HR1347 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1347 LRB096 22676 GRL 42007 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Charles Comiskey was a skilled baseball player with a knack for business; he played for and managed several professional teams between 1882 and 1894, eventually becoming a full-time ball club owner; by the turn of the 20th century, Charles Comiskey had developed a successful team and moved it to the South Side of Chicago, naming them the White Stockings; and

WHEREAS, Charles Comiskey racked up over 1,500 hits and 994 runs during his playing career with the St. Louis Brown Stockings, Chicago Pirates, and Chicago Reds and accumulated a managing record of 839-542 for the teams; he also served as principal owner of the Chicago White Stockings from 1901 to 1931; and

WHEREAS, The Chicago White Stockings experienced considerable success in the early part of the 20th century under the ownership of Charles Comiskey, winning 5 American League pennants before Comiskey's death in 1931; Charles Comiskey was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939 in honor of his many accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, Charles Comiskey oversaw the building of a new stadium in 1909; the stadium, located at 324 West 35th St. in Chicago and based on a design from Zachary Taylor Davis, was the ballpark where the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990; and

WHEREAS, Comiskey Park was exceptionally modern for its time, as the 4th concrete-and-steel stadium in the Major League; as originally built, the ballpark seated 29,000 patrons, a record at the time; for some time, the ballpark was known by the nickname "The Baseball Palace of the World"; and

WHEREAS, Comiskey Park was the site of 4 World Series, 3 all-star games, and more than 6,000 major league games; the ballpark is also the site of countless positive memories for many generations of Illinoisans; and

WHEREAS, Comiskey Park hosted its last Major League game on September 30, 1990; at the time of the ballpark's demolition in 1991, it was the oldest standing Major League ballpark; and

WHEREAS, July 1, 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of Comiskey Park; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the 100th anniversary of the famed Comiskey Park and pay our respect to the original owner of the Chicago White Sox, Charles Comiskey, who was fundamental in building the longstanding Major League Baseball club with deep roots in Chicago's South Side; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the current front office of the Chicago White Sox as a symbol of our esteem and respect.