CHICAGO — Even if summer weather isn't here yet, the Boys of Summer are back.
Thursday was Opening Day on the South Side, as the Chicago White Sox embarked on their 2024 campaign against the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field on the first full day of the Major League Baseball season.
Although the White Sox dropped the game against the Tigers, 1-0, everyone — from fans outside the stadium, to members of the front office — were ready for the South Siders to play ball Thursday.
"Opening Day is like an extra-special holiday," says Sheena Quinn, White Sox Director of Public Relations. "It's like Christmas morning for us here. We get up early, we're excited to be at the ballpark.
"... It's extra special."
Tom Bainbridge sure feels that way. The 76-year-old was attending his 50th straight Opening Day and 55th overall Thursday.
"I started way back when I was in high school, actually," Bainbridge recalls. "It was a beautiful day, and I said, 'There's nothing I'm going to learn in high school that would (be better) than what I have here.'
"So I just came over to the ballpark, had a beautiful time, and I thought, 'I'm going to start doing this.'"
Bainbridge says that was in 1965. Service in the Vietnam War interrupted his Opening Day streak, or it would be 60 years in a row by now, but when he returned home in 1970, he started the tradition right back up. It's been uninterrupted since.
Bainbridge said he'll make it to around two dozen White Sox games this season.
Opening Day festivities
Quinn said the Guaranteed Rate Field parking lots will open three hours before first pitch Thursday, and fans can tailgate in the lots on the north side of the stadium. Gates will open two hours before first pitch.
Visit HERE on the White Sox website for full Opening Day information.
Quinn expects plenty of fans to be out tailgating to celebrate the start of baseball season.
"It's an annual tradition, every home game, but especially on Opening Day," she said. "Our fans have the most incredible tailgate experiences and parties."
Fans will notice a lot of new things on and off the field for the White Sox in 2024.
New food, amenities
Quinn said Guaranteed Rate Field will feature new food and amenities, including a bar in the left-field corner where fans can order food and look over the field.
"We have new food, new looks and new locations," Quinn said.
Jenny Kribs, Concessions Manager for Delaware North — which operates food and beverage at Guaranteed Rate Field and nine other ballparks around the country — says White Sox home games will be offering some new concession items in 2024.
For one, Kribs says, "We've joined the crispy chicken sandwich wars with our version," which includes spicy Creole sauce and is served on a "bakery-fresh" bun.
Additionally, Kribs said, fans can enjoy two types of empanadas, beef and spinach. Vegetarian options are also increasing, with the Impossible Hot Dog now added to the Impossible Burger that has been available for several seasons.
To wash it all down, Kribs said Guaranteed Rate Field will have over 75 different options of craft beer, imports and domestics, plus non-alcoholic "mocktail" options will be available this season.
Kribs said Delaware North is always trying to keep up with other ballparks around MLB with food and beverage options.
But especially with one franchise on the other side of Chicago.
"We're also competing with our friends up north," Kribs said.
There will also be plenty of giveaways this season at Guaranteed Rate Field, including things like hoodies, hockey jerseys and Hawaiian shirts, says Brooks Boyer, White Sox Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer.
"We have something for everybody," Boyer said.
Bobblehead giveaways this season include White Sox All-Star Luis Robert Jr. on May 25 and one celebrating the back-to-back MVP seasons in 1993 and 1994 of White Sox legend Frank Thomas on Aug. 31.
"We always want to provide as much value for the fans as we possibly can, every time they come to the ballpark," Boyer said. "We have a lot of great giveaways that are going to happen all season long."
Visit whitesox.com/promos for a complete list of giveaways and season-long promotions.
Fresh start on the field
On the field, last season didn’t go as well as the team and fans wanted, as the South Siders finished in fourth place in the American League Central with a 61-101 record. But they start fresh Thursday after management made some moves in the offseason to try to improve on last season's record and put pieces in place for the future.
To get people excited for the season, a couple of White Sox players handed out hot dogs Wednesday. Opening Day is always exciting for fans of all ages, especially for kids who play and love the game.
"Opening Day means a lot to me," says Ian Dunn, a member of the Leo Catholic High School baseball team on the South Side.
"It's an example of new beginnings. It's like a new life for baseball players. It's a time to come alive, it starts getting warm."
As for the 2024 season outlook for the White Sox, Dunn's teammate, Aiden Lott, is optimistic.
"I feel like their moves are pretty good," Lott said. "The owners know what they're doing with the team. I'm sure they have a great vision in mind for this season, and hopefully we can win a lot of games."
On Opening Day, everybody is in first place and anything seems possible.
"I want them to make it to the World Series," Lott said.
The Cubs, meanwhile, open their 2024 season on the road Thursday night with a primetime matchup on ESPN against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers.
First pitch from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
The Cubs' home opener is Monday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies, as the North Siders get underway in their first campaign under new manager Craig Counsell.
Everywhere, hope springs eternal, as thousands of fans head back to the ballpark.
"There's something romantic about Opening Day," Boyer said. "When you walk in, you see the green grass for the first time, you smell the grilled onions, you hear the crack of the bat.
"That tells you spring and summer are here."