Champions Plaza at U.S. Cellular Field

[hsnterprize]

In mid-April, the White Sox unveiled a special memento to commemorate their championship season of 2005. That was a very special year for us White Sox fans...for not only did the White Sox their first World Series title in 88 years, but it was also the entire city of Chicago's first baseball championship in 88 years. We Sox fans felt vindicated because in spite of all the popularity of the Cubs with their ballpark, sold-out crowds, neighborhood bars and all the negative attention the Sox received over the years, it felt great when nearly 2 million fans lined Chicago streets to honor the World Champs.

This plaza is a diamond-shaped brick display with a beautiful statue as its centerpiece. The statue was designed by the same designers who made the famous Michael Jordan statue outside the United Center, and the soldier memorials outside Soldier Field. There are images lazer-etched into the granite material as well as sculptures either on the front, top, and back of the sculture.

I'll put in a few pictures at a time in each post with a brief description...

Also...I realize some of you may not be able to view these pictures. They are a good size, and it does take them a while to load depending on your PC. If you're having a problem seeing the pictures, then click here, and you should be able to see a Photobucket slideshow of the pics.


This is the centerpiece of "Championship Moments", the name of the monument. You'll notice the bricks outside the plaque with names on them. Fans paid to have personalized bricks placed throughout the plaza. The white bricks are for player names and other dignitaries...the red bricks are from fans. They're all over the monument, with the names of players and others involved in the 2005 World Series winning team.


The title plaque for the monument.


Team owner Jerry Reinsdorf and his family.


A "Thank You" plaque to everyone involved with this monument.


Former GM Eddie Einhorn and his family. He and Reinsdorf came to the team in the early 80's. They led the team to a 1983 A.L. West Division title, which was the first baseball championship of any kind for Chicago since the Sox won the A.L. pennant in 1959.

[Yoda]

It looks horrible. If it didn't have the glove and trophy sticking out of the top like that it'd be ok.


But with that it looks positively ridiculous. It looks like a random hand just glued on the top.

[hsnterprize]

Championship Plaza, Part II

More pics...

The bricks on the ground form the shape of a baseball diamond, and along the "1st and 3rd baselines" are plaques honoring the Sox retired numbers. Here's Nellie Fox's #2. He was a part of the great double-play combination that helped the Sox win the 1959 A.L. pennant.


White Sox star of the 70's and 80's...one of my favorite all-time players, Harold Baines. Incidentally, he'll be honored with a statue along the outfield concourse later this season.


Now batting, #4, Luke Appling.


He's to the White Sox what Ernie Banks is to the Cubs. Ladies and gentlemen, the only player to play professional baseball for 6, count 'em...SIX DECADES, #9...Minnie Minoso!!!!!


Perhaps one of the greatest shortstops in all of baseball. He was a part of the great middle infield of the 1959 "Go-Go Sox", and he's an inspiration for many of today's Latino players...#11...Luis Aparicio.


One of the greatest pitchers of all time in a White Sox uniform...the ace of the 1959 A.L. pennant winners, #19...Billy Pierce!!!!!


One of Jerry Reinsdorf's first big moves that led to the White Sox winning the 1983 A.L. West Division title, and a HUGE fan favorite in Chicago as well as Boston, #72...Carlton Fisk.


A pioneer in the baseball and social world...the first black man to play in Major League Baseball...his #42 deservedly retired throughout baseball...Jackie Robinson.

There's one more retired number the Sox have that I couldn't get a picture for. That's for #16...Ted Lyons. He was a former player and manager for the White Sox, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.

[Kentucky Bomber]

I just don't know what to make of the thing. I understand the joy of the Sox and their fans in winning the Series for the first time in 87 years or so. But frankly, erecting something of that size tells me that they don't expect to win it again for another 87 years. If they win this year are they going to put up another gigantic statue?

If they did in the Bronx the statues would reach to the Westchester County line.

[hsnterprize]

It looks horrible. If it didn't have the glove and trophy sticking out of the top like that it'd be ok.


But with that it looks positively ridiculous. It looks like a random hand just glued on the top.

You'd have to look really closely to see that hand on the top right is A.J. Pierzynski's arm. It's connected to a graven image in the granite of A.J. celebrating with teammates after the last out of game 4. You can see the Ozzie image better with the World Series trophy on the top left.

[hsnterprize]

Post deleted

[Yoda]

I just don't know what to make of the thing. I understand the joy of the Sox and their fans in winning the Series for the first time in 87 years or so. But frankly, erecting something of that size tells me that they don't expect to win it again for another 87 years. If they win this year are they going to put up another gigantic statue?

If they did in the Bronx the statues would reach to the Westchester County line.

Exactly, and their recent choices for players tell me they won't get one for another 80 years.

Basically it was a big scam to get everyone to buy these little bricks.

You'd have to look really closely to see that hand on the top right is A.J. Pierzynski's arm. It's connected to a graven image in the granite of A.J. celebrating with teammates after the last out of game 4. You can see the Ozzie image better with the World Series trophy on the top left.

