White Sox and ISFA announce first of Phase Five upgrades

 

White Sox and ISFA announce first of Phase Five upgrades

FUNdamentals skills area to be relocated to left field

 

CHICAGO - The Chicago White Sox and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA) have announced a portion of the 2005 Phase V renovation plans to U.S. Cellular Field, which feature a 15,000-square-foot baseball and softball skills instruction area for kids, to be located above the left field concourse.

FUNdamentals, which will overlook the field and outfield seating area, will offer skills instruction for all positions, led by instructors from the Chicago White Sox Training Academy. The area will feature a youth-sized baseball diamond for coaching clinics, batting and pitching cages for instructional and recreational use, batting "swing" boxes for proper batting techniques and areas for baserunning and skills instruction, in addition to a kid-friendly concession and novelty stand. Fans in the stands will be able to observe the activities in FUNdamentals. The skills area currently exists inside Gate 3.

 

"Relocating FUNdamentals to a central, visible location will make it much more of a destination within the ballpark," said Terry Savarise, White Sox senior vice president of stadium operations. "FUNdamentals has always supported our mission of expanding the love of baseball to kids of all ages, and now it will be in a location that allows parents to take their kids to FUNdamentals and still enjoy the on-field action of White Sox baseball games. It will be an experience that's completely unique to U.S. Cellular Field and FUNdamentals will join the Fan Deck as focal points inside the ballpark."

 

Other Phase V renovation elements will follow as decisions are made over the course of the summer.

 

"The relocation of FUNdamentals will greatly enhance the fan experience at U.S. Cellular Field at no cost to taxpayers and create another place within the park for families to spend time together," said Jerry D. Blakemore, Chief Executive Officer, Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. "We are excited about this project and proud to be a part of this successful public-private partnership with the Chicago White Sox and U.S. Cellular."

 

The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority is the developer, owner and operator of U.S. Cellular Field.

 

FUNdamentals will continue to open when the gates to the ballpark open (typically 90 minutes before game time) and will remain open during the game beginning in 2005. The new FUNdamentals area will be accessible from all levels of the ballpark. Phase V renovations are being funded by the 2003 naming rights agreement with U.S. Cellular.

The FUNdamentals area will sit atop the left field concourse.

Fantastic!!

My son will love that. He hated leaving the game to use the FUNdementals.

Where's the home run porch?

 

Enough with this nonsense, where's the home run porch?

 

 

Looks like a pretty good idea to me, glad they are doing something better for the kids. Those instruction areas they currently have that you see when you walk into the park look pretty s***ty to me.

Cool. That is one of the unique highlites of the New Arlington Stadium is thier kids area in CF. It will be a welcome addition in the park.

 

But that definately means no LF HR porch.

Cool.  That is one of the unique highlites of the New Arlington Stadium is thier kids area in CF.  It will be a welcome addition in the park.

 

But that definately means no LF HR porch.

I think it's going to be a RF home run porch that extends into CF, at least that is what I have heard....Who knows though.

Where have I heard this before.... ??

 

 

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/index.php?showtopic...l=isa+agreement

I think it's going to be a RF home run porch that extends into CF, at least that is what I have heard....Who knows though.

RF would probably interfere with the view from the Stadium Club. That is why they had picked LF, or at least that was the way the rumors went, back when this idea surfaced.

Where have I heard this before.... ??

 

 

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/index.php?showtopic...l=isa+agreement

The big quote

 

The project description...

 

"The project consists of certian renovations to the facility including renovation of the upper deck, construction of a FUNdamentals deck in left field, construction of a lower Terrace Suite balcony, construction of a new TV truck dock, purchase of wayfinding sign/graphics, development of parking lot "L", purchase of an out-of-town matrix board, and upgrades to the upper deck and outfield sound system, and such related or other costs permitted by the act.

Wow, that looks really good. Hopefully they'll still put in that home run porch. Either way though, so far lookin good on the first part.

I have to say, I wanted a HR porch, but that's cool too. Where they have fundamentals now isn't too great, so this will be a welcome addition for the kids.

I hate to be the pessimist, but I have to say I'm disappointed.

 

For one, I won't be able to use the new training area because I'm not a kid. Two, I wanted green seats. Three, HOME RUN PORCH!

 

It's a place for baseball, not an amusment park for kids. However, I will say that when I'm married and have children, I'll likely appreciate being able to drop my kids off there and being able to watch the games in peace.

I agree with you man, that is stupid...

 

You go to the GAME to watch the GAME... not to go do something else

 

I think it would have been better to put a HR poarch

 

also... why do you want GREEN seats??

I think that looks really cool. It will be just like another fan deck, just for kids and families, not adults.

So does this mean that the LF shower will get the axe?

 

Nobody can say that Comiskey isn't a world-class ballpark...It's got all one could ask for and more...I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

As a father of two young kids who I know will love this addition, I think it's great.

So does this mean that the LF shower will get the axe?

 

Nobody can say that Comiskey isn't a world-class ballpark...It's got all one could ask for and more...I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

I don't think the shower will be effected Heather.

I hate to be the pessimist, but I have to say I'm disappointed.

 

For one, I won't be able to use the new training area because I'm not a kid. Two, I wanted green seats. Three, HOME RUN PORCH!

 

It's a place for baseball, not an amusment park for kids. However, I will say that when I'm married and have children, I'll likely appreciate being able to drop my kids off there and being able to watch the games in peace.

Those are still going to happen, at least the green seats will. This is just a part of the Phase V of what they're going to do.

Those are still going to happen, at least the green seats will. This is just a part of the Phase V of what they're going to do.

Source..?

Source..?

FSN said they are going to have the green seats. Besides, don't you already know.

I hope the other additions not yet announced as part of Phase 5 are better than this because this one sucks.

FSN said they are going to have the green seats. Besides, don't you already know.

Nope. No one I talk to has confirmed green seats. So far it's just a rumor as it's not in any plans submitted to the ISA as of yet.

Can I ask how the color of a ballpark seat would affect someone's decision to go to Comiskey?!? The seats could be bright ass yellow and I'd still have my 27 game package because I love to watch the Sox play, not because my seat is blue or green or whatever else people want....I just don't understand why that matters :banghead

Can I ask how the color of a ballpark seat would affect someone's decision to go to Comiskey?!? The seats could be bright ass yellow and I'd still have my 27 game package because I love to watch the Sox play, not because my seat is blue or green or whatever else people want....I just don't understand why that matters  :banghead

Thank you. Until my rear end grows eyeballs.. I don't care.

I would love to see those balls on yr rear end.