Before the Chicago White Sox ever played in the beloved Comiskey Park, they played in the a tiny wooden box of a ballpark called South Side Park. While it could only hold 12,500, it was there where the White Sox first won over the heart of Chicago.
Out of the Dust a Ballpark Rises
Built along West Pershing Road and South Princeton Street, South Side Park's first tenant was the minor league White Stockings in 1900. Due to the location, the ballpark had to blend in with the surrounding neighborhood, including the nearby greenhouses of the J.F. Kidwell Company. As a result, left field stopped at 398 feet while right-field abruptly halted at 270 feet.
In 1901, the American League was formed and the White Stockings had a new name, the White Sox, and a new identity as a professional sports team. The newly minted White Sox beat Cleveland on Opening Day, April 24, 1901 8-2 in front of 9,000. Luxury boxes were added atop homeplate later that year but due to a building commission were torn down in 1907.
The ballpark was a pitcher's paradise as it hosted four of the first 11 no-hitters in A.L. history. Many were transfixed as White Sox pitcher Doc White tied Cy Young's recored of 45 straight scoreless innings, which had been set just a few months before. Ironically, the White Sox were known as the Hitless Wonders in 1906 after placing finishing last in the A.L. with a team batting average of a paltry .230 yet they still made it to the World Series, beating the powerful Cubs in six games.
With tens of thousands flocking to the tiny ballpark, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey knew that he needed a much larger ballpark to accommodate the crowds. After losing 7-2 to Cleveland on June 27, 1910, the White Sox moved three blocks over to Comiskey Park.
After the White Sox moved out, South Side Park was home to the Negro League American Giants and renamed Schorling's Park. During their stay at the tiny ballpark, the American Giants won the Negro League NL Pennant in 1920, 1921, 1922 and 1934. It remained the Giants' home until a fire burned it to the ground on Christmas Day 1940. Apartments now rest where South Side Park once stood.
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