Chicago White Sox Home Stadium
Will the White Sox, one of the two professional baseball (MLB) teams based in Chicago, USA, leave Chicago, where it was founded 120 years ago, and plant new roots in the southern city of Nashville? My attention was focused.
According to local media and the political media 'Politico' on the 7th (local time), it was reported that White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf (87) had a private meeting with Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell (47, Democratic Party) in Nashville, Tennessee the previous day. Rumors of relocating the White Sox's home stadium have reignited.
‘Politico’ reported, “Leinsdorf, the team owner who visited Nashville to attend MLB’s annual ‘Winter Meeting’, was seen walking out of Mayor O’Connell’s office.”
The team and the Nashville mayor's office confirmed that owner Reinsdorf and Mayor O'Connell met, but refused to disclose the specific reason or the content of the conversation.
Nashville is one of several cities hoping to host an MLB team.On the other hand, Chicago is home to two MLB teams (Cubs, White Sox) along with New York (Yankees, Mets) and Los Angeles (Dodgers, Angels).
Political media 'Axios' commented, "Considering that Nashville is making steady efforts to attract an MLB team and that the future of the White Sox's home stadium is uncertain, the meeting between owner Reinsdorf and Mayor O'Connell is noteworthy."
The White Sox's lease contract for their home stadium, Guaranteed Rate Field, expires at the end of the 2028 season.This stadium is owned and managed by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA).
The economic media 'Chicago Business' reported last August that the owner of Reinsdorf was considering relocating the stadium when the home stadium lease contract expires, and was also considering building a new stadium in downtown Chicago or a suburban city, as well as selling the club. there is.
The White Sox were founded in Iowa in 1894 as the Sioux City Cornhuskers.It was operated as the 'St. Paul Saints' in Minnesota from 1895 to 1899, then moved to Chicago in 1900, and with the establishment of the 'American League' in 1901, the team was named 'Chicago White Stockings'. joined.The name was then changed to the White Sox in 1904.
Reinsdorf purchased the White Sox for $19 million (about 25 billion won) in 1981.The value of the White Sox, as assessed by Forbes, is currently $2.05 billion (about 2.7 trillion won), ranking 15th among the 30 MLB teams.
In 1985, Reinsdorf purchased an absolute stake in the NBA's Chicago Bulls, of which Michael Jordan belonged, for $9.2 million (about 12 billion won), becoming a leading figure in the sports industry representing Chicago.The Bulls' current value is estimated at $2.5 billion (about 3.3 trillion won). 19가이드03