White Sox fans arrived early at Rate Field on Wednesday as the team prepared for a chance to clinch a spot in the American League Championship Series.
The White Sox entered Game 3 of their postseason series against Cleveland with a 2-0 series lead, and tailgate lots began filling well before opening time. Some fans waited hours to secure their preferred spots.
For Dan Kozlowski, arriving early was part of the plan.
“First person that gets here gets a good spot so that’s me today,” Kozlowski said.
Kozlowski took the day off work and arrived nearly eight hours before the tailgate lots opened. He spent the time waiting with coffee, television shows and emails.
“I just love tailgating. I want to be the first in the lot. You get that corner spot up next to the ballpark and party with all my friends over here,” Kozlowski said.
“This is the best tailgate lot in sports, Lot B. So that’s why people get here so early.”
At the box office, fans lined up in hopes of purchasing last-minute tickets. Some were able to secure seats at face value for a game that was sold out online.
“This is super exciting. One game away from the ALCS. In my lifetime, I’ve only seen one in 2005,” said White Sox fan Tony Guillen.
The White Sox needed one more victory against Cleveland to advance. A win would allow fans to see the team clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since 1906. Team officials said fans were encouraged to wear black for the first home playoff game since 2021, and rally towels were scheduled to be distributed at the gates.
“When you start a season off, your hopes are that you’re playing in October on a beautiful day like this, and then you have the chance to do something historic, and our guys have brought that for all the fans. So very exciting day for fans, very exciting day for the Chicago White Sox,” said Brooks Boyer, the White Sox executive vice president and chief revenue and marketing officer.
The postseason run also brought additional business to neighborhood bars and merchandise shops as fans gathered around the ballpark before first pitch.
The White Sox entered the game having won their first four postseason contests, and many fans expressed confidence that the run would continue.
“I’m super proud of this team, of this organization. There’s been highs and lows as a Sox fan in my tenure and the way they’re playing, they’re making the city proud, they’re making themselves proud, they’re making their families proud and I just think that there’s still a lot of baseball left in this team,” Guillen said.
Kozlowski was equally optimistic.
“Sox are going to sweep today. We’re going to go on to the ALCS and hopefully some good things happen there,” he said.
Ballpark gates were scheduled to open at 1 p.m., with first pitch set for 3 p.m. A White Sox victory would send the team to the ALCS, while a Cleveland win would force a Game 4 at Rate Field the following day.