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White Sox subway stop closing; U.S. Cellular commute effected?

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Only in Chicago would we name a metro stop after one of our sports teams. And only the Chicago White Sox have that distinction. Yes, despite how much this town is obsessed with the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs, the White Sox have them beat in this regard.

“Sox 35th” is the red line “L” stop adjacent to U.S. Cellular Field. You can stare directly into Wrigley Field from the Addison train station, and there’s a Cubs logo on the sign when you arrive, but it’s “Addison” not “Cubs Addison.”

So Sox 35th is shutting down for awhile. how will affect you Sox fans?

Three days until the five-month CTA Red Line closure between the Cermak-Chinatown and 95th Street stops, White Sox V.P. of marketing Brooks Boyer gave a positive spin to Crains’ Danny Ecker:

“Maybe I’m being naive, but I’m not all that concerned about it,” said the nine-year Sox man, calling the impending el line closure “no big deal” compared to the Dan Ryan Expressway construction project that caused traffic headaches on the South Side in 2006 and 2007.

Yesterday’s home game marked the final time fans were able to unload at the Sox-35th stop this season.

Last year, a team spokesman estimated that about 15 to 20 percent of attendees (as many as 4,000 a game) got to U.S. Cellular Field via the Red Line. Mr. Boyer said it’s less than that this year.

To quote Moby and Gwen Stefani “here we go again to the South Side.”
The Red Line will redirect to the Green Line at the Roosevelt Road stop and Sox fans can disembark at the 35th-Bronzeville-IIT stop about two blocks farther from The Cell. Coming from the south, shuttles will pick up fans at the 69th, 79th, 87th and 95th Red Line stops and take them to the Garfield Green Line stop, where they can transfer and ride up to 35th Street.

Will this deter attendance? We’ll see starting on Monday when the White Sox take on the Red Sox. What would really move the needle at the box office are more White Sox Ws. Robin Ventura needs to get bats woken up soon for that to happen.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net. He’s also an author who also contributes regularly to MSN, Fox Sports , Chicago Now, Walter Football.com and Yardbarker

Banks has appeared on the History Channel, as well as Clear Channel, ESPN and CBS radio all over the world. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@PaulMBanks)