The Chicago White Sox aren’t shaping up to be much improved from their historically awful 2024 season, but they will be making a noteworthy change in at least one area.
After eight years of fans lamenting and mocking the name of the team’s home at Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox announced the stadium will bear a new name: Rate Field. The change coincides with naming rights holder Guaranteed Rate’s rebrand to the name Rate, which it announced in July.
The change was announced with the fanfare of a 10-second social media video posted at 6:45 p.m. CT on a Tuesday. Notably, the logo for the field will still include a big red arrow pointing down, retaining a facet of the name that was particularly criticized.
The stadium in question was known as Comiskey Park, named for former White Sox owner Charles Comiskey, from its opening in 1991 until 2003, when it became U.S. Cellular Field. That moniker gave way to Guaranteed Rate Field in 2016, named for the Chicago mortgage company paying $2.4 million per year for the rights.
And now the “Guaranteed” is being dropped, which is fitting since there are no guarantees when Jerry Reinsdorf owns your team.
The White Sox are in the process of recovering from quite possibly the worst season in MLB history, setting a league record for losses with a record of 41-121. Every facet of the team was a disaster, from the lowest-scoring offense in MLB, to the 25th-best starting rotation by ERA, to the third-worst bullpen, to a defense that ranked dead last in defensive runs saved.
And the team now stands to be worse after trading away their lone standout player, starting pitcher Garrett Crotchet, to the Boston Red Sox for prospects. The team at least has a new manager in Will Venable, but the leadership remains the same. For now.
