Baseball fans can apparently find more stadium drama within view of Interstate 94 just a couple hours south of Milwaukee.
A report from Crain’s Chicago Business on Monday indicated that Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf would consider moving the White Sox out of Guaranteed Rate Field when the team’s lease expires in six years. That could mean a new stadium close to Chicago or a relocation altogether, with Nashville floated as one possible destination.
The circumstances are eerily similar to what’s going on in Milwaukee, with a plan to fund the stadium district and maintain a lease agreement for stadium upkeep in governmental limbo. The current stadium lease in Milwaukee expires in 2030.
Publicly, the White Sox are claiming they “haven’t had conversations” about the lease situation. But …
“With six years remaining, it is naturally nearing a time where discussions should begin to take place,” team spokesman Scott Reifert told Crain’s. “The conversations would be with the city, ISFA and the state, and most likely would be about vision, opportunities and the future.”
Sound familiar, Milwaukee fans?
Guaranteed Rate Field opened in 1991, then known as “new” Comiskey Park until it changed names to U.S. Cellular Field from 2003 to 2016.
The state of Illinois owns the park, and taxpayers still owe roughly $50 million on the bonds issued to construct the stadium. That’s a similar arrangement to Milwaukee, where a stadium district leases the venue to the Brewers.
The White Sox nearly left for St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1988; 10 years later, MLB would instead expand there with the addition of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Before that, Brewers owner Bud Selig thought he had a deal to bring the White Sox to Milwaukee in 1969, but the agreement fell through. One year later, the Seattle Pilots relocated to Milwaukee instead, becoming the Milwaukee Brewers.
Nashville serves as home to the Brewers’ Class AAA affiliate, the Nashville Sounds. Though the city has the qualities of a suitable home for a Major League Baseball franchise, MLB would surely rather get there through expansion (a more lucrative option for all 30 current owners) than through the relocation of a franchise.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Chicago White Sox also exploring alternatives to current stadium?
