Opening Day Flashback - Southsiders Edition

By Karl Klockars in Miscellaneous on Apr 7, 2008 5:10PM

Weatherwise, it's a hell of a lot better out there today than it was last week, and the Sox are on a roll after snatching three games away from the Tigers this weekend. And it looks like it was a nice opening day 52 years ago, at old Comiskey in 1946.

The original field started out just as "South Side Park," or "White Stockings Park." When the Western League changed to the American League in 1900, the Sioux City Cornhuskers moved to the South Side and made their home at a number of fields around 35th - 39th streets. The team moved to a grandstand owned by Charles Comiskey in 1910, appropriately named Comiskey Field but sometimes called the "Baseball Palace of the World," where they stayed until 1990.

According to Ballparks.com, it was at Comiskey that the tradition of playing the Star-Spangled Banner began. The league was considering canceling the 1918 World Series but when they heard about soldiers looking forward to news on the games, they continued. The band spontaneously started up the anthem in the 7th inning, and players and fans alike stood, sang, and cheered.

Also, it was rumored earlier this year that if Wrigley needed to close for rehab work that the Cubs would be playing home games at the Cell. Well, it wouldn't be the first time that the Northsiders headed south (literally, not figuratively) - the Cubs played the aforementioned 1918 Series at Comiskey to take advantage of the larger capacity with up to 55,000 possibly packing the park. Wartime still kept the attendance far below that, however. It's easy to argue that more important baseball history took place at old Comiskey than at Wrigley - the Black Sox scandal, Disco Demolition, the Bill Veeck era and so on - but it's also proof that a team can survive the loss of a historic park and continue on. Take note, Cubs fans. If you're going to the home opener this afternoon, say hi to Jimbo for us.

Images from the Chicago Historical Society, Flying Sock.com and Silverlakespalatine.com. Play ball.