), the netting extends to the outfield edge of each dugout. Here’s a map of Guaranteed Rate Field so you can scope out your vantage point ahead of time.

Can I mobile order food?

Yes, you can. Make sure to download the MLB Ballpark app (we recommend doing so before leaving for the game) to see the full list of food and drinks at your disposal.

What should I eat?

Oh, man, where do we even begin? Lucky for us (and you), we sent Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger to Guaranteed Rate Field for a full report. Here’s what he recommends:

  • Smoked wings, which will be available near sections 101 and 529. The enormous dry-rubbed wings are smoked over hickory hardwood for two hours and served with a tangy barbecue sauce. Juicy, smoky, spicy and a touch sweet — they are ideal ballgame grub.

  • Look out for pretzel-wrapped bratwurst at all classic stands. Each order features a quarter-pound bratwurst encased in pretzel dough and sprinkled with sea salt.

  • Rainbow Cone — a Chicago ice cream legend — has been serving the Beverly community since 1926, and now you can get its distinctive five-flavored ice cream cones near sections 158 and 526.

  • The Heater, a jalapeno-cheddar sausage topped with sriracha mayonnaise (available at Brat Portables). Also look out for plump Froman’s cheddar pierogi (section 126).

  • If you’re in a suite, you can score beer cheese burger sliders — a tiny burger drenched in IPA beer cheese and topped with sauteed onions and pickles. And look out for Blue Moon brats, simmered in Blue Moon beer and served with a burnt orange mustard and caramelized onions, in the Vizzy View Bar.

  • And in the Stadium Club Bar, get the cinnamon churro milkshake.

And what can I drink?

Anheuser-Busch products are out, Molson Coors is in.

But it won’t be Miller Lite all the time, reports our Josh Noel. You’ll be able to find 75 craft beers from 46 breweries. That includes some beloved local favorites such as Sketchbook Brewing, Spiteful Brewing, Hopewell Brewing and Pipeworks Brewing.

The deal also includes naming rights of multiple spaces across Guaranteed Rate Field, including the Miller Lite Landing in right field (previously The Goose Island), Leinenkugel’s Craft Lodge (formerly the Goose Island Craft Kave) and the Vizzy View Bar (formerly the Revolution Sox Social Tap Room).

We’ll miss you the most, 10-foot goose head in the right-field bleachers.

Who is that voice I hear?

“Sox fans, ON YOUR FEET.”

That would be Gene Honda, the public-address announcer for the White Sox. And also the Blackhawks, Illinois football, DePaul basketball, the Final Four, the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament, the Maui Invitational and the Chicago Marathon.

What else should I check out while at Guaranteed Rate Field?

If you want to meet some White Sox legends in statue form, there’s Charles Comiskey, Minnie Minoso, Carlton Fisk, Billy Pierce, Harold Baines, Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox, Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko on either side of the Fan Deck in center field. There’s also a big 2005 display to honor that World Series championship team outside Game 4.

And for those hot Chicago days, cool down with a stop in the shower from Old Comiskey Park, located near section 161.