Comiskey Park – From The Middle Blog

The Arizona Cardinals are one of the most historic franchises in professional football. Their story began in Chicago more than a century ago, continued through St. Louis, moved to Phoenix, and eventually reached the present-day home in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals are the oldest continuously operating professional football franchise. The organization traces its roots to the Morgan Athletic Club, founded in Chicago in 1898. The team became the Chicago Cardinals and joined the NFL as a charter member in 1920. Over the decades, the franchise has been known as the Chicago Cardinals, Card-Pitt, St. Louis Cardinals, Phoenix Cardinals and Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have won two NFL championships, in 1925 and 1947, and their greatest modern achievement came when they won the NFC Championship in 2008 and advanced to Super Bowl XLIII. The Beginning: From Morgan Athletic Club to the Cardinals The franchise began in Chicago in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club. Chris O’Brien became one of the central figures in establishing the organization. The team eventually became known as the Cardinals because of the color of its uniforms. Rather than abandoning an old set of uniforms, O’Brien reportedly described their color as “Cardinal red,” and the nickname remained. In 1920, the Cardinals became one of the original members of the American Professional Football Association, which soon became the National Football League. That makes the Cardinals one of the two surviving franchises from the original 1920 NFL, along with the Chicago Bears. Cardinals Franchise Names Through the Years 1898–1920 — Morgan Athletic Club and early Chicago Cardinals 1920–1943 — Chicago Cardinals 1944 — Card-Pitt During World War II, the Cardinals temporarily combined with the Pittsburgh Steelers because of the shortage of available players. 1945–1959 — Chicago Cardinals 1960–1987 — St. Louis Cardinals 1988–1993 — Phoenix Cardinals 1994–present — Arizona Cardinals The franchise’s geographic journey is one of the most unusual in NFL history. All Cardinals Owners The Cardinals have had a relatively small number of ownership groups compared with their age, largely because of the remarkable length of the Bidwill family’s ownership. All Cardinals Owners Chris O’Brien 1898–1929 Chris O’Brien was the principal early owner and one of the foundational figures of the franchise. He sold the Chicago Cardinals to David Jones in 1929. David Jones 1929–1932 Jones owned the Cardinals for approximately three years before selling the franchise to Charles W. Bidwill. Charles W. Bidwill Sr. 1932–1947 Charles Bidwill purchased the Cardinals in 1932 and began what became the NFL’s longest-running family ownership tradition. Bidwill died in 1947, before seeing the Cardinals win the NFL championship that season. He was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Violet Bidwill Wolfner 1947–1962 Following Charles Bidwill’s death, his widow, Violet Bidwill, became owner. Violet was a remarkable figure in NFL history. She was the Violet Bidwill Wolfner history and guided the Cardinals to the 1947 NFL championship during her first season as owner. She also oversaw the franchise during its 1948 division championship season and eventually made the decision to move the Cardinals from Chicago to St. Louis in 1960. Charles “Stormy” Bidwill Jr. and William “Bill” Bidwill 1962–1972 After Violet Bidwill died in 1962, her sons Charles Jr. and Bill inherited the Cardinals. The brothers operated the franchise together for approximately a decade. William V. “Bill” Bidwill. 1972–2019 Bill Bidwill purchased his brother’s share in 1972 and became the Cardinals’ sole owner. His ownership included the team’s final years in St. Louis, the relocation to Arizona in 1988, the Phoenix Cardinals era, the transition to the Arizona Cardinals name in 1994, and the team’s first Super Bowl appearance. Under Bill Bidwill, the Cardinals moved from Sun Devil Stadium to their present-day home in 2006. Michael Bidwill 2019–present Michael Bidwill became owner following the death of his father, Bill Bidwill, in 2019. Michael had previously served as Cardinals president and had been heavily involved in the development of the team’s modern business and stadium operations. The Bidwill family therefore has maintained ownership of the Cardinals for more than nine decades. Every Stadium Called Home by the Cardinals Few NFL franchises have had a more complicated history of home stadiums. Normal Park — Chicago 1920–1921 and 1926–1928 Normal Park was one of the Cardinals’ earliest NFL home fields. The Cardinals returned there after playing elsewhere during part of the 1920s. Comiskey Park — Chicago 1922–1925, 1929–1930 and 1939–1958 Comiskey Park, primarily associated with Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox, served as a major Cardinals home for many years. It was also the site of the Cardinals’ dramatic 1947 NFL Championship victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Wrigley Field — Chicago 1931–1938 The Cardinals played their home games at Wrigley Field, the famous home of baseball’s Chicago Cubs. For several seasons, Wrigley Field therefore served as a home for two NFL teams as well as the Cubs. Soldier Field — Chicago 1959 The Cardinals played four home games at Soldier Field during their final season in Chicago. Metropolitan Stadium — Bloomington, Minnesota 1959 The Cardinals also played two home games at Metropolitan Stadium during their final season before moving to St. Louis. Forbes Field — Pittsburgh 1944 During the temporary Card-Pitt merger with the Steelers, several games were played at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. Busch Stadium — St. Louis 1960–1965 When the Cardinals moved from Chicago to St. Louis in 1960, they played at the baseball Cardinals’ Busch Stadium, then known as Sportsman’s Park. Busch Memorial Stadium — St. Louis 1966–1987 The Cardinals moved into the new Busch Memorial Stadium in downtown St. Louis in 1966. The St. Louis Cardinals enjoyed some of their strongest regular-season success during the 1970s, winning NFC Eastern Division championships in 1974 and 1975. Sun Devil Stadium — Tempe, Arizona 1988–2005 The franchise moved from St. Louis to Arizona in 1988 and initially played at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium. The team was known as the Phoenix Cardinals… Continue reading Arizona Cardinals: A History of the NFL’s Oldest Continuous Franchise

