Taking our 18-month-old nugget Isaiah to a White Sox game at massive Guaranteed Rate Field seemed a bit daunting, but my husband Walter was so excited about the idea that I decided to give it a go. Thank goodness I did because we had a blast. There are still 10, count ‘em 10, home games left this season if you want to venture out with your crew too.
The White Sox have two Family Sundays left this season, which mean discounts on certain tickets and parking. The Sept. 10 Family Sunday coincides with the Children’s Autograph Session and National Grandparents Day. In this case, it is early bird gets the autograph, as the first 100 kids to line up can have one item signed. This whole setup sounds like a memory in the making for little guys and gals who love the game!
We opted for a weekday game and were pleasantly surprised by the family-friendly experience. We took our son’s stroller to make the sizable trek from the parking lot to our seats easier. There was definitely a bunch of people getting into the stadium along with us, but going through security was easy. The stadium design seems to keep crowds flowing, and we even let Isaiah get some wiggles out on our way in; his blue eyes lit up when he saw the field!
Before getting to our seats we simply checked his stroller for the game at a Guest Relations Booth. When we picked it up, they were nice enough to ask if it was our son’s first game and directed us to the Rookie Corner (behind Section 154) for a complimentary certificate and button.
Isaiah was happy waving at just about every Sox fan at the stadium and flirting with a little lady a few rows down from us, but older kiddos would probably enjoy the XFINITY Fundamentals Deck. This 15,000-square-foot area gives children an opportunity to learn the baseball basics from Chicago White Sox Training Academy coaches. Little ones can try out batting and pitching cages and much more there. Also, if you want to mark the family fun by getting a photo of your little one with Sox mascot Southpaw, stop by during the third inning.
If your pint-sized players make through all of the innings, there are fireworks after the games on Fridays. Sept. 8 and Sept. 22 are the last two opportunities to catch that light-up-the-sky fun this season.
Ultimately, my husband and I spent more time playing the age old game of chase-the-toddler and keeping him out of harm’s way than we did watching the actual game, but we made a family memory that will stretch far beyond the final pitch.
If you go
Guaranteed Rate Field
333 West 35th St., Chicago
60616866-SOX-GAME (To order tickets)
