With a mixture of music blasting via audio system, smoke from barbecues, loads of chilly beers and excellent baseball climate, the return of tailgating was simply one in every of many issues Chicago White Sox followers needed to rejoice at Tuesday’s residence opener at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“Today I’m celebrating being cancer-free!” stated Kim Crouse, 36, a South Sider and White Sox fan for so long as she will keep in mind.
Crouse was tailgating in Lot B together with her cousin Khrystina Kulbida, 29, and her associates, Amy, 45, and Charlie Riske, 43. They had been consuming burgers, grilled potato packets and consuming beer.
“I wasn’t able to make it out to many games last year because I was undergoing treatment and you can’t be in the sun when you’re having chemo,” stated Crouse, who stated she nonetheless has 10 extra rounds of radiation remedies to go.
Amy Riske, a former co-worker of Crouse, stated she has been to each residence opener together with her husband since 2003. They started courting in 2001, and Charlie — a giant fan of Hall of Famer Frank Thomas rising up — satisfied her to modify from the Atlanta Braves to the White Sox. “He was totally worth changing teams,” she stated.
Charlie Riske’s expectations for this season? “Undefeated,” he stated with none hesitation. Crouse “want(s) them to go further into the playoffs.”
Kulbida — who was additionally born and raised on the South Side — “just want(s) them to stay healthy.”
Bernie DiMeo’s cause for celebration was a giant one too: This was his fiftieth White Sox residence opener in a row. “Hard to believe, but true,” he stated.
It all started in faculty, stated DiMeo, 73, of Rogers Park. At Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, he and his roommate, Rich Turek, 74, who was at Tuesday’s sport with DiMeo tailgating in Lot A, had been big White Sox followers and commenced a contest to see who might go to essentially the most residence openers.
Turek started going to residence openers in 1971 and DiMeo couldn’t go that yr as a result of he had courses. Their first residence opener collectively was in 1972. However, after commencement, Turek landed a job that required enterprise journeys, and he broke his streak.
Turek stated he has been to 40-something video games however not in a row.
DiMeo fell in love with the White Sox as a baby due to his father and uncle. “My uncle lived upstairs from us and (my dad and I) would watch all the games together and that’s how I became a Sox fan,” he stated.
His son, Dan DiMeo, 34, made him a trophy for his fiftieth residence opener and a patch impressed by the group’s fiftieth anniversary All-Star sport in 1983.
“The first thing I wore when I was born was probably a White Sox onesie or something like that,” Dan DiMeo stated.
“Absolutely,” Bernie DiMeo replied.
“I had a cap and a baseball in my crib and in the hospital from the first day. My first game was in the old Comiskey Park when I was 1 month old.”
During that first go to, Bernie DiMeo stated he handed his new child son to Greg Walker — a White Sox first baseman — who was extra scared to catch a child than a baseball.
In the previous 5 a long time, Bernie DiMeo stated his favourite seasons had been 2005 once they received the World Series as a result of “we never saw it coming,” and 1983 as a result of “they won the division by like 20 games and we could see it coming.”
But so far as reminiscences go, he stated, there are such a lot of.
His favourite opening day? Just just like the Riskes, the 2006 residence opener once they had been in a position to elevate the World Series flag.
Bernie DiMeo is couching his expectations for this season.
“If you would have asked me a week ago, I would have said all the way,” he stated. “But I am worried about these injuries; they keep piling up and every day we have more injuries. Top two pitchers are out, third base was out, top relievers out, right fielder is out … I think I may have to loosen up my arm and call Jerry Reinsdorf to see if I can pitch.”
Teddy Biancotti, 28, from Crown Point, Indiana, additionally tries to go to any opening sport he can.
“The games are good but tailgating is where we have more fun,” he stated. “I like the freedom and the cheaper beer,” stated the lifelong White Sox fan who was carrying a group jersey, U.S. flag-themed glasses, and a Budweiser cowboy hat.
“(Tailgating is superior) because you get to spend time with your family and not worry about missing anything,” his fiancee, McKenzie Sallee, 27, stated.
His love for the group was additionally generational, handed from his granddad and pa, who had been additionally on the tailgate in Lot B. They had been consuming tacos, cheese crackers, shrimp, hen wings, veggies, cookies, brownies, “beer, beer, beer… and jello shots.”
They traveled early within the morning from Indiana, however Sallee assured that if she posted an Instagram together with her fiance on the Sox sport, somebody in her household would remark “Go Cubs!”
In between the vehicles’ tailgates, there have been loads of video games to entertain the little ones in addition to adults.
Tifanny Pillot’s household, a gaggle of a couple of dozen, had the largest sport assortment in Lot D: Besides the favored cornhole, that they had tick-tack-toe and join 4.
Pillot, 32, stated she has been a Sox fan all of her life “like any South Sider should be,” and this was her first residence opener.
“Unfortunately, there’s a bit of rivalry with the Cubs and Sox in the family,” she stated. But this Tuesday the household Pillot was at peace because of the facility of tailgating video games, sizzling canine, burgers, pizza, veggie trays and alcoholic drinks.
Also in Lot D, the Family Gómez flooded a 3rd of a parking row with salsa music and the aromas of hen wings, ribs, sausages, Mexican arracheras and peppers on their grill.
This was José Gómez’s first home-opening tailgate, however he stated he spent many others working within the kitchens of the ballpark as a prepare dinner from 1981 till 2019.
Gómez, 69, from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, stated he cooked for ballplayers, reporters and group homeowners. “I am a big White Sox fan, and I’m also a big fan that they support me financially because they give me my retirement pension.”
Beatriz Gómez, 73, additionally from Puerto Rico, met José in Chicago because of household whereas he was working for the White Sox.
“Even though baseball is the biggest thing in Puerto Rico, I was never a ball fan until I met him and then I was able to bring our family to the stadium and do tailgates,” stated Beatriz Gómez, a Vega Baja native who has lived in Chicago since 1964.
“And I would see them from that window while I was working,” José Gómez stated pointing to a lateral window of the stadium and bursting into laughter.
He stated opening days from the within of the stadium had been all the time particular. “Everybody was nervous because there was a lot of pressure, but it was very nice working that day and feeling everybody’s rush.”
“Also, Magglio Ordóñez once saved me from being fired,” he remembered laughing. “I brought once my son to work when he was around 7 and he began playing in the field with the players. One of the coaches almost got him, but Ordóñez saved him from being caught.”
In 2005, he needed to work in the course of the last World Series sport in Houston. Beatriz Gómez traveled for these video games together with her husband and she or he sighed as he recounted that reminiscence.
“The last day there was a ton of food,” he stated. “And the third game was super long, it lasted six hours until 1 a.m.”
“I enjoy my retirement, but I would love to be working. I really liked my job here,” José Goméz stated. “¡Arriba los White Sox!”
The household’s expectations for this season? “High,” answered each in unison.
For starters, Tuesday’s opener met followers’ expectations and gave them another reason to rejoice because the Sox beat the Mariners 3-2.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com