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Home , American League Central, Baker Bowl, Dioner Navarro, Guaranteed Rate Field, Shibe Park

WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF AUGUST 25, 2016 “Shields’ August struggles continues in loss to Phils” … Scott Merkin and Todd Zolecki, MLB.com “Home runs continue haunting veteran Shields” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Gonzalez throws successful bullpen Wednesday” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “U.S. Cellular to become Field.” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Mariners start 7-game road trip vs. White Sox” … Maddie Lee, MLB.com “James Shields, White Sox lose to Phillies and snap winning streak” … Dan Hayes, CSN “White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez felt good in bullpen session” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “U.S. Cellular Field to become after 2016 season” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox on Guaranteed Rate Field: ‘I think it’s still Comiskey’” … #WhiteSoxTalk, CSN Chicago “Wednesday’s recap: Phillies 5, White Sox 3” … Colleen Kane, “Arrow, record pointing down for White Sox in loss to Phillies” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Tyler Saladino wants to be better in White Sox utility role” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “U.S. Cellular Field, home of the White Sox, to become Guaranteed Rate Field” … Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune “By any other name, will the Cell smell as sweet” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “Low interest at Guaranteed Rate Field? OK. Now I get White Sox park name” … Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune “Phillies halt White Sox win strek at three” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Guaranteed Rate Field replaces Cell as White Sox’ home” … Staff, Chicago Sun-Times “There can’t be a worse name than Guaranteed Rate Field. Can’t be.” … Rick Morrissey, Chicago Sun- Times “Shields, fall to Phillies” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “White Sox sign deal for Guaranteed Rate Field” … Staff, Daily Herald “Is arrow really pointing down for Chicago White Sox?” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Imrem: Sorry White Sox, but it will always be ” … Mike Imrem, Daily Herald “Baffoe: Let’s Properly nickname Guaranteed Rate Field” … Tim Baffoe, CBS Chicago “Levine: Determination on Avisail Garcia’s future a priority for White Sox” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago “Joseph, Hernandez homer as Phillies beat White Sox 5-3” … Andrew Seligman, Associated Press “White Sox ballpark changing name to Guaranteed Rate Field” … Andrew Seligman, Associated Press “James Shields gives up more homers, Earth keeps spinning” … Jon Greenberg, The Athletic “Bad timing award goes to White Sox in naming rights deal” … Jon Greenberg, The Athletic “Guaranteed jokes: White Sox announce new naming rights deal” … Jon Greenberg, The Athletic “White Sox will play at Guaranteed Rate Field, so here’s a list of bad ballpark names” … David Schoenfield, ESPN “Guaranteed Rate Field? Fans are not impressed” … Danny Ecker, Crain’s Chicago Business “Yes, Chicago White Sox have the worst name in sports” … Jason Diamond, Rolling Stone “You don’t have to call it Guaranteed Rate Field” … Barry Petchesky, Deadspin “White Sox ballpark to be renamed ‘Guaranteed Rate Field’” … Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports “White Sox to rename US Cellular Field’ … James Neveau, NBC Chicago “Cubs, Bears poke fun at White Sox stadium name change” … James Neveau, NBC Chicago “Cubs, Bears troll White Sox over ‘Guaranteed Rate field’” … Bob Hille, Omnisport “White Sox’s U.S. Cellular Field changing name to Guaranteed Rate Field” … USA Today Sports “The Cubs masterfully trolled the White Sox’s stadium name change” … Steven Ruiz, USA Today Sports “The home of the White Sox is being renamed Guaranteed Rate Field” … By Zach Long, TimeOut Chicago “Chicago White Sox stadium now ‘Guaranteed Rate Field’” … The Daily Beast “U.S. Cellular Field changing name to Guaranteed Rate Field” … Kelly Bauer and Joe Ward, DNA Info Chicago “U.S. Cellular Field changed its name and people are freaking out” … Kelly Bauer, DNA Info Chicago “It’s guaranteed – White Sox ballpark changing name to Guaranteed Rate Field” … Don Muret, “White Sox ballpark will be renamed Guaranteed Rate Field in November” … Tim Moran, South Side Patch “White Sox new field name sponsored by company with unfortunate logo” … Chris Cwik, Yahoo! Sports “The White Sox’s Field will be renamed ‘Guaranteed Rate Field’ next season” … Gwendolyn Purdom, Chicagoist “Cringeworthy White Sox park renaming” … Natasha Korecki, Politico “White Sox ballpark getting new name” … Eric Horng, ABC Chicago “White Sox fans react to ballpark’s new name” … Craig Wall, FOX Chicago “White Sox announce name change to ballpark” … WGN Web Desk and Tonya Francisco, WGN-TV Chicago “From ‘The Cell’ to ‘The Rant’? Sox unveil new stadium sponsor” … Chris Sosa, RedEye “The need to chill out” … Kyle Koster, The Big Lead/USA Today Sports “You’ll never guess the White Sox’ stadium’s new name, guaranteed” … R.J. Anderson, CBS Sports “White Sox changing stadium name to Guaranteed Rate field; internet begins mocking” … Grey Papke, Larry Brown Sports “I wish to purchase stadium naming rights and name the stadium after myself” … Seth Rosenthal, SB Nation “White Sox hope new stadium name is not an indication of their fortunes” … Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star “White Sox get trolled mercilessly for new stadium name” … Des Bieler, Washington Post

Shields’ August struggles continue in loss to Phils By Scott Merkin and Todd Zolecki / MLB.com | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO -- Jerad Eickhoff threw just 71 pitches over six quality innings on Wednesday during the Phillies' 5-2 victory over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. The White Sox three-game winning streak came to an end, as Eickhoff allowed two runs on four hits while striking out two and not issuing a walk.

Eickhoff faced the minimum through five innings, having given up a leadoff to Adam Eaton in the fourth, which was erased on a Tim Anderson -play grounder. But after giving up two runs on three hits in the sixth, the Phillies went to their bullpen.

"I wanted him out on a positive note," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Eickhoff. "He's been struggling in the sixth inning and after that, so I didn't want him going back out there. We have three guys I have confidence in [Edubray] Ramos, [Hector] Neris and [Jeanmar] Gomez. So it worked out for us."

"Adam was the one that breaks it up and gets it going, but [Eickhoff] was tough on us," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "A great curveball. That's the biggest thing that sticks out. When he got in trouble, that curveball was the pitch for us. After that, it just wasn't a good night offensively. I don't think we swung it that well."

James Shields suffered the loss, although he made his first average start of the month. The White Sox right-hander gave up four runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out six without a walk. Shields retired the first five Phillies he faced before consecutive hits from Tommy Joseph, Aaron Altherr and Freddy Galvis brought home two runs. Cesar Hernandez and Joseph also went deep for the Phillies. The White Sox scored one in the ninth off of Gomez but stranded two runners when Dioner Navarro grounded out to second to end the contest.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Eickhoff shakes off sixth: The sixth inning has been a problem this season for Eickhoff, who has a 12.32 ERA in the sixth compared to a combined 2.64 ERA in the first five innings. But after he allowed the two- homer to Navarro and allowed a to Tyler Saladino to bring the tying run at the plate, he retired the next three batters to preserve the Phillies' two-run lead.

"I tried to slow it down," Eickhoff said. "Freddy [Galvis] came out and said I was going a little quick, a little fast, so he was kind of instrumental in slowing me down and making me make pitches. I was happy to get out of that inning and bounce back."

Navarro dials long distance: The White Sox had one hit through five innings but got going in the sixth. Avisail Garcia opened the frame with a single and Navarro homered to cut the lead in half. Navarro had last homered on July 4, going 32 games and 112 at-bats without a dinger. He now has six for the season.

Cesar, Tommy and Aaron: Hernandez, Joseph and Altherr continue to make cases for 2017. Hernandez hit a solo homer to left in the third and Joseph hit a solo shot to right in the sixth. Hernandez entered the game hitting .343 (72-for-210) with 15 extra-base hits, including three homers, 16 RBIs and a .413 on- base percentage over his previous 59 games. Joseph has hit 17 homers, giving Phillies' first basemen a Major League-leading 33 homers this season. Altherr added a pair of hits and two RBIs, as well. Mackanin said he has been impressed with each of them.

"That's kind words from the guy that's at the helm of the club," Joseph said. "You get the opportunity, you just try to make the most of it. And that's what I'm trying to do and that's what everybody in here is trying to do."

Shields doesn't dig the long ball: With the two home runs allowed in six innings, Shields has now given up 22 in 75 2/3 innings since joining the White Sox. Shields, who has a combined 16 losses between San Diego and the White Sox, has yielded a Major League-high 64 home runs since the start of '15.

"Yeah, I mean the ball down the line, I honestly didn't think it was going to go out," Shields said of Hernandez's . "I thought it was a routine pop fly. I think he thought it was a routine pop fly, but sometimes it goes that way."

QUOTABLE

"We won, so I guess I made the right move. That's how it works, right?" - Mackanin, on removing Eickhoff, despite throwing just 71 pitches after six innings

"The way he was swinging before he got hurt was probably as good as he's been swinging it since he's been here. It may take a little while for him to get that back, but you like what you see as far as him being able to make contact. And he makes hard contact." --Ventura, on Garcia, who had two hits and an RBI

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Phillies first baseman made his first career appearance at U.S. Cellular Field and has now played in all 30 big league ballparks. He singled, giving him a hit in all 30, as well.

WHAT'S NEXT

Phillies: The Phillies return to action Friday when they open a three-game series against the Mets at at 7:10 p.m. ET. Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan (1-7, 6.21 ERA) faces Mets right-hander Bartolo Colon (11-7, 3.36 ERA) in the series opener.

White Sox: Anthony Ranaudo opens a four-game set against the Mariners, with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. CT on Thursday, having lasted pitched on Aug. 17 in Cleveland, where he allowed five runs on eight hits over four innings. Ranaudo has given up eight runs on 10 hits over 10 2/3 innings pitching for the White Sox, including four home runs.

Home runs continue haunting veteran Shields White Sox right-hander has allowed 22 dingers in 75 2/3 innings since trade By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO -- James Shields produced his best start of August during the Phillies' 5-3 victory over the White Sox Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

The veteran right-hander allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings in the Interleague contest, having allowed 27 earned runs in 14 innings during four previous trips to the mound this month. But once again, the home run ball came back to hurt him.

Cesar Hernandez went deep leading off the third and Tommy Joseph connected with two outs in the sixth, meaning Shields has yielded 22 home runs during the 75 2/3 innings thrown since being acquired by the White Sox. Since the start of 2015, opponents have gone deep a Major League-high 64 times against Shields.

That number becomes an even bigger problem with potentially two years remaining on his contract pitching at a hitter-friendly home ballpark on the south side of Chicago. . "It's always going to be an issue in this ballpark, especially when it's warmer," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You're going to get balls that carry and different wind patterns.

"You want to get it out of the air. And I think for him he's going to have to be working down. There's ways I think he'll be able to do that and get the ball out of the air, especially here."

Hernandez hit a classic U.S. Cellular home run, lofting a 3-1, 91 mph fastball down the left-field line that somehow carried over the fence. Joseph's homer came off a mistake pitch by Shields, with the right- hander hanging a 0-2 off-speed pitch to the first baseman.

"Honestly I think the only pitch I made a mistake on was that last one, the home run in the sixth inning there," Shields said. "The ball kind of slipped out of my hand a little bit and kind of left it over the plate.

