Ranking the best in-game experiences for each MLB team

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 29 : Freeze races during game one of the 2019 Major League Baseball London Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees on June 29, 2019 at West Ham London Stadium in London, England. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 24: A general view of Guaranteed Rate Field during the observation of the singing of the national anthem before the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 24, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Teams are wearing special color schemed uniforms with players choosing nicknames to display for Players’ Weekend. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

Chicago White Sox: Xfinity Kids Zone

The White Sox will always be the little brother in the city of Chicago and there’s not much they can do to change that now. They have none of the history of the Cubs, they’re not lovable losers and they play in a bland, nondescript stadium. Opened in 1991, Guaranteed Rate Field might be the most boring of the relatively young MLB stadiums. From the name down to the in-park experience, there’s just very little to write home about with this park.

Guaranteed Rate Field is actually a fairly nice park to watch a game in if you just want to watch baseball. The sight lines are decent and the stadium does have an open concourse. The White Sox also have three giant video boards in the outfield and replicated the exploding pinwheels in center field from Old Comiskey Park. There’s also a wide concourse behind the outfield, with the seats in the upper deck only running from foul pole to foul pole.

I made my trip to Guaranteed Rate Field in 2016 when my daughter was still shy of her first birthday, so we didn’t get to experience all of the fun of the Xfinity Kids Zone, but it looks incredible. The White Sox have made great use of all their extra space in left field and have built what amounts to a three-level baseball playground for kids, including a full-size whiffle ball field.

The Kids Zone is a great place for kids to learn about baseball and practice basic fundamentals in a fun setting. It goes above and beyond some of the typical kids entertainment options at other stadiums like a bounce house, slide and simple radar gun. The White Sox also use the Kids Zone to put on coaching clinics. Give the White Sox credit — for all the shortcomings of Guaranteed Rate Field, they have worked hard to continue upgrading the park and turn it into a very family-friendly venue.

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