At a couple points last year, I floated the idea that Guaranteed Rate Field might be in line for an upswing in appreciation. It's not necessarily that it's actually a good ballpark, but it'll benefit from low expectations. Whatever people call New Comiskey is, if nothing else, a refreshingly straightforward and democratic place to see a game, and if the on-field product improves, that aspect of the stadium and the fans it draws will play up.
Eno Sarris carried my theme into the new season by ranking Guaranteed Rate Field fourth on his list of ballparks. Yes, it's in ascending order.
Of course, it's a highly specific set of criteria. Sarris isn't rating the park by aesthetics, value or vibe, but instead by beer selection. It turns out that he loves the Craft Kave.
In what might prove to be an innovation that eventually will spread to most ballparks around the league, the White Sox put in a Craft Kave in 2017 — a beer bar with plenty of taps, but an even more impressive beer cooler. One of the difficulties of stocking smaller craft breweries is the peril of a kicked keg without a replacement. A useless tap can cost the ballpark a ton of money. So instead enter a cooler full of cans that can spread to the rarer parts of Chicago’s beer scene, without the same danger if a certain can runs out.
As a result, the list of available beers on the South Side is impressive, maybe one of the longest in the league. And, even if you might notice that a large percentage of those beers is only available in the Kave, there’s good news. There’s now a second (express) Kave in the 500 level. Add that to the Revolution Brewing Bar and the two Midwest Craft stands and a few assorted craft beer carts, and you have top-shelf accessibility.
Look again at the list, and you’ll see that Revolution’s beers are the easiest to find outside the main craft beer areas. Would you rather have a Revolution in the hand or a chalkboard craft beer bar in the bush? The tug between the highest-end options and accessibility to good craft beer options begins.
It's hard to argue with the three parks that beat out the White Sox. Seattle, San Diego and San Francisco occupied the medal positions, and the first two jumped to my mind immediately, so there's no shame in missing the podium.
Beer rankings might not rise to the level of architectural appeal, but a park like Guaranteed Rate Field needs to win on the margins, and plying the non-diehards with food and drink is a way to make them say, "Sure, I'd go back." It's another victory for the time-tested method of drinking until something seems like a good idea.
Spare Parts
Among the various things Rick Hahn covered at media day was an overview of how scouts will cover the league this season.
“We’re going to send guys out with the expectation that we’re going to be in the position to add come the deadline,” Hahn said. “When guys head out come Opening Day to do their pro coverage, it’s going to be with the expectation of adding in areas where we don’t quite have the depth that we foresee having in the future.”
Vinnie Duber's overview at second base only confirms the picture we've assumed -- it's Leury García and Danny Mendick unless Nick Madrigal can overcome front-office skepticism/service time considerations -- but it puts Hahn on the record.
"We made the assessment at the end of last season that Nick Madrigal wasn’t quite ready for the big leagues," general manager Rick Hahn said Tuesday during Cactus League Media Day. "He was sent home with some specific things to work on. He can very well come to spring training this year, show he’s made certain adjustments and find himself on the Opening Day roster."
With Luis Robert and Eloy Jiménez, the main thing they had to work on was their willingness to sign a contract extension before they played their first MLB game, and that could very well be the case with Madrigal. They're not the same players, though, and the chasm in power between the aforementioned outfielders and Madrigal makes it possible to believe that this is actually a merit play. Probably not, but it's possible.
From core velocity belts to offseason training locations to shortened arm actions, the signatures of Lucas Giolito's professional overhaul can be found with other White Sox pitchers who are trying to figure it all out themselves.
Counterpoint: Jose Abreu signed a contract with his preferred employer for more than the market for comparable players suggested was possible, he didn't have to endure unnecessary meetings and phone calls for leverage, and people take him for his word when he says, "I don't care about money."
Jose Abreu is the greatest negotiator of all time.