"Other than that, I felt good with my location tonight. I was hitting my spots consistently. They were getting hits here and there. That's part of it. One of the positives things: I didn't walk anyone, and I was getting some swings and misses. But we have to move on and move forward and build off that."

Home runs were present for Shields, even in his more successful years on the mound. It doesn't make it any easier for Shields to accept.

"I don't like giving up home runs, that's for sure. But those things happen," Shields said. "But the first home run tonight, any other day it's not going to go out. That's just part of the game."

Gonzalez throws successful bullpen Wednesday Lawrie undergoes MRI on left knee and hip in Chicago By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO -- Miguel Gonzalez threw a 30-pitch bullpen Wednesday and felt no pain in testing a strained right groin that has left him on the disabled list since Aug. 12. Gonzalez threw last Friday, as well, but felt a little soreness the day after, so Thursday will be key moving forward in the recovery.

"I didn't feel anything while I was throwing my bullpen, which was great," Gonzalez said. "I'm happy with the results that went out today. Come back and we'll see how it feels tomorrow but didn't feel anything today."

Gonzalez envisions one Minor League rehab start and then hopes to return to the White Sox rotation.

"We're going to have him go back out there again and do a little bit more that looks more like starting in a game where he's going to throw for a little while, sit down, get back up," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Simulate some innings, and hopefully after he does that a couple times, he can go out for a rehab assignment."

Lawrie has MRI

Second baseman Brett Lawrie, who was sent back to Chicago from his injury rehab assignment with Double-A Birmingham on Sunday, had an MRI done on the left knee and left hip where he has been experiencing the problems. Lawrie has been on the disabled list since July 27, retroactive to July 22.

"I know he's getting a full checkup today to see what's there and what can be done for him," Ventura said.

U.S. Cellular to become Guaranteed Rate Field White Sox announce 13-year naming rights agreement; change to take place Nov. 1 By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO -- U.S. Cellular Field will become Guaranteed Rate Field as of Nov. 1, the White Sox announced on Wednesday.

The White Sox and Guaranteed Rate agreed on a 13-year naming rights agreement, changing the name of the White Sox home. The Sports Facilities Authority, which owns and operates the ballpark, approved the name change in a board meeting Wednesday.

"We are pleased to find, in Guaranteed Rate, a new naming rights partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans," White Sox chairman said in a statement in the press release. "We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field."

As for a new nickname for the ballpark, the White Sox will leave that decision to the fans.

"I've seen a couple of the really good ones and I've got a chuckle out of them," White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer said during a Wednesday conference call. "It's interesting because obviously U.S. Cellular Field got shortened to the Cell. Is it G-Rate Field? Or The Rate? I don't know. We've kind of kicked it around."

In addition to the naming rights partnership, the White Sox and Guaranteed Rate have agreed on sponsorship elements associated with White Sox baseball, which include various branding, promotional and hospitality benefits, along with joint marketing opportunities. Guaranteed Rate becomes the official mortgage and title company of the White Sox.

"We're thrilled to be able to welcome what's obviously a very enthusiastic partner in Guaranteed Rate who shares our ongoing passion for Chicago for our fans and their commitment to community service," Boyer said.

Upon the completion of existing naming rights payments to the White Sox, ISFA will receive all incremental naming rights revenue from this new agreement with Guaranteed Rate. The White Sox retain an option under the team's lease for the ballpark, which if exercised, could extend this naming rights deal an additional year through 2030.

This ballpark was known as New Comiskey Park from 1991 to 2002, before a naming rights agreement changed the ballpark's name to U.S. Cellular Field from 2003 to 2016. Financial terms of the new agreement were not released. U.S. Cellular exited the Chicago market in '13 but stayed a supportive partner for the White Sox. U.S. Cellular also let the White Sox know that if the team found something that made sense for them, they would be open to the change. So the White Sox put out feelers to a "very small group of companies," per Boyer.

Boyer mentioned that a letter was written earlier Wednesday to the entire White Sox staff, announcing the new agreement and talking about "shared DNA" in a true marketing partner.

"When you use words that we use often like pride, passion and tradition, especially when it comes to the Chicago market … you love to find marketing partners that share that same enthusiasm for those three things," Boyer said. "Guaranteed Rate has a significant commitment to the city of Chicago and giving back to the city of Chicago but an even further commitment to customer service and making sure their mortgage experience is better than everybody else's.

"That's something we talk about quite often around here is making sure that our ballpark experience is the best that it can be, the best in the Major Leagues, and we're always trying to reset the bar on ourselves. And we really appreciate the fact that Guaranteed Rate felt the same way in their industry. This is a nice step today toward continuing to fulfill the vision of putting the best possible club out on the field that can be out there for our fans.

"And to have Guaranteed Rate come in and be very excited and enthusiastic about activating their relationship, not just at the ballpark but in the community, is something that allows us to successfully pair our two brands," Boyer added.

Mariners start 7-game road trip vs. White Sox By Maddie Lee / MLB.com | August 24rd, 2016

Right-hander Anthony Ranaudo gets the ball for the White Sox in the first game of a four-game series against the Mariners on Thursday at U.S Cellular Field. It is the second and final time the teams will meet.

The Mariners won the last series between the two, claiming two of three games at Safeco Field. Seattle plays four in Chicago before heading to Texas for three against the AL West-leading Rangers.

Full Game Coverage

Ranaudo is 0-1 since the White Sox acquired him from the Rangers. In his two starts with Chicago, he has allowed a total of eight runs in 10 2/3 innings for a 6.75 ERA. The White Sox won one and lost one with Ranaudo on the mound.

The Mariners have yet to name a starter for Thursday.

Things to know about this game

• Seattle will likely activate James Paxton from the 15-day disabled list (left elbow contusion) to start Thursday. The hard-throwing lefty has been out since taking a comebacker off his pitching arm on Aug. 7. He has a 1.59 ERA in his last four starts.

• The Mariners were missing two of their big power hitters for parts of their game against the Yankees on Wednesday, and there is no guarantee either will be healthy for Thursday's opener. Kyle Seager was scratched from the Mariners lineup Wednesday with a contusion on his right foot from fouling a ball off it on Tuesday. Nelson Cruz left the game Wednesday with back spasms, but after having his pelvis adjusted, he said he was feeling better.

• This will be Ranaudo's first time facing Seattle. Chris Iannetta and Cruz are the only Mariners he has faced. Both are 1-for-2 against him.

James Shields, White Sox lose to Phillies and snap winning streak By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | August 24th, 2016

James Shields allowed his fewest runs in a month on Wednesday night, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a loss.

Shields yielded two more home runs in six innings and his offense couldn’t keep pace as the White Sox lost to the Phillies 5-3 in front of 15,630 at U.S. Cellular Field. Shields gave up four earned runs and seven hits. Dioner Navarro homered in the loss, which snapped a three-game White Sox winning streak.

“We’ve seen better,” manager Robin Ventura said. “(Shields) got to two strikes, two outs and gave up a couple there and that’s tough. The homer to left, that’s just one you get in this ballpark. The biggest one, for him, mistake-wise was the homer to Joseph. I think that’s the one that he wants back. But as far as going out there and getting us to a point, he’s still got room to improve on. But he got through it.”

The six innings pitched marks the most by Shields since July 26.

In between, Shields allowed 28 runs (27 earned) and 33 hits in 14 innings over four turns, good for a 17.36 ERA.

He fell behind 3-0 by the third inning before he settled in and retired nine of 11 batters. The Phillies pieced together a two-out rally in the second inning to go up two runs as Tommy Joseph and Freddy Galvis doubled with an Aaron Altherr singled sandwiched in between.

Cesar Hernandez opened the third inning with a solo homer just inside the left-field foul pole.

Joseph also homered with two outs in the sixth inning to put Philadelphia ahead 4-0.

Shields has allowed 31 homers in 143 innings this season, including 22 in 75.2 innings for the White Sox. Eleven of those have come in his last four starts.

He walked none and struck out six.

“I think the only pitch I made a mistake on was that last one, the home run in the sixth inning there,” Shields said. “The ball kind of slipped out of my hand a little bit and kind of left it over the plate. Other than that I felt good with my location tonight. I was hitting my spots consistently. They were getting hits here and there. That’s part of it. One of the positives things, I didn’t walk anyone and I was getting some swings and misses. But we have to move on and move forward and build off that.”

The White Sox didn’t have much success against Phillies starting pitcher Jerod Eickhoff, who retired the first nine batters he faced. Avisail Garcia led off the sixth inning with a single and Navarro belted a two- run homer to right to make it a 4-2 game.

Eickhoff limited the White Sox to two runs and four hits in six innings.

Garcia kept the White Sox alive with a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning. But Jeanmar Gomez retired Navarro with runners on the corners to end the threat.

“Until Dio hit the homer there wasn’t much going for us,” Ventura said. “We got one --- I think Adam was the one that breaks it up and gets it going. But (Eickoff) was tough on us. A great curveball. That’s the biggest thing that sticks out. When he got in trouble, that curveball was the pitch for us. After that, it just wasn’t a good night offensively. I don’t think we swung it that well.”

White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez felt good in bullpen session By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | August 24th, 2016

If all continues to go well, Miguel Gonzalez could pitch in a rehab start as soon as Friday.

On the 15-day disabled list with a strained right groin, the White Sox starter said he felt good during a second bullpen session on Wednesday.

Gonzalez, who is 2-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 19 games (18 starts), threw 30 pitches. He previously threw a bullpen session on Friday and felt some discomfort the following day. But Gonzalez said he has made progress since he received treatment on Saturday.

“A lot better,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t feel anything while I was throwing my bullpen, which is great. I’m happy with the results today and come back tomorrow and we’ll see.”

Gonzalez left an Aug. 11 start at Kansas City in the bottom of the second inning. Though he wasn’t yet sure if he’d head out on a rehab assignment, Gonzalez said he was on the third day of a five-day schedule in which he was supposed to start. But it’s also possible the White Sox could have Gonzalez first throw a simulated game.

“We're going to have him go back out there again and do a little bit more, that looks more like starting in a game where he's going to throw for a little while, sit down, get back up,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “Simulate some innings and hopefully after he does that a couple time he can go out for a rehab assignment.”

U.S. Cellular Field to become Guaranteed Rate Field after 2016 By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | August 24th, 2016

Guarantee you’ve heard about the impending name change for the White Sox’ ballpark.

The White Sox on Wednesday announced a new naming rights deal for the ballpark at 35th and Shields, which starting Nov. 1 will be called Guaranteed Rate Field through at least 2029.

Financial terms of the deal with the Chicago-based retail mortgage lender weren’t disclosed. But the opportunity was good enough for the White Sox to make concessions on their deal with the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority and end a 20-year partnership with U.S. Cellular Field before it had expired. The park has been named U.S. Cellular Field since the club and the regional phone carrier, which no longer services Chicago, reached a 20-year, $68-million accord in 2003.

Noting that revenue beyond expenses goes directly to the roster, White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer was “thrilled” with a 13-year deal that includes a team option for 2030.

“This is a nice step today toward continuing to fulfill the vision of putting the best possible club out on the field that can be out there for our fans,” Boyer said.

While U.S. Cellular has kept its headquarters in Chicago, Boyer said the company hasn’t done local business since 2013. The White Sox hoped to find a business with local roots and “put out some feelers,” Boyer said.

