White Sox 'in serious talks' about building stadium in South Loop

The White Sox are "in serious talks" to build a new ballpark in the South Loop on the site known as "The 78," according to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times.

You can read that report here.

The land in question runs from Roosevelt Road on the north, south to 16th Street. It's bordered by the Chicago River on the west, and Clark Street on the east. 

Picture, if you will, the Chicago skyline as the backdrop for Sox games. The stadium would be easily accessible from downtown. The site is close to the Kennedy and Eisenhower expressways. It's close to the Metra line -- as well as the Red, Orange and Green lines.

These renderings from NBC Sports Chicago are something else. If only we could count on this being true. I would love to see this plan come to fruition, but as always, there's the question, "Who pays for it?"

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker all will have a seat at the table in these negotiations. Do you trust a single one of them to get this done competently? 

Me neither. 

Reinsdorf's track record suggests he's going to want public money for this, and Pritzker's track record suggests he's not going to allow that. When negotiations stall because of that, where does that leave us? That's what I'm wondering when I'm thinking about this proposal.

The Sox have can renew their lease at Guaranteed Rate Field one more time for a period of four years, and that would take them through the 2029 season. Then what? I think the timing is correct to have this discussion, at least in terms of when that lease expires. The political timing and the current state of the economy in Illinois (it's not good) is another matter.

In modern society, a healthy dose of skepticism is often warranted. But when we're talking about the Chicago White Sox, Jerry Reinsdorf, and governance in the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois, skepticism is ALWAYS warranted.

There's no question this proposal is exciting one for fans. But remember, the Sox were "serious" about "competing for multiple championships" too, and we're still waiting for that to happen. 

I'll be delighted by this stadium if, and only if, shovels go in the ground.