More High Class White Sox Experience

Paul M. Banks welcomes you to the Scout Seats/Lounge!

“White Sox fans are very blue-collar,” says Chicago Tribune White Sox beat writer Mark Gonzales in an annoyingly inaccurate commercial. Perhaps you’ve seen this irritating Tribune spot where they showcase the beat writers for both local teams. Gonzales, and those who stereotype Sox fans this way  are dead wrong. I’ve profiled three places at U.S. Cellular Field where the congregating Sox fans have plenty of income. Or coin, moolah, bread, cheese, cheddah, scrilla, paper, bills, jack, c.r.e.a.m., or dinero. Earlier this summer, I reviewed the bougey Stadium Club and Jim Beam Club. Now I’ll bring you inside the most exclusive place in the park and the seats that are closest to the action, the Scout Seats,
which opened during the World Series year of 2005.

Amenities include

•    Private lounge for entertaining clients and guests
•    Premium reserved parking outside of Gate 3
•    Premium buffet in private lounge with all beverages included
•    Private access to best seat locations in the park
•    Wait service at the best seats for food and beverages
•    Invitations to exclusive White Sox events

The heavenly decadent extravagance of the chef’s table buffet is the same as in the Jim Beam club, and it equals the gourmet spread you get upstairs in the Bards’ Room. (Where the credentialed media eats) Being a White Sox history geek, I know the dining hall is named after the Woodland Bards club, an often overlooked, but extremely critical part of White Sox history. The Bards were basically the Southside’s answer to the West Side Rooters Social Club (Cubs) or the Royal Rooters (Red Sox). Gene Carney describes the gentlemen’s club as “prominent men in all walks of life and from different sections of the country…and later “another casualty of the fix,” in his book Burying the Black Sox: How Baseball’s Cover-Up of the 1919 World Series Fox Almost Succeeded. They disbanded shortly a few years after the Black Sox scandal was uncovered.

Getting back to the gentlemen of this day, the Scout Lounge regulars tell me this is where Owner Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Kenny Williams eat.  I believe them too because I saw Manager Ozzie Guillen come in an hour before the lounge opens to get his coffee. (No cream, 2 Equals is how he took it) “All the best amenities that baseball can offer, the best view of the ballpark and everything else comes with the ticket. All in a private controlled, environment. The one caveat is, once you go here you’ll never go back to regular seats, said season ticket holder Mike Cullum. There’s a lot of juice in this club, and I’m not talking about the beverages. John Malevitis is an attorney who attended 79 of the 81 home games last season. When he missed two games in a row, the bartender called him to see if he’s sick or not. (Yes, I do plan on making this guy an interview subject for a future story) So what are the added benefits of sitting in the exact front row at the Cell? “For me, it’s being close and able to watch the pitch, whether it’s a slider, curveball. I like the analysis of the game, and you know which pitch is coming,” Malevitis said. I love his answer because it’s baseball geekdom at its finest. Baseball nerds like us also appreciate the Club’s most memorable feature: a behind-the-glass collection of prized White Sox memorabilia that is shown during the White Sox pre-game introduction on the scoreboard.

Highlights include Dick Allen’s home run crown, Nellie Fox’s Gold Glove and the game worn jerseys of Michael Jordan and Tom Seaver.

The scout seats are sold out. Click here for the waiting list

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