[ Chicago White Sox: Complete History, Owners, Ballparks, Hall of Famers, MVPs, Rookies and World Series Championships: The Chicago White Sox are one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball. Their history stretches back to the formation of the American League, and the team has been part of Chicago baseball since 1900. The White Sox have won three World Series championships — 1906, 1917 and 2005 — and have produced an impressive collection of Hall of Famers, MVPs, Rookie of the Year winners and legendary players. The franchise has also experienced some of the most dramatic events in baseball history, including the 1919 Black Sox scandal, the rise of the “Go-Go” White Sox of the 1950s, the 1959 American League pennant, the powerful teams of the 1980s and 1990s, and the 2005 championship team that finally ended an 88-year World Series drought. The Beginning of the Chicago White Sox The franchise originated in 1900 when Charles Comiskey moved the Western League’s St. Paul franchise to Chicago. The club initially became known as the Chicago White Stockings, although sportswriters soon shortened the name to White Sox. In 1901, the American League became a major league, and Chicago was one of its charter franchises. The White Sox won the first American League pennant in 1901. The franchise has remained in Chicago ever since. Chicago White Sox Home Ballparks Unlike some franchises that have moved between several cities, the White Sox have always played their home games in Chicago. There have been three primary home-ballpark names/venues in franchise history. 1. 39th Street Grounds 1900–June 27, 1910 The first home of the White Sox was the 39th Street Grounds, located at 39th Street and Princeton. Charles Comiskey built a wooden grandstand on the site in 1900. The small ballpark had a capacity of fewer than 7,500 spectators. The White Sox played there until June 27, 1910. The 39th Street Grounds later became an important location in Chicago Negro Leagues history. 2. Comiskey Park 1910–1990 Comiskey Park opened July 1, 1910. It was built by Charles Comiskey and quickly became known as the “Baseball Palace of the World.” The stadium stood at 35th Street and Shields Avenue. Comiskey Park hosted some of the greatest moments in White Sox history, including: The 1917 World Series The 1919 World Series The 1959 American League pennant The 1959 World Series The 1960s “Go-Go” White Sox era The 1977 South Side Hitmen The 1983 American League West championship The final White Sox game there in 1990 The White Sox played their final game at old Comiskey Park on September 30, 1990. 3. New Comiskey Park / U.S. Cellular Field / Guaranteed Rate Field / Rate Field 1991–Present The new stadium opened April 18, 1991, directly across the street from old Comiskey Park. It originally carried the name New Comiskey Park. The ballpark was renamed: U.S. Cellular Field — 2003 Guaranteed Rate Field — 2016 Rate Field — 2024 The White Sox still play there today. MLB currently identifies the stadium as Rate Field. All White Sox Owners Ownership of the White Sox has changed considerably over the club’s history. Owner Years Charles Comiskey 1900–1931 J. Louis Comiskey 1931–1939 Grace Comiskey 1940–1956 Dorothy Comiskey Rigney 1956–1959 Bill Veeck 1959–1961 Arthur Allyn Jr. 1961–1969 John Allyn 1969–1975 Bill Veeck 1975–1981 Jerry Reinsdorf & Eddie Einhorn 1981–2016 Jerry Reinsdorf 2017–present The White Sox’s official ownership history records Charles Comiskey as the man who brought the franchise to Chicago, the Comiskey family succession, Bill Veeck’s two ownership periods, the Allyn ownership and the Reinsdorf/Einhorn purchase in 1981. Charles Comiskey Charles Comiskey was much more than an owner. He was a former major league player and manager who became one of the founders of the American League. He moved the St. Paul franchise to Chicago and built the White Sox into one of the original American League powers. Comiskey owned the club from 1900 through 1931. He is also a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame as an executive. The Comiskey Family After Charles Comiskey died, ownership passed to his son, J. Louis Comiskey. Following J. Louis Comiskey’s death, his widow, Grace Comiskey, controlled the club. Ownership later passed to their daughter, Dorothy Comiskey Rigney. The Comiskey family controlled the White Sox for almost six decades. Bill Veeck Bill Veeck was one of baseball’s most colorful owners. He first gained control of the White Sox in 1959 and later returned in 1975. Veeck was famous for promotions, unusual ideas and his willingness to challenge baseball traditions. During his ownership, he introduced such ideas as: Bat Day Exploding scoreboards Player names on uniforms Creative promotions Unusual fan attractions Veeck was eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His 1959 White Sox won the American League pennant. Jerry Reinsdorf Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn purchased the White Sox in January 1981. Reinsdorf remains the chairman and controlling owner of the franchise. The Reinsdorf era includes the organization’s 1983 division championship, the 1993 division championship, the 2000 division championship and, most importantly, the 2005 World Series championship. MLB notes that Reinsdorf has served as White Sox chairman for more than four decades. White Sox World Series Championships The White Sox have won three World Series championships. Year Opponent White Sox Result 1906 Chicago Cubs Won 4–2 1917 New York Giants Won 4–2 2005 Houston Astros Won 4–0 The 1906 championship was the only World Series between two Chicago teams. MLB records the White Sox defeating the Cubs four games to two. 1906 World Series White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs The 1906 World Series was the first championship between two Chicago major-league teams. The Cubs had won an astonishing 116 games during the regular season. The White Sox, nicknamed the “Hitless Wonders,” upset the heavily favored Cubs. Series Result White Sox 4, Cubs 2 Individual Game Results Game Result Game 1 White Sox 2, Cubs 1 Game 2 Cubs 7, White Sox 1 Game 3 White Sox 3, Cubs 0 Game 4 Cubs… Continue reading Chicago White Sox: Complete History