I know, but you should have to squint at a giant granite statue to see what it is.

[Yoda]

The thing I do like are the little posts for the retired numbers.

[Yoda]

The other half of that great double-play combination that led the Sox to the 1959 American League pennant, #19...Billy Pierce.


[/FONT][/color]

Are you off your rocker?

Nellie Fox played 2nd!

Pierce was a pitcher!

[hsnterprize]

Part III

Here are the "bases" that make up the "diamond shape" of the brick outline...


Home plate...speaks for itself.


This "base" lists the Sox' Division Championship years.


The American League pennant winning seasons.


The World Series winning seasons. Obviously, we're not world beaters...but it's nice to win one (or at least to do it before the Cubs do).

You'll notice around those "bases" there are white bricks making the "baselines" that have Sox' historic moments on them. There's everything from the early years of the team, to "Disco Demolition Night", to Reinsdorf buying the team, and other great and infamous moments in team history. It's a really neat team history lesson for fans.

[hsnterprize]

Are you off your rocker?

Nellie Fox played 2nd!

Pierce was a pitcher!

Read the shirt. Thanks for correcting me. I'm making the changes now.

[Yoda]

You made up for it 100% by using a Faarooq image

[hsnterprize]

Part IV

Throughout the brick layout, you'll see white bricks with Sox logos.















Obviously, the surrounding bricks around the logos are from fans. They paid to have personalized bricks be a part of this monument. Many of the messages are very touching. Most are about the 2005 season, while others are about being Sox fans in general. The Sox are still taking orders from fans to add to the layout. Overall, this layout looks very nice...and there's more to come.

[hsnterprize]

Part V

Here are parts of the main centerpiece itself. Along with these scultures, there are images graven into the granite. In my opinion, it's a pretty neat combination.


A graven image of Ozzie Guillen holding a sculted World Series trophy, and a sculture of Juan Uribe's "into the crowd" catch near the end of game 4.


Paul Konerko hitting one of the most famous homers in White Sox history...a grand slam that gave the Sox a 6-4 lead during game 2. The Houston Astros tied the game late, but Scott Podsednik's walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th gave the Sox a 7-6 win, and a 2-0 series lead. Incidentally, the bat Scott used to hit that homer is now in Coopertown, and the seats where the Konerko and Podsednik homers landed are still in the ballpark. When the Sox changed the seats from Brooklyn Dodger blue to green, those 2 seats remained.


Joe Crede hitting a solo homer during the early innings of game 2 of the series.


I know it's hard to tell from this picture, but that's A.J. Pierzynski's arm sticking out of a graven image on the granite when he and his teammates celebrated after game 4's final out.


Orlando Hernandez pointing after striking out Johnny Damon to end a late-game Boston Red SOx threat in game 3 of their A.L. Division Series. Pitcher Damaso Marte has walked the bases loaded late in that game, and Hernandez came in to pitch what many White Sox fans consider the greatest inning in team history. With no one out, Hernandez would induce Jason Varitek to foul out, Tony Graffanino to pop out to short, and Johnny Damon to strike out to end a potentially game-changing Red Sox threat. The White Sox would win game 3 of that series 5-3, and win the series 3 games to none.



Geoff Blum hit a homer in the 14th inning of game 3 of the series. That homer broke a 5-5 tie, and led to a 7-5 Sox win. Game 3 of the '05 series was and is the longest World Series game timewise in history, lasting 5 hours and 41 minutes.



Another profile of Juan Uribe's catch in the 9th inning dive-into-the-stands catch near the end of game 4. Ironically, we Sox fans were laughing about how Uribe was able to catch this ball while Moises Alou failed to catch the infamous "Bartman Ball".

[hsnterprize]

Part VI

Here are a couple of famous bricks in the main part of the sculpture...


Sox fan Alex Snelius donates $100 to White Sox Charities for every home run the team hits. Here's a link to his story, and those here in Chicago can get a better understanding on why Alex donates like he does.


"Hizzoner, da Mare", Richard J. Daley. He's the father of current Chicago Mayor, Richard M. Daley. When the Sox won the '59 pennant, he allowed air raid sirens to go off to celebrate the win. A lot of people got scared since it was during the Cold War, and folks first thought we were being attacked.

"Hizzoner, da Mare, part II", Richard M. Daley. He was a lot more happier when the Sox won their championship than when the Cubs were in their pennant run in 2003. Even though he's the Mayor of all of Chicago, Mayor Daley is a White Sox fan. The old Daley family home is only a few blocks west of the ballpark.

Okay...that's it. I know there's a lot of pictures here, but I hope you like this presentation. If you're ever in the Chicago area, and want to get a good taste of local baseball history, go to the home plate gate outside U.S. Cellular Field. You'll get not only a taste of Sox Pride, but a great lesson about the history of a great franchise.

GO SOX!!!!!!