Boyer said one of his first calls was placed to Guaranteed Rate and it immediately felt like a good fit.

“It moved relatively quickly and it moved quietly, which was appreciated, and there were multiple companies that were interested in securing these naming rights,” Boyer said. “The nice part is we didn’t have to cast a long net.”

The name change garnered a lot of attention on social media.

One question prominently asked by fans is what the park’s nickname might be.

Many have shortened U.S. Cellular Field to The Cell over the years.

Manager Robin Ventura said he occasionally still calls it Comiskey Park, the park’s original name from 1991-2002. Boyer and Guaranteed Rate CEO Victor Ciardelli said they’d let fans determine the park’s nickname “organically.”

Ventura is hopeful the deal can benefit the team’s 25-man roster.

“That’s the idea,” Ventura said. “You see do that a lot. I don’t remember who was the first one to do it. But with that stuff, you’re looking to use it and use it effectively and use it to improve.”

The IFSA, which owns and operates the park, approved the name change at its board meeting on Wednesday afternoon. IFSA chairman Manny Sanchez said the deal could generate up to $6.4 million of revenue for the facility.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura on Guaranteed Rate Field: ‘I think it’s still Comiskey’ By #WhiteSoxTalk / CSN Chicago | August 24th, 2016

After 13 years as U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox will call their home Guaranteed Rate Field until 2030 beginning Nov. 1.

The team announced Wednesday that they signed a 13-year deal with Guaranteed Rate to own the White Sox stadium name.

With the different names (and nicknames) the White Sox have had their stadium be called, manager Robin Ventura said he still calls it the place he's known it to be for 93 years.

"I think it's still Comiskey. U.S. Cellular I've gotten used to, but I make a slip every once in a while and call it Comiskey," Ventura said. "The new one I dont know. We'll come up with something."

For years, U.S. Cellular Field was often referred to as "The Cell." Officials said they will leave a possible nickname for the new ballpark up to the fans so it can be "organic."

Wednesday’s recap: Phillies 5, White Sox 3 By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | August 24th, 2016

White Sox right-hander James Shields gave up four earned runs over six innings in a 5-3 loss to the Phillies on Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

With two outs in the second, Aaron Altherr hit an RBI single to right field, and Freddy Galvis followed with an RBI double for a 2-0 Phillies lead.

Cesar Hernandez added on with a solo home run to lead off the third, and Tommy Joseph homered in the sixth.

At the plate

Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff pitched three perfect innings before Adam Eaton hit a single to short center field to open the fourth inning. Tim Anderson then grounded into a double play, and Eickhoff faced the minimum through five innings.

But Dioner Navarro hit a two-run homer to right field in the sixth to cut the Phillies’ lead to 4-2.

Avisail Garcia hit a two-out RBI single to right field with two on base in the ninth to cut it to 5-3, but Navarro grounded out.

In relief

Altherr added an RBI single off Sox reliever Tommy Kahnle in the eighth inning to push the Phillies ahead 5-2.

Arrow, record pointing down for White Sox in loss to Phillies By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | August 24th, 2016

The logo for Guaranteed Rate, the new naming rights partner of the White Sox, spread across the scoreboards Wednesday evening at the park currently known as U.S. Cellular Field.

Before the Sox and Phillies — a pair of fourth-place teams — met for their series finale, Sox marketing head Brooks Boyer tried to explain how the team felt about a logo that prominently features a red arrow pointing down.

"The arrow pointing down is very good for pitchers' ERAs," Boyer joked.

And that certainly was true Wednesday night — for Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff.

Eickhoff limited the Sox to two runs over six innings as the Phillies pulled off a 5-3 victory that dropped the Sox record to 60-65.

Eickhoff pitched three perfect innings before Adam Eaton's single to open the fourth. Tim Anderson then grounded into a double play, and Eickhoff faced the minimum through five innings.

Dioner Navarro broke through in the sixth with a two-run homer to right field to cut the Phillies' lead to 4-2, and Avisail Garcia hit a two-out RBI single to right field with two on base in the ninth for the other Sox run.

"He was tough on us," Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "When he got in trouble, that curveball was the pitch for us. After that, it just wasn't a good night offensively."

Sox right-hander James Shields, whose 5.98 ERA wasn't a very high bar entering the night, maintained that by giving up four runs on seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts in six innings.

That at least was a step forward from his recent disasters.

Shields allowed 27 earned runs in 14 innings over his last four starts and hadn't lasted more than five innings in any of them. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Shields became the first major leaguer since Gus Weyhing in 1895 to allow seven-plus runs over the first three innings of a game six times in one season.

But Shields had a similar run earlier this year, and he snapped out of it to post a 1.71 ERA over six starts in June and July. He was positive about Wednesday, except for an 0-2 pitch that Tommy Joseph hit out of the park in the sixth.

"The ball slipped out of my hand a little bit and I left it over the plate," Shields said. "Other than that I felt good with my location tonight. I was hitting my spots consistently. … I didn't walk anyone and I was getting some swings and misses. But we have to move forward and build off that."

Aaron Altherr and Freddy Galvis drove in runs in a two-run second. Cesar Hernandez added a home run to lead off the third.

Shields then retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced before Joseph's homer put the Phillies ahead by four. It was the 11th homer Shields has allowed in four games.

"It's always going to be an issue in this ballpark, especially when it's warmer," Ventura said. "You're going to get balls that carry and different wind patterns. You want to get it out of the air. He's going to have to be working down. The one to Joseph was up, just not well-located, especially on 0-2."

In that case, the Sox do hope the arrow is pointing down for Shields' ERA.

As for the logo, Boyer said the club is working on some for the facility for the name swap in November.

Tyler Saladino wants to be better in White Sox utility role By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | August 24th, 2016

Tyler Saladino hasn't been totally satisfied with what he has shown over his last month while filling in at second base, but the second-year infielder takes pride in the fact the White Sox have been comfortable using him there — and in many other spots — this year.

The Sox have counted on Saladino to fill in at first, second, third, shortstop and even in the outfield, but most recently he has started at second. He's filling in for Brett Lawrie, who has been on the disabled list since July 22 with a leg injury.

In his second season in the majors, Saladino, 27, was hitting .257 with nine doubles, six home runs, nine walks and 52 strikeouts over 69 games entering Wednesday, when he returned to the lineup against the Phillies after sitting out the last four days with tightness in his back.

"Obviously you want to be perfect in a game of failure, which we're all insane for thinking," Saladino said. "I'd like to come up bigger in certain situations. You never want to get out when you could have driven a run in. Those ones always eat you up."

Sox manager Robin Ventura said earlier this month that Saladino "does a lot of different things that are good for a baseball team."

Saladino likes that the Sox have counted on him as a dependable bench player, including in the outfield, though his time there has been limited since he needed elbow surgery in 2014. He has played four innings in the outfield this year.

"That would be another thing to get some development there, to add to the role so that if I'm needed for anything — infield, outfield, catching — I can fill in if someone goes down," Saladino said. "Covering everything would be awesome, and being reliable wherever needed."

It is unclear how much longer Saladino will be at second base this year. Ventura said Lawrie had an MRI on his left knee and hip Wednesday, but the results have not yet been announced.

Making progress: Sox right-hander Miguel Gonzalez said he felt "a lot better" while throwing all of his pitches in a 30-pitch bullpen session. Gonzalez has been on the disabled list since Aug. 12 with a strained right groin.

"I didn't feel anything while I was throwing my bullpen, which is great," Gonzalez said. "I'm happy with the results today and come back tomorrow and we'll see."

Ventura said he expects Gonzalez to throw simulated innings next before they talk about a rehab assignment.

"We have a few guys who are underrated, but you like the way he pitches," Ventura said. "He's aggressive, throws strikes. He's a guy that has some consistency to him that you like seeing."

U.S. Cellular Field, home of the White Sox to become Guaranteed Rate Field By Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune | August 24th, 2016

Out with the Cell, in with … well, fans aren’t quite sure what to call it yet.

In a marriage between the White Sox and one of the largest home lenders in the , the ballpark located at 35th and Shields will undergo a name change Nov. 1 from U.S. Cellular Field to Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Sox announced Wednesday a 13-year naming-rights agreement with the mortgage lender after the owner and operator of the stadium, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA), approved the name change at a board meeting earlier in the day.

News of the name change triggered immediate bemusement on social media with the hashtag #BetterSoxStadiumNames trending in Chicago.

White Sox fans long have been uneasy about calling the team’s home anything other than Comiskey Park.

When the current ballpark replaced venerable Comiskey Park in 1991, it was called New Comiskey Park. In 2003, the White Sox struck a naming-rights deal with U.S. Cellular for $68 million over 20 years. The park’s name was changed to U.S. Cellular Field, much to the displeasure of fans and the family of founding team owner Charles A. Comiskey.

“The Cell” became a popular nickname for U.S. Cellular Field, but what to make of Guaranteed Rate Field?

Sox outfielder Adam Eaton called the new name “different” after confirming the business of the new naming-rights partner.

“It’s a mortgage company?” Eaton asked. “Man, they must be doing really well. … I don’t really know what to say. I’m excited to see what kind of names they come up with for the (nickname). It doesn’t have that good of a ring to it, but I don’t know.”

Sprint bought U.S. Cellular’s spectrum in Chicago in 2013, making the stadium name of diminished marketing value, a least locally. The team approached U.S. Cellular to end the deal early and find a new stadium sponsor, according to Brooks Boyer, White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing, and Guaranteed Rate stepped up to the plate.

Founded in 2000 by Victor Ciardelli, Guaranteed Rate is one of the largest home lenders in the United States, funding $18 billion in loans last year, according to the company. Securing naming rights for the Sox’s stadium will help turn the company into a household name, at least in Chicago.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura on Guaranteed Rate Field. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune) In a statement, White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf praised Guaranteed Rate as a “partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans.”

While the sides would not disclose the financial terms of the agreement, it includes broad marketing opportunities, both inside the stadium and through external media.

“There’s significant in-stadium signage, behind-home-plate signage and merchandising,” said Lynette Grinter, Guaranteed’s vice president of marketing. “There’s a lot of PR and community outreach opportunities and digital advertising included.”

It is a coup for Guaranteed Rate, a privately held Chicago-based mortgage lender that has its sights on becoming one of the top five mortgage companies in the country, right up there with Wells Fargo and Quicken Loans. Right now, it is ranked No. 8, according to trade publication Inside Mortgage Finance.

The company, which relies heavily on technology to streamline the mortgage process, has quickly built its business by opening offices and acquiring competitors across the country.

Since its founding, Guaranteed Rate has grown to more than 3,200 employees nationally, including more than 700 at its headquarters in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood, and has funded $13.7 billion in loans so far this year.

Guaranteed Rate hired home renovation TV star Ty Pennington as its spokesman three years ago, and beefed up its marketing budget with a national TV campaign and ads behind home plate at 10 major- league stadiums. Putting the company’s name on the home of the White Sox will be a big boost to the company’s brand, according to Ciardelli.

“This was a next great step for us to build a national brand name and to increase our awareness,” Ciardelli said.

A lifelong Chicago sports fan, Ciardelli said he attended every home game during the White Sox run in 2005 and wants to help build attendance through promotion and community outreach as the team cycles through leaner times.

“We’re going to put a lot of effort into getting some buzz and having some fun in the stadium,” he said. “I hope to bring a lot of fans in. Our market share in Chicago is significant. We really want to use our customer base to drive more people into the ballpark. “

While changing the name of an iconic structure doesn’t always take, Ciardelli is confident it eventually will prove to be a good investment, especially if the team improves.

“The naming rights will work out for itself in the long run, if we’re both doing our part,” he said.

The new Comiskey Park opened in 1991, was renamed U.S. Cellular Field in 2003 and will be renamed again to Guaranteed Rate Field starting Nov. 1, 2016.

While the financial terms of the 13-year deal were not disclosed, it is likely significantly higher than the previous one, based on the current market value of stadium naming rights sponsorships.

“I’d be shocked if it wasn’t more than what U.S Cellular was paying,” said Jim Andrews, senior vice president of IEG, a Chicago-based sponsorship research and valuation firm

On Tuesday, the Banc of California announced it had secured a 15-year naming-rights deal with a new Los Angeles pro soccer stadium for a reported $100 million, or roughly $6.7 million per year. Marc Ganis, a Chicago-based sports business consultant, said the White Sox deal should be in the same ballpark.

“You’re in one of the great corporate environments in the world, in the third-largest market in the United States, with a sport that plays 81 home games, with a stadium that is on one of the most traveled highways in the country,” Ganis said. “That should generate above-average rates.”

Mortgage lenders are an unusual category for stadium naming rights, which usually go to banks and airlines, Ganis said. Getting into such rarefied corporate air will likely burnish Guaranteed Rate’s image, he said.

“Getting the naming rights to the White Sox stadium adds a tremendous amount of credibility to Guaranteed Rate,” Ganis said.

ISFA Chairman Manny Sanchez said the facilities authority could receive up to $6.4 million in revenue to put back into the ballpark. He also said the IFSA figures to at least $15 million and as much as $20- $25 million in potential facilities improvements as part of a compromise with the team for approving the naming-rights deal.

Sox players weren’t immediately sold on the park’s new name.

Infielder Tyler Saladino calls it the Cell, and he repeated the new name four times after learning of the change.

“That’s a different one,” Saladino said. “That’s going to take some getting used to. It’s a lot easier to say the Cell, but all right.”

Saladino and Eaton noted they like some parks with quirky names. Eaton said he likes that Houston's is nicknamed “The Juice Box.” Saladino always thought the was a cool name and thought the short-lived variation of O.co Coliseum was interesting too.

But neither had a suggestion yet about a Guaranteed Rate Field nickname.

“I’m sure they’ll come up with some unique names for the park,” Eaton said. “It’s not really a renowned company, which is kind of different.”

By any other name, will the Cell smell as sweet? By Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune | August 24th, 2016

There certainly are worse names the White Sox could have for their ballpark than Guaranteed Rate Field.

Drake LaRoche Memorial Park, Try Not to Suck Stadium or Ligue and Son Field spring to mind.

But immediately after the Sox announced they will switch naming rights from U.S. Cellular to Guaranteed Rate Field as of Nov. 1, everyone in Chicago seemingly took to social media to come up with their own catchy nickname for the park.

Guaranteed Loss Park. Low Interest Stadium. The Default.

After reading some suggestions Wednesday afternoon, I asked Guaranteed Rate President and CEO Victor Ciardelli and Sox marketing honcho Brooks Boyer what they would prefer as the new nickname to replace "the Cell."

Boyer asked for my preference, which naturally was "the G-Spot."

"I haven't spent a lot of time on Twitter," Boyer replied. "I've seen a couple of the really good ones we've noticed and I've gotten a chuckle out of them.

"It's interesting because obviously U.S. Cellular Field got shortened to 'the Cell.' Is it 'G-Rate Field?' Or 'The Rate?' Or as Paul suggests (the G-Spot)?' I don't know. We've kind of kicked it around."

Ciardelli confirmed the matter has been discussed.

"We feel the fans should make the decision," he said.

Boyer agreed that "things grow organically," as when U.S. Cellular turned into "the Cell" in 2003, shortly after the Ligues, a father-and-son combo, were arrested for invading the field and beating up an opposing coach.

Change is not always embraced on the South Side. When the original naming-rights deal was announced at that year's SoxFest, , the 77-year-old great-grandson of the club owner who named old Comiskey Park for himself, proclaimed he was "not happy" with the decision.

"The Comiskey name has lasted a lot longer than a lot of these cellular companies," he harrumphed.

Most fans got used to calling it "the Cell," though some still refer to it as "Comiskey," "Kaminsky" or the old standby, "Sox Park." The late Tribune columnist Terry Armour tried to popularize "the Joan," naming it for U.S. Cellular TV spokesperson Joan Cusack, the Chicago actress. It didn't catch on.

The only thing that really matters is whether the money from the naming-rights deal helps the Sox win and attract more fans to 35th and Shields.

"That's the idea," manager Robin Ventura said. "You see stadiums do that a lot. With that stuff, you're looking to use it effectively and use it to improve."

Ventura noted that , , and are among the few parks that probably won't sell naming rights.

"They also probably don't need to," he said, referring to the big-market teams' revenues.

Do the Sox, who rank 26th in major-league attendance, need to?

"Compared to those (teams), yeah," he said.

As recently admitted, the Sox have been "mired in mediocrity." But aside from winning, is there anything they can do to bring fans out to Guaranteed Rate Field?

"I want to try winning first," Ventura said. "Historically the Sox have done a lot of (creative) things, going back to , so (nothing) is out of the question. But winning would be first."

One glaring problem is the Guaranteed Rate logo, which includes an arrow pointing down. That doesn't really mesh with Hahn's pronouncement in 2015 about the Sox's future, when he declared "the arrow is pointing up."

Boyer had a ready answer for the logo conundrum.

"The arrow pointing down is very good for pitchers' ERAs," Boyer said. "That's what I want you to focus on."

Hahn, continuing his media boycott, was unavailable for comment.

Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf knew they would get some grief over the name change. But he probably didn't think his peers, Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts and Bears Chairman George McCaskey, would allow their teams to pile on.

The Bears immediately made light of the Sox's new name, tweeting "BREAKING: Still ." The Cubs tweeted out a video of a Willson Contreras home run with the caption "Guaranteed fate."

To their credit, the Sox did not respond to the Bears by tweeting a picture of a flying saucer crashing into Roman columns or the Cubs by pointing out their park is named for a company that makes bathroom products.

Every club has some skeletons in its stadium closet.

In the end, it doesn't matter what people are going to call Guaranteed Rate Field. Even Ventura admitted he still "slips" sometimes and calls the ballpark "Comiskey."

"I'm sure you'll come up with something," he said.

I did.

Sodfather Field it is.

Low interest at Guaranteed Rate Field? OK. Now I get White Sox park name By Phil Rosenthal / Chicago Tribune | August 24th, 2016

Low interest at Guaranteed Rate Field? OK. Now I get it.

The Chicago White Sox have resold the naming rights to the publicly owned stadium taxpayers popped for when owner Jerry Reinsdorf threatened to move the team to .

This is the best the White Sox could do?

Whatever national mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate paid to replace U.S. Cellular Field as naming sponsor, it couldn't have been enough for what looks to be the clumsiest venue name in major American pro sports.

That's no small achievement given that pro basketball's Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury share Talking Stick Resort Arena and New Orleans Pelicans play in Smoothie King Center.

Opened 25 years ago as Comiskey Park, a name salvaged from the ballpark across 35th Street it replaced, the White Sox's home has been U.S. Cellular Field since 2003, despite the fact that the wireless carrier hasn't served the Chicago market for about three years.

The money from the first naming deal helped pay to fix some of the ballpark's original flaws, like a too- high upper-deck. One can only hope the new deal also pays some dividend for fans.

U.S. Cellular Field was a mouthful, too, for a time. But that got shortened by fans to The Cell and in time, people accepted it. Only occasionally did they call it Comiskey or, in a nod to another vestigial tag, White Sox Park.

What does Guaranteed Rate Field become? The Grate?

A decent nickname can save a so-so name. Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena? No. The Q, maybe.

Alliteration and brevity also help. Amalie Arena is OK. BBVA Compass Stadium and Vivint Smart Home Arena aren't.

It used to be dot-com companies were verbal speed bumps to gibberish, like 3Com Park and Jobing.com Arena. Now it's energy companies.

Talen Energy Stadium, Consol Energy Center and Chesapeake Energy Center all might be tolerable if the word "energy" weren't there.

After 81 years across 35th Street at old Comiskey Park, the White Sox moved into their new home -- then the new Comiskey Park and now U.S. Cellular Field -- on April 18, 1991. In the 25 seasons since, there have been many memorable moments, good and bad, at the park. With the Sox commemorating their 25th season at the Cell on this homestand, the Tribune takes a look at the 25 most memorable -- and five Sox fans might like to forget.

There was a time when some thought went into these things.

The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., then home to basketball's Los Angeles Lakers and hockey's Los Angeles Kings, sold its naming rights in 1988. The practice wasn't yet commonplace.

Easing the transition from its much-promoted nickname as The Fabulous Forum, a deal was cut with Great Western Bank, and, for the next 15 years, it was the Great Western Forum.

The Lakers moved on to the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, but today the Inglewood arena is The Forum, presented by Chase. Which obviously could be a lot worse.

Sometimes companies seemed to go overboard to make a splash. They and their leaders may have been overcompensating for something.

The result was the at Enron Field, the New England Patriots at CMGI Field, Baltimore Ravens at PSINet Field and the Tennessee Titans at the Adelphia Coliseum.

The venues endure, but the names and the companies didn't.

Pro football's Denver Broncos are dealing with wresting back and reassigning naming rights to Sports Authority Field, seeing as how Sports Authority has gone belly up.

The White Sox used to pride themselves on "winning ugly." Now they'll have an unattractive ballpark name to match. Guaranteed Rate Field is both generic and way too specific.

Ultimately, of course, it doesn't matter what a place is named. What matters is what takes place inside. If the White Sox win, it's a winner and people will again fill the place, whatever it's called.

In the meantime, let's look forward to rain delays in the rechristened ballpark. We'll see everyone soaked at Guaranteed Rate Field, Guaranteed Rate Field under water and a dark cloud over Guaranteed Rate Field.

Or at Sox Park. That still works.

Phillies halt White Sox win streak at three By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | August 24th, 2016

James Shields had his best start in August on Wednesday night, which isn’t saying much considering the former All-Star right-hander was 0-3 with a 17.43 ERA in his last four outings.

At least Shields kept the White Sox in it for a while in the White Sox’ 5-3 loss to the before 15,630 fans at soon to be renamed U.S. Cellular Field. He gave up two more homers – the 21st and 22nd in a Sox uniform over 75 innings and has been hit for multiple homers in four straight games for the first time in his career. But Shields was one out away from a quality start when Tommy Joseph launched his 17th of the season with two out in the sixth inning, giving the Phils a 4-0 lead.

Dioner Navarro hit his first homer since the Fourth of July with Avisail Garcia on base against Jerod Eickhoff (9-12, 3.87 ERA) in the sixth and came to bat as the winning run against Jeanmar Gomez after Avisail Garcia drove in a run with his second single, but Navarro grounded out to end the game.

Shields did strike out six, his high in 15 starts since coming over from the with cash in a trade for prospects Erik Johnson and Fernando Tatis. And the Phils’ first homer, by Cesar Hernandez in the third, just made it into the bullpen near the left field line.

“I thought it was a routine pop fly,’’ Shields said. “I think he thought it was a routine pop fly.

“Honestly I think the only pitch I made a mistake on was [to Joseph]. The ball kind of slipped out of my hand and I kind of left it over the plate. Other than that I felt good with my location tonight.

“The positives things are I didn’t walk anyone and I was getting some swings and misses.’’

The Sox had their three-game win streak snapped and fell to 60-65 while the Phillies improved to 59-68.

Injury report

Brett Lawrie had an MRI on his knee and hip, Ventura said.

“He’s getting a full checkup to see what’s there and what can be done for him.’’

Lawrie went on the DL July 27 with a strained left hamstring. Since then Ventura said Lawrie had an issue in the knee, and then he left a minor league rehab game with a sore quad. Wednesday was the first mention of his hip.

“I don’t think it was that specific when he first felt it,’’ Ventura said. “Just trying to make sure we’re looking at everything and getting the diagnosis you need.’’

*Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (groin) threw a bullpen pain-free, “which is great,’’ he said. “I’m happy with the results today and come back (Thursday) and see how it feels.’’

A simulated game would likely precede a minor-league rehab outing, Ventura said.

* DH’d at AAA Charlotte in his minor league rehab and is expected to catch seven innings Thursday before a possible return this weekend.

This and that

The White Sox rank 21st among major league teams in run differential at minus-37. They were also 21st last season, at minus-79.

*Tim Anderson, a fast runner, grounded into his 10th double play in 63 games. Anderson is already third on the team behind Jose Abreu (17) and (15).

Guaranteed Rate Field replaces Cell as White Sox’ home By Staff / Chicago Sun-Times | August 24th, 2016

Beginning on Nov. 1, the White Sox’ South Side home will go from U.S. Cellular Field to Guaranteed Rate Field after the club signed a 13-year naming-rights agreement with the Chicago-based national mortgage lender.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA), the owner and operator of the ballpark, approved the name change Wednesday.

“We are pleased to find, in Guaranteed Rate, a new naming rights partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans,” said Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of the White Sox. “We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field.”

In February 2003, the Sox — then playing at their home that had long been known as Comiskey Park — sold naming right’s to their stadium to U.S. Cellular for $68 million over 23 years. When that agreement was announced, the Sox also announced that they had extended their lease at 35th and Shields an additional 15 years, through the 2025 season.

Questions about whether U.S. Cellular would remain the naming rights partner of the White Sox through the length of its deal circulated as far back as 2012 when the Chicago-based carrier announced that it was selling its Chicago, central Illinois and St. Louis markets among others to Sprint.

Soon after the deal, the U.S. Cellular name disappeared from stores in and around Chicago and the exposure it got from being branded across the stadium became far less valuable as its customer base here dwindled. Marketing consultants speculated it was a matter of time before the naming rights would transfer elsewhere.

“The partnership with U.S. Cellular paved the way for a complete, top-to-bottom renovation of the ballpark that transformed the White Sox fan experience,” said Brooks Boyer, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the White Sox. “We celebrated many memorable moments at U.S. Cellular Field throughout the years, including the title. Looking forward, we will make many more incredible memories for our fans at Guaranteed Rate Field with a successful and growing partner who shares our passion for Chicago.”

When existing naming-rights payments to the White Sox are completed, ISFA will receive all incremental naming rights revenue from this new agreement with Guaranteed Rate, the team said.

“ISFA is extremely pleased that the new agreement with Guaranteed Rate will generate revenue, up to $6.4 million, for the facility,” said Manny Sanchez, chairman of ISFA. “As part of ISFA’s approval process, the White Sox agreed that they will not require certain major renovations during the last three years of the current management agreement. This is just the latest example of ISFA deploying innovative strategies to protect Illinois taxpayers.”

The park which gradually became known as “the Cell” to Sox fans will now become something else. Wednesday’s announcement played to mixed reviews and immediately sparked speculation about what the park will be nicknamed beginning next season.

“Ultimately those things grow organically and the fans will ultimately determine that,’’ said Brooks Boyer, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the White Sox.

“We feel the fans should decide,’’ Guaranteed Rate CEO Victor Ciardelli said.

“It doesn’t have that good of a ring to it,’’ Sox outfielder Adam Eaton said. “I don’t really know what to say about it. What is it called again?’’

Guaranteed Rate Field. Get used to it.

“It will always be ‘Comiskey’ or ‘Sox Park’ to me, so I don’t care,’’ said George Schultz of Chicago, a regular attendee at the Cell who wore a jersey to Wednesday’s game.

“I’m a season ticket holder and I don’t care,’’ said John Janas of Park Ridge. “If it brings the White Sox more money, I’m happy.’’

Guaranteed Rate was in the news last spring when a jury awarded Irvine, Calif.-based Mount Olympus Mortgate Co. more than $25 million in a lawsuit that alleged “corporate espionage.”

“Needless to say, Guaranteed Rate strongly disagrees with the jury’s conclusion, and we are reviewing all available options for an appeal in the case,” the company said in a statement sent to media in March.

There can’t be a worse name than Guaranteed Rate Field. Can’t be By Rick Morrissey / Chicago Sun-Times | August 24th, 2016

Guaranteed Rate Field? You’re kidding, right?

Was Year End Clearance Stadium already taken?

Going Out of Business Sale Park?

Your Name Here Yards?

But Wait! There’s More! Coliseum?

The White Sox announced Wednesday that U.S. Cellular Field will become Guaranteed Rate Field after the season, Guaranteed Rate being a company that makes … hold on … checking … oh, I see now that it’s a mortgage company.

There are brutal ballpark names, there are ballpark names that inspire feelings of despair and hopelessness, and then there is Guaranteed Rate Field. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that Guaranteed Rate Field makes me want to lock in on a date to end it all.

You won’t be surprised to learn that the name change is about money and that the team is looking forward to working together with its new corporate partner. This surely isn’t what the Sox had in mind, but there might not be a name that better captures the sheer blahness of this franchise. Guaranteed Rate Field. Perfect.

When the White Sox announced in 2003 that Comiskey Park would be called U.S. Cellular Field, I vowed to continue to call it by its given name. The Sox might cave in to corporate naming rights, greed and the $68 million that went with it, I wrote, but it didn’t mean the rest of us had to. History mattered.

But as you can see, that vow lost out to popular usage. Everybody started calling the park The Cell. It fit. And my resistance gave way to reality. This is business. This is how it works. Hallowed Wrigley Field can have a clown show and a water slide, for all I care about tradition anymore.

Did U.S. Cellular get a bang for its buck when people referred to the park as The Cell? Apparently not, judging by the name change. Maybe there are fans who think of the wireless phone company when they hear “The Cell,’’ but many others probably just think of a cell, lower-case c, in all its varied meanings.

The only question now is what the ballpark will be called in everyday conversation. If there’s anything we can all agree on – “all’’ meaning everyone not associated with the mortgage company – it’s that the ballpark will not be called Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Graft?

The Grift?

The Garf?

The G-Spot?

Guaranteed Loss Field?

Guaranteed Wait Bathroom Lines?

You reap what you sow, and in this case what the Sox have sown is a stadium name that doesn’t roll off the tongue or lend itself to an easier nickname. You, dear reader, might have something more to say about that.

How much money Guaranteed Rate is doling out for the 13-year naming rights hasn’t been announced, but the company already has some big-ticket items on its expenses list. Earlier this year, a jury awarded another mortgage company more than $25 million in a lawsuit that alleged a former employee and Guaranteed Rate had engaged in “corporate espionage.’’ Guaranteed Rate’s portion will be $22.7 million.

How about Guaranteed Rate Hike Field?

The Sox don’t care what the park is called. If they did, you wouldn’t be struggling to say this clunkiest of clunky names. So they’ll talk about all the things they can do with the money. They’ll talk about making improvements to the ballpark. They’ll talk about improving the on-field product. But a lack of cash isn’t what ails this team. It’s a lack of people knowing what they’re doing. From top to bottom, the Sox are like stagnant water.

“We are pleased to find, in Guaranteed Rate, a new naming rights partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans,” Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said.

Maybe I’m being too hard on Guaranteed Rate. It’s not the company’s fault that it’s named something so generic. Oh, wait. Yes, it is. Anyway, the bigger question is why Guaranteed Rate would want to attach itself to a franchise that stands for sustained mediocrity.

Lots of ballparks have very unromantic names. . . PNC Park. Even Wrigley Field was named after a chewing gum company. They’re not there for poetry. They’re there for commerce. I’m guessing similar outcries went up when those stadiums were named. Too corporate. Too antiseptic. But eventually, the names became part of the everyday conversation.

But Guaranteed Rate Field? Who’s going to say, “Hey, anybody want to head to Guaranteed Rate Field for the game tonight?’’ Nobody.

Guaranteed.

Shields, Chicago White Sox fall to Phillies By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | August 24th, 2016

Compared to his previous four August starts, James Shields was on top of his game Wednesday night against the Phillies.

Coming in 0-3 with a 17.36 ERA on the month, Shields at least gave the Chicago White Sox a chance while allowing 4 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings.

Unfortunately for Shields and the Sox, Philadelphia starter Jerad Eickhoff yielded only 2 runs on 4 hits in 6 innings. The Phillies defeated the White Sox 5-3, splitting the two-game interleague series.

For the fourth straight start, Shields allowed at least 2 home runs. The right-hander gave up solo shots to Cesar Hernandez in the third inning and Tommy Joseph in the sixth.

"I don't like giving up home runs, that's for sure," Shields said. "But I felt really good with my location. I was hitting my spots with consistency and I didn't walk anyone."

Trailing 4-0 in the sixth inning, the Sox rallied on Dioner Navarro's 2-run homer off Eickhoff.

Avisail Garcia added an run-scoring single in the ninth as the White Sox's win streak ended at three games.

Getting closer:

On the disabled list with a strained groin, starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez was encouraged after throwing off the mound Wednesday.

"A lot better," said Gonzalez, who last pitched on Aug. 11. "I didn't feel anything while I was throwing my bullpen, which is great."

A simulated game is the likely next step for Gonzalez, followed by a minor-league rehab assignment.

Lawrie update?

Brett Lawrie was spotted on the bench during Wednesday night's game against the Phillies, but the White Sox second baseman's return from the disabled list still is unknown.

Lawrie went on the DL July 22 with a strained left hamstring, but he appears to be dealing with other physical issues.

"I know he went and got an MRI on his knee and hip, just to be sure," manager Robin Ventura said. "I haven't gotten an update on that. I know he's getting a full checkup today to see what's there and what can be done for him.

"Just trying to make sure we're looking at everything and you get the diagnosis that you need."

White Sox sign naming rights deal for Guaranteed Rate Field By Staff / Daily Herald | August 24th, 2016

Just like New Comiskey, now The Cell is history.

The Chicago White Sox have struck a new deal with a Chicago-based company for naming rights to their 25-year-old ballpark.

Guaranteed Rate, a national mortgage lender with headquarters in Chicago, has signed a 13-year agreement that renames the ballpark Guaranteed Rate Field beginning Nov. 1.

The White Sox played at New Comiskey Park from 1991-2002 before a deal changed the ballpark's name to U.S. Cellular Field from 2003-2016.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the owner and operator of the ballpark, approved the deal Wednesday afternoon.

"We are pleased to find, in Guaranteed Rate, a new naming rights partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans," said Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of the White Sox.

"We are incredibly excited and honored to be part of the White Sox family," said Victor Ciardelli, president & CEO of Guaranteed Rate. "It really is a dream come true to have the Guaranteed Rate name on a hometown Chicago ballpark. We love this city and its baseball fans, and couldn't be happier to partner with an iconic team and a legendary owner in Jerry Reinsdorf."

Is arrow really pointing down for Chicago White Sox? By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | August 24th, 2016

The arrow has been pointing decidedly down since late in the 2012 season, when the Chicago White Sox lost 18 of their final 31 games, fell out of first place in the AL Central and missed the playoffs.

Currently nearing the end of what could very well be their fourth straight losing season, the Sox have been taking hits from all sides.

The general feeling seems to be Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn can't work together in the front office. Robin Ventura doesn't have the skills to be a winning manager. Another patchwork roster is wasting another solid season from top starting pitchers and Jose Quintana.

No matter where you look on the White Sox, it's rather bleak.

With all of that in mind, welcome to Wednesday on the South Side, where another negative charge detonated at U.S. Cellular Field.

Check that -- where another negative charge detonated at soon-to-be-named Guaranteed Rate Field.

Guaranteed Rate Field?

Fans who never came to grips when the stadium name changed from Comiskey Park to U.S. Cellular Field in 2003 voiced even stronger displeasure Wednesday when the Sox announced a 13-year naming- rights agreement with a Chicago-based mortgage lender.

Beginning Nov. 1, the stadium will be called Guaranteed Rate Field.

There was a lot of eye-rolling in the clubhouse before the White Sox played the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, primarily because Guaranteed Rate and a major-league baseball team come across as an awkward pairing.

Looking across the room at his rookie teammate, White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton hatched his own name change. "Tim Anderson Stadium!" Eaton cracked.

On social media, multiple Sox fans mocked the Guaranteed Rate logo -- an arrow pointing down.

Brooks Boyer, the White Sox's director of sales and marketing, addressed the issue.

"Well, the arrow pointing down is very good for pitchers' ERAs," Boyer said. "We are working … on creating logos for the facility, which we're not ready to release. Obviously, what the goal is for Guaranteed Rate is make that arrow something that when people think of mortgages, it connects with their brand to that thinking.

"We're marketing partners in this. We obviously aren't going to go 162-0 in any given season, but we always talk about hopefully the arrow is pointing up.

"But for our branding partnership, we hope that over the next 13 years that we're partners in this ballpark, that the arrow becomes something that symbolizes greatness in your mortgage experience, and hopefully we'll have the ERAs that follow that arrow and we'll have the winning percentage that goes the other way."

As for the name itself, look for Guaranteed Rate Field to be shortened up like U.S. Cellular Field, more widely referred to as the Cell.

"I haven't spent a lot of time on Twitter," Boyer said. "I've seen a couple of the really good ones and I've got a chuckle out of them. Is it G-Rate Field? Or The Rate? Those things grow organically, and the fans will ultimately determine that."

Ventura wasn't quite sure what to make of the name change.

"I think it's still Comiskey," said Ventura, who played third base for the White Sox from 1989-98. "I've gotten used to (U.S. Cellular Field), but I make the slip every once in awhile and call it Comiskey.

The new one … I don't know. We'll come up with something. I'm sure you'll come up with something."

Imrem: Sorry White Sox, but it will always be Comiskey Park By Mike Imrem / Daily Herald | August 24th, 2016

The White Sox's new naming rights deal inspired this particular print space to go up for sale.

The leading contender right now is Bathroom Air Deodorizer Column -- BAD Column for short.

That isn't any more awkward than Guaranteed Rate Field, which as of Nov. 1 will be the awkward handle for the home of the awkward Sox.

Well, here's a news flash: The place still is Comiskey Park.

Too bad I forgot that midway through this baseball season.

For 12 years, I resisted the temptation to call the place anything but Comiskey Park.

Then this summer -- I can't remember exactly when or why -- I succumbed to the current U.S. Cellular Field name and Cell nickname.

Wednesday the White Sox announced the switch to Guaranteed Rate Field.

(The news release noted that the 13-year partnership connects a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise; oh, if only it were a historic Chicago business with a successful baseball franchise.)

No offense to Guaranteed Rate, a respected national mortgage lender that we used when we bought our house and which every spring sends us a magnet schedule of both Sox and Cubs games.

But the ballpark still is Comiskey Park.

Or at least Sox Park.

But forever Comiskey Park for sure.

Switching to Guaranteed Rate Field -- the GURF or the GRAF or the GRrrrr for short -- is just another White Sox punch line.

(How long before Chris Sale responds by taking a hammer to the sign on the ballpark's facade?)

Seriously, the ballpark isn't U.S. Cellular Field or Guaranteed Rate Field or Encased Meats Field or Anything Else By Any Other Name Field.

It's Comiskey Park, the name of the old ballpark across the street for nearly a century and afterward the name of the new ballpark for more than a decade.

Then suddenly it's supposed to be U.S. Cellular Field and now Guaranteed Rate Field?

No, it's still Comiskey Park.

Maybe I would have adjusted if the Sox changed the name from Day 1 of the new ballpark.

The new place wasn't the old place anyway. It didn't have the same address, charm or memories.

But it stayed Comiskey Park when the doors opened in 1991, right up until naming rights were sold after the 2002 season.

Ballparks, stadiums and arenas traditionally had names relating to their cities, teams, local landmarks or owners.

Chicago Stadium. . . . ... Comiskey Park.

Other than Soldier Field remaining Soldier Field, another venue in town played the name game as well as possible.

From the day the Blackhawks and Bulls left , the arena they moved into has been the .

Good name ... a building where people can unite in their support of a team ... a stable sponsor 25 years later.

That's all too rare. Too many facilities change names every 15 minutes from an insurance firm to a car company to a beer brewer to a retail chain.

Meanwhile, Fried Food Field could be in Florida or Finland. Another Automobile Arena could be in Anaheim or Antwerp. Super Station Stadium could be in Seattle or Sarajevo.

At least Guaranteed Rate, like United Airlines, is a local outfit.

Sorry, though, the White Sox still play in Comiskey Park.

Baffoe: Let’s properly nickname Guaranteed Rate Field By Tim Baffoe / CBS Chicago | August 24th, 2016

(CBS) Remember when Comiskey Park became U.S. Cellular Field and everyone lost their minds over the creeping spectre of some Aldous Huxley/David Foster Wallace mashup dystopia of corporate stadium names finally reaching our backyard? And then we just called it “The Cell” and everything was fine besides most of the baseball played there? And how South Side meatheads like Robin Ventura and me still conversationally referred to it as Comiskey or Sox Park anyway?

I get the feeling the same will happen with this latest wave of outrage over Guaranteed Rate Field, which U.S. Cellular Field will officially become Nov. 1, a date safely picked to make sure it the shift doesn’t occur during any White Sox postseason games. Gradually our ears will just become numb to hearing media metallically call it “Guaranteed Rate Field” as they did hearing “U.S. Cellular.” This will occur while so many of us largely ignore the reality that these terrible stadium names provide money that goes toward the on-field product, which is what matters most. (If my favorite team had to win a championship in “Viagra Stadium presented by Papa John’s,” so be it.)

Still, we the filthy proletariat won’t be calling the home of the White Sox by its corporate name. (Flash forward to the year 2026.)

“Hello, fellow human, where are you spending your three hours not working as a cog in materialistic machine?”

“To the Guaranteed Rate Field, my acquaintance Citizen 6502, to take in the game of balled base. The first 20,000 attendees receive vouchers for unleaded water sponsored by Trump Energy Syrup.”

Almost immediately on social media the hashtag #BetterSoxStadiumNames sprang up in retaliation. And besides the sleeper cell of morons who think renaming it “Comiskey Park” would bring fans back (or that Jerry Reinsdorf even owns the stadium, which he doesn’t), sarcastic alternatives were aplenty by many immature people.

Write Sox @WriteSox What really annoys me is the Sox went for the money when they could have taken the noble, caring route with Harambe Field. 4:08 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Michele Steele ✔ @ESPNMichele Eagle Man Park #BetterSoxStadiumNames 6:18 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Vice President Tim ✔ @TimBaffoe Drake LaRoche Memorial Coliseum #BetterSoxStadiumNames 4:13 PM - 24 Aug 2016

But the new name ain’t changing, painfully tinny as it is. So what of a nickname then? Any proposals by those signing or cashing the freshly printed checks?

“We talked about it,” Guaranteed Rate president/CEO/future Lethal Weapon TV show villain Victor Ciardelli said Wednesday via conference call. “We feel the fans should decide and the fans should make the decision.”

“Ultimately, those things grow organically and the fans will ultimately determine that,” Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer said.

Now a fan base collectively doesn’t want its favorite team playing in a joke, hence the immediate outrage at the new name, which sounds awful and is thus a reflection on rooting interests. But much of the ire right now over the name, combined with the nausea that comes after getting hit in the gonads that White Sox fans have endured for months this vomitous season, can be harnessed into something important: humor.

The best way to fight something as linguistically brutal as Guaranteed Rate Field is to do what we who don’t have the power have done with language throughout history — turn it on those who have the power. Mock the hell out of the name. Thankfully this has already begun.

Per Jon Greenberg of The Athletic:

“On the conference call, the Chicago Tribune‘s Paul Sullivan asked what Boyer, Sanchez and Ciardelli thought the nickname would be and Boyer volleyed the question back and asked Sullivan what his favorite suggestion, via Twitter or elsewhere, was so far.

“‘Uh, the G-Spot sounds good to me,’ Sullivan said.” This is very good. It has the key nickname ingredients of conciseness, double entendre and definitely pissing off the conservative suits.

#MisandryIsReal @Schwarziest And even more men will never even find it. https://twitter.com/JamesNeveau/status/768554074891489280 … 4:07 PM - 24 Aug 2016

“I haven’t spent a lot of time on Twitter,” Boyer said/lied. “I’ve seen a couple of the really good ones we’ve noticed and I’ve got a chuckle out of them. It’s interesting because obviously U.S. Cellular Field got shortened to the Cell. Is it G-Rate Field? Or The Rate?”

Neither. The charm of using “The Cell” was that it was synonymous with prison and took a White Sox fan stereotype and embraced it. A new nickname requires the same self-deprecation.

Maybe it needs to go beyond the new wording itself. In true 2016 White Sox veterinary hospital fire fashion, the new partnership with Guaranteed Rate is as much visual as textual.

Vice President Tim ✔ @TimBaffoe THIS IS A MARRIAGE OF INCEST https://twitter.com/scotgregor/status/768571469370654722 … 5:13 PM - 24 Aug 2016

The mortgage company’s logo includes a massive red arrow pointing downward (full disclosure: I’m a customer of theirs and get that red arrow in the mail monthly even though I thought I signed up for paperless billing). I’m a stupid English major, but for a team like the White Sox that normally does one thing consistently very well — marketing — this seems counter to Visual Presentation 101.

“For our branding partnership,” Boyer said. “We hope that over the next 13 years that we’re partners in this ballpark that that arrow becomes something that symbolizes greatness in your mortgage experience and hopefully we’ll have the ERAs that follows that arrow and we’ll have the winning percentage that goes the other way.”

Noble effort, Brooks, but there was no good way to spin that. Boyer also said a new logo is in the works that won’t include that arrow, so then neither will the nickname that sticks.

What about the ballpark and team themselves applies to the new corporate branding?

Often empty. Can be obnoxious. Unfortunate hair. Involved in a current rebuild, depending on whom you ask. Looks and smells nice but is usually vapid.

Wait a second.

That’s it. I’ve got it. His face is going to be plastered all over the park inevitably, so how about “THE TY”?

Or, wait wait wait — in keeping with the insensitive jail theme and making the transition from “The Cell” smoother, how about “THE PEN”?

Yep. There it is. Let’s go see a game at The Pen. (And tell everyone it was Baffoe’s idea.

Levine: Determination on Avisail Garcia’s future a priority for White Sox By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO (CBS) — One of the topics that keep baseball executives up at night is evaluating their own young talent properly. You don’t want to be the team that develops a youngster and then watch him become a top player elsewhere, as the Brewers did with outfielder Lorenzo Cain.

The case in point for the Chicago White Sox is outfielder/ Avisail Garcia. Acquired in the late summer 2013 three-team swap that was centered around Jake Peavy, Garcia is still battling through player development issues at age 25.

Garcia has the most White Sox tenure of anyone on the 25-man roster other than ace left-hander Chris Sale. As Garcia has battled injuries, some some call his career incomplete. Others simply call it underachieving.

Anyway you slice it, the last 38 games of the season may determine Garcia’s fate in the organization. He’s hitting .240 with nine homers, 36 RBIs and a .679 OPS in 324 plate appearances across 87 games this season. Garcia’s only fully healthy big league season came in 2015, when he hit 13 homers and had 59 RBIs in His only full and healthy season was 2015 when he hit 13 homers and drove in 59 in 601 plate appearances in 148 games. His career .695 OPS doesn’t scream out everyday right fielder for the future.

Garcia was miscast as a the DH for most of the season and to his credit never complained. Few teams use 25-year-old prospects as a DH. Due to Chicago’s pickup of center fielder Austin Jackson and wanting better defense, Garcia was moved to the DH role, which was vacated when Adam LaRoche retired in spring training. Garcia’s defense has appeared better since spring training but still could be improved upon.

White Sox hitting coach Todd Steverson has tried to get Garcia to use the middle of the field and stand more upright in his bating approach. Now the next goal is to get some loft in Garcia’s line-drive swing.

“We don’t want use the word lift,” Steverson said. “We prefer to use contact point and angle. Where you are contacting the ball determines if you get it up in the air or not. If you are too deep on contact or too out in front, that will cause ground balls. It’s timing typically at the front part of the plate.”

Steverson was then asked if Garcia has done his part in working hard in this process.

“He has done a lot of work over some years,” Steverson said. “Understanding the work and how it correlates to his brain and his functions are two different things. What you can do or what I might do, he might not feel. What I see and what he thinks, it is may be different. One of the hardest things to do in coaching is to understand what the player is feeling. The player has to be a part of the rescue. If he doesn’t feel the message, we have to find other ways to get the best feel he can get.”

Garcia picked up the pace in the first five games of August, going 5-of-15 with three homers before getting injured and heading to the disabled list with an ankle sprain.

As the White Sox remain cautiously optimistic about his future, Garcia can stay under team control through 2020. Look for him to play a lot of right field until season’s end.

Joseph, Hernandez homer as Phillies beat White Sox 5-3 By Andrew Seligman / Associated Press | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO (AP) -- Battered in back-to-back games, the Phillies came out swinging this time.

Tommy Joseph and Cesar Hernandez homered to back Jerad Eickhoff, and struggling Philadelphia beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Wednesday night.

Philadelphia showed some spark at the plate and on the mound after getting outscored a combined 18-1 over the previous two games against St. Louis and Chicago. The Phillies came away with the win after dropping five of seven and salvaged a two-game split in their first trip to Chicago's South Side since 2004.

"These guys are grinding," Eickhoff said. "They're pushing themselves each and every night. For them to put some runs up there, it was a great feeling. I was just trying to keep us in the game and keep us getting in the in any way, shape or form."

Joseph and Hernandez both had two hits and went deep against James Shields (5-16). Aaron Altherr added two RBI singles.

Eickhoff (9-12) did his part, allowing two runs and four hits over six innings.

Jeanmar Gomez worked the ninth for his 34th save in 38 chances. He gave up an RBI single to Avisail Garcia before Dioner Navarro grounded out with runners on first and third to end the game.

The White Sox announced hours before the game that their ballpark is getting a new name. U.S. Cellular Field will be called Guaranteed Rate Field starting in November under a 13-year deal with the mortgage company.

But while a major change is coming, things basically remained the same for a team with a losing record this year and one playoff appearance since winning the 2005 World Series.

Shields set a career high with his 16th loss.

The veteran right-hander gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked none.

The home runs by Hernandez leading off the third and Joseph in the sixth brought Shields' total to 31 this season and 22 since the White Sox acquired him from San Diego on June 4.

"Honestly, I think the only pitch I made a mistake on was that last one, the home run in the sixth inning," he said. "The ball kind of slipped out of my hand a little bit and I left it over the plate. Other than that, I felt really good with my location tonight. I was hitting my spots consistently. They were getting hits here and there, but that's part of it."

Shields is 0-4 with a 13.95 ERA in five starts this month after posting a 1.78 ERA over five outings in July.

Navarro hit a two-run homer in the sixth. But that was all the scoring against Eickhoff, who improved to 3- 0 in his past five starts.

THOMPSON STAYS

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said it's likely struggling rookie RHP Jake Thompson will stay in the rotation. He has a 9.78 ERA after four starts.

"I think what he's doing now is he's trying to make perfect pitches and trying too hard," Mackanin said.

SURGING

Chicago's Jose Abreu is .367 this month, and Adam Eaton is 16 for 45 in his past 11 games. Both had a hit in this game.

For Philadelphia, Hernandez is 14 of 33 over his past nine games. And Joseph has three homers in his past nine games.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: INF Andres Blanco (broken finger) is eyeing a Sept. 1 return.

White Sox: 2B Brett Lawrie had an MRI on his left knee and hip, though manager Robin Ventura did not have the results. Lawrie initially was placed on the DL because of a hamstring issue but returned from his rehab assignment because of a setback.

UP NEXT

Phillies: The Phillies open a three-game series at the Mets on Friday, with LHP Adam Morgan (1-7, 6.21 ERA) starting for Philadelphia and RHP Bartolo Colon (11-7, 3.36) for New York.

White Sox: RHP Anthony Ranaudo (1-1, 9.42) makes his third start for the White Sox as Chicago opens a four-game series against the .

White Sox ballpark changing name to Guaranteed Rate Field By Andrew Seligman / Associated Press | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO (AP) -- Maybe the Chicago White Sox will change their luck by changing the name of their stadium.

No guarantees, though.

The ballpark currently called U.S. Cellular Field will become known as Guaranteed Rate Field starting in November. The team and the mortgage company announced a 13-year naming rights deal Wednesday.

"We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field," White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said.

The White Sox are below .500 and are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 seasons since the 2005 team won the World Series.

"This is a very solid partner that is interested in helping us drive people to the ballpark and giving us the best opportunity to put the best possible product out on the field," White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer said. "The revenue generated for our club ... goes back out into the field. This is a nice step today toward continuing to fulfill the vision of putting the best possible club out on the field that can be out there for our fans."

The agreement was approved by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, which owns the ballpark. The White Sox hold a one-year option that could extend the deal through 2030.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though IFSA chairman Manny Sanchez said the agreement will generate up to $6.4 million for the authority. He also said the IFSA figures to save at least $15 million and as much as $20-$25 million in potential facilities improvements as part of a compromise with the team for approving the naming rights deal.

"This is something that is really, really a serendipitous godsend that we have in my view encountered on behalf of the taxpayers of the state of Illinois," Sanchez said.

The ballpark has been named U.S. Cellular Field since 2003 after being called new Comiskey Park from 1991 to 2002. Team personnel and fans refer to it as "The Cell" and on occasion "Comiskey."

Boyer said a new nickname will "grow organically" and ultimately be determined by fans.

"We talked about it," Guaranteed Rate President and CEO Victor Ciardelli said. "We feel the fans should decide and the fans should make the decision."

Another thing: Guaranteed Rate's logo has an arrow pointing down. While customers might see that as a good direction for their rates, that's not the way teams want to go.

That fact wasn't lost on Boyer, who said the White Sox and Guaranteed Rate are working on logos for the ballpark.

"Hopefully, we'll have the ERAs that follow that arrow and we'll have the winning percentage that goes the other way," Boyer said.

James Shields gives up more homers, Earth keeps spinning By Jon Greenberg / The Athletic | August 24th, 2016

Over at Guaranteed Rate Field, White Sox pitcher James Shields gave up two more homers, four runs in all, over six innings in a 5-3 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Describe this game in three words or less: James Shields Guarantee.

Bombs away: Shields put the Sox in an early 2-0 hole in the second inning, but he had a good outing compared to his recent starts. In his previous four starts, all in August, he gave up 27 earned runs in 14 innings. He gave up nine homers in that span, with almost as many hit batters (three) as strikeouts (five).

It felt like his role in the starting rotation was hanging in the balance. While the Sox (60-65) aren’t gunning for a wild card berth anymore, they are still trying to save face as tensions mount in a franchise in desperate need of a reorganization.

The June 4 trade for Shields was a bit of a head-scratcher as the Sox were clearly fading, but at least you figured he could eat innings and maybe things would turn around. In classic Sox fashion, it backfired spectacularly.

After giving up 21 runs in 8 2/3 innings in his disastrous first three starts with the Sox, Shields settled down. In his next seven starts, from June 23 through July 26, Shields gave up 11 runs in 47 innings (2.11 ERA). Two of his losses in that span were on Sox shutouts and all four of his losses were by a combined five runs.

“It’s always ends up being command,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Shields’ up-and-down season. “You’re going to see guys who aren’t lighting up the radar who need to command it. They can take a little off, add a little. He has a combination. This is a guy who has been able to do it in the past. You’ve got to be able to find it. He has given up some homers here, which this isn’t a real good ballpark for fly balls, so he has to figure out how to get that and get it on the ground.”

More than anything, Shields’ season will be remembered for all the home runs he’s given up. On Wednesday, he gave up solo homers to Cesar Hernandez and Tommy Joseph. That bumped his team- leading total up to 22 in 75 2/3 innings.

Comcast SportsNet Chicago put up a graphic in their post-game show to put that total in context. Among the other three regular starters in the rotation, Sale is next with 18 homers allowed, but in 168 2/3 innings. Carlos Rodon is right behind him at 17 in 123 innings and then Jose Quintana is at 16 in 164 2/3 innings.

The Sox didn’t give him much help. They didn’t have a baserunner until Adam Eaton’s single in the fourth inning.

Guaranteed fun: Reporters, fans and even some White Sox employees got a kick out of the team’s new naming rights deal for the ballpark currently known as U.S. Cellular Field. Guaranteed Rate, a locally based mortgage company, has bought the naming rights through 2030, and the park will be known as Guaranteed Rate Field. The White Sox didn’t announce the terms of the deal. I wrote about it here.

Injury report: Sox pitcher Miguel Gonzalez, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 12 had a pain- free bullpen session Wednesday and thinks he’ll be ready to return after one bullpen start. Gonzalez had a 2.76 ERA in seven starts from July 1 through Aug. 5, throwing 45 2/3 innings.

“He’s been solid,” Ventura said. “We have a few guys that are underrated but you like the way he pitches. He’s aggressive, throws strikes. He’s a guy that has some consistency to him that you like seeing.”

Ventura also said second baseman Brett Lawrie had an MRI on his left knee and left hip, but the manager didn’t have the results when he met with reporters before Wednesday’s game. Lawrie was sent home from minor league rehab to get his body checked out. He was placed on the DL on July 27.

On Deck: The Mariners come to town for a four-game series, starting Thursday, which is Zubazpalooza night. A special ticket gets you a pair of White Sox Zubaz pants. As an added bonus, Anthony Ranaudo is pitching. Chris Sale is slated to match up against Felix Hernandez on Elvis Night on Friday, while Saturday night is Jose Quintana and Star Wars Night.

Bad timing award goes to White Sox in naming rights deal By Jon Greenberg / The Athletic | August 24th, 2016

One of the pleasures of having a baseball press pass is you never know what’s going to come up when you go to the ballpark. Sometimes you go to the park with a vague outline of an interview plan and a naming rights deal breaks out. That’s what happened to me Wednesday.

What’s that Woody Allen saying? “Seventy-five percent of life is showing up. The other 25 percent is making jokes on Twitter.”

As you might have read, preferably on our website, Guaranteed Rate, a mortgage company based in Chicago, bought the naming rights to the White Sox’s ballpark at 35th and Shields. U.S. Cellular still had seven years left on its 20-year, $68 million deal, but the cell phone company sold its Midwest business years ago and was happy to get out of the deal. The naming rights marriage was essentially useless to their business concerns. Or more useless, anyway.

Immediately there was backlash to the name change. Not just because we live in an age of insta-snark, either. The name change from (New) Comiskey Park to U.S. Cellular Field was deeply unpopular in 2003. I don’t think White Sox fans are any different than any other fanbase; it’s natural to thumb your nose at corporatization of sports.

It didn’t help that Guaranteed Rate is a company only homeowners know (They did my last mortgage and I recommend them.), and that mortgage companies aren’t looked at with much respect since the housing crash and subprime mortgage crisis. And it especially didn’t help that the company’s logo is a red arrow pointing down.

We don’t know the numbers on the deal, but if the Sox left free money from U.S. Cellular on the table, you can assume they’re making more from Guaranteed Rate. That’s good for the baseball operations department.

Aesthetically, what would’ve been a better option? In a perfect world, there were other Chicago business to partner with, of course they don’t have the cash for this kind of scheme.

Home Run Inn Pizza Park? That would’ve been cool. The Harold’s Chicken and Baseball Shack? Yes, and mild sauce on the side. My favorite idea was the result of a brainstorming session with a Sox employee who demanded to remain anonymous. Kaminsky Park, named after rich Sox fan and NBA player Frank Kaminsky.

It’s just tough to sell a name change in any situation, and it’s especially difficult to get away with it when your franchise is in dire straits and your fanbase is angry and disillusioned. More than usual, by White Sox standards. The downward arrow could symbolize so much.

When the Cubs introduced the Cub as their new mascot, it immediately earned worldwide mocking. Cubs executives were displeased and blamed the response on the angry vibe of Twitter. But as one intelligent Cubs employee said to me, if the team had a Vice President of Common Sense, that person would’ve said, “Don’t introduce a silly-looking mascot when your team is in the middle of losing 96 games.”

The same VP of Common Sense would have told the Sox, “Hey, maybe now isn’t the time to sign this deal with the mortgage company who has the going down arrow logo?”

At 5 p.m. Wednesday, we had a conference call with a White Sox top executive, the president of Guaranteed Rate and the head of the stadium authority that owns the ballpark. A bunch of reporters sat around a table in the back of the pressbox and listened on speakerphone. Someone kept screaming on the other side of the line. It was reality TV home makeover star Ty Pennington.

It was a funny call for a few other reasons. Guaranteed Rate president Victor Ciardelli was all over the place, pandering to the White Sox, (He loves the Cubs!) and rambling about his love for the late Bears star Walter Payton.

But the highlight was when the irrepressible Chicago Tribune baseball columnist Paul Sullivan asked White Sox vice president Brooks Boyer and the others what they thought the park’s new nickname should be.

Boyer asked Sully what was the best suggestion he’s heard or read on Twitter and in a perfect deadpan retort, Sully said, “The G-Spot,” which was a joke we heard in the clubhouse.

I can confirm I’ve never laughed harder during a conference call. Another reporter ran away from the table like Martin Lawrence was performing on an early ’90s Def Comedy Jam episode.

Boyer collected himself and agreed with the Guaranteed Rate guy that the fans will “organically” decide the nickname. They realize you can’t force fans to acknowledge a naming rights deal.

So will it be The Rate? The Grate? Subprime Sox Park? The G-Spot is unlikely, but since most Sox fans can’t seem to find the place, maybe it’s the one that fits best.*

Guaranteed jokes: White Sox announce new naming rights deal By Jon Greenberg / The Athletic | August 24th, 2016

The White Sox got a new naming rights partner Wednesday and at the same time, found the perfect logo for their organization’s current direction: A red arrow pointing straight down.

The White Sox announced Wednesday that Guaranteed Rate, a residential mortgage company based in Chicago, has landed the naming rights to what is currently known as U.S. Cellular Field. Beginning Nov. 1, the ballpark at 35th and Shields will be called Guaranteed Rate Field. The financials of the 13-year deal were not revealed and White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer wouldn’t comment on the numbers in a conference call.

“We do not publish the figures of any of our sponsorship deals, so that is non-disclosed,” Boyer said. jon greenberg ✔ @jon_greenberg Sox Player: "What's their logo?" *We show him arrow pointing down* "Ohhh my god. No." 4:14 PM - 24 Aug 2016

As for the logo, Boyer said, “Well, the arrow pointing down is very good for pitchers’ ERAs.”

Boyer said they’re still working with Guaranteed Rate to design ballpark branding. But how can they reconcile a red arrow pointing down with a team forever trying and failing to build momentum? The White Sox are on the verge of their fourth losing season in the five-year tenure of manager Robin Ventura, with many fans calling for a complete overhaul of the organization.

And now they have this logo, along with all the jokes about guaranteed losing seasons.

“For our branding partnership,” Boyer said. “We hope that over the next 13 years that we’re partners in this ballpark that that arrow becomes something that symbolizes greatness in your mortgage experience and hopefully we’ll have the ERAs that follows that arrow and we’ll have the winning percentage that goes the other way.”

Good save, I guess.

Boyer, Guaranteed Rate president/CEO Victor Ciardelli and Illinois Sports Facilities Authority chairman Manny Sanchez spoke on the call with reporters, explaining the change from U.S. Cellular Field to Guaranteed Rate Field. Home makeover celebrity Ty Pennington, the celebrity spokesman from Guaranteed Rate, was also on the call and contributed to the conversation by doing his standard screams.

U.S. Cellular announced it sold their Chicago market operations to Sprint Nextel in Nov. 2012 and exited the market in 2013. So the current naming rights deal, which was scheduled to run until 2023 as part of a 20-year, $68 million deal, didn’t make much sense.

Boyer said they had reached out to a small group of local businesses about a potential naming rights deal and found a willing partner in the mortgage company. (In a perfectly Chicago moment, Boyer said his brother-in-law worked for Guaranteed Rate.)

Guaranteed Rate was in the news in March after getting hit with a $25 million fine in an “alleged corporate espionage scheme.”

One would assume the new deal is for a greater per year payout than the old deal, which means the baseball operations department sees more money in its budget. Then again, given their proclivity toward old, expensive, unproductive designated hitters, maybe that cash should go to the scouting department.

“This is a nice step today toward continuing to fulfill the vision of putting the best possible club out on the field that can be out there for our fans,” Boyer said. “And to have Guaranteed Rate come in and be very excited and enthusiastic about activating their relationship, not just at the ballpark but in the community, is something that allows us to successfully pair our two brands.”

After 2026, the ISFA, the public agency that owns and runs the stadium, will start sharing in the revenue. The ISFA has been more aggressive in finding new revenue opportunities with the team, especially since Sox attendance has fallen so far, they don’t have to pay as much in rent to the stadium authority. has a concert at the park next month and Northern Illinois and Toledo will play a game there on Nov. 9.

“Because this was worked out with the White Sox and because on top of that, we stand to get up to $6.4 million of the revenue on this deal with Guaranteed Rate, this is something that is really, really a serendipitous godsend that we have in my view encountered on behalf of the taxpayers of the state of Illinois,” ISFA chairman Manny Sanchez said. “And why do I keep emphasizing that? Because under the present deal with U.S. Cellular Field, the Illinois Sports Facility Authority gets nothing — or as we say in the old neighborhood, nada.”

The U.S. Cellular deal was unpopular when it was announced back in 2003, but “The Cell” was a catchy alternative, even if the team didn’t like the negative connotations at first. Considering many fans still use its old name, Comiskey Park, Guaranteed Rate Field might have a tough time catching on.

“I think it’s still Comiskey,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “U.S. Cellular, I’ve gotten used to, but I make the slip every once in a while and call it Comiskey. The new one, I don’t know. We’ll come up with something. I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for the hot takes and the hashtag #BetterSoxStadiumNames to take off on Twitter, and the Cubs account just couldn’t help itself.

Chicago Cubs ✔ @Cubs Guaranteed fate. 4:52 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Neither could the Bears.

Chicago Bears ✔ @ChicagoBears BREAKING: Still Soldier Field. 4:55 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Even Chance the Rapper, who has become an ambassador and defacto No. 1 fan for the team, chimed in.

Lil Chano From 79th ✔ @chancetherapper #BetterSoxStadiumNames Sox Stadium 6:11 PM - 24 Aug 2016

A perfect naming rights deal would have been with noted White Sox fan Frank Kaminsky, who plays for the Charlotte Hornets. Kaminsky Park is what many Sox fans call it anyway.

On the conference call, the Chicago Tribune‘s Paul Sullivan asked what Boyer, Sanchez and Ciardelli thought the nickname would be and Boyer volleyed the question back and asked Sullivan what his favorite suggestion, via Twitter or elsewhere, was so far.

“Uh, the G-Spot sounds good to me,” Sullivan said.

Laughter ensued, but give Boyer credit for staying composed.

“I haven’t spent a lot of time on Twitter,” Boyer said. “I’ve seen a couple of the really good ones we’ve noticed and I’ve got a chuckle out of them. It’s interesting because obviously U.S. Cellular Field got shortened to the Cell. Is it G-Rate Field? Or The Rate?”

The Rate seems to make the most sense.

“We talked about it,” Ciardelli said. “We feel the fans should decide and the fans should make the decision.”

“Ultimately, those things grow organically and the fans will ultimately determine that,” Boyer said.

Everyone hated U.S. Cellular Field at first, but the Cell grew on people. Maybe The Rate will too. But probably not the G-Spot.

White Sox will play at Guaranteed Rate Field, so here’s a list of bad ballpark names By David Schoenfield / ESPN | August 24th, 2016

Sorry, but the Chicago White Sox kind of deserve to be made fun of for renaming their home park Guaranteed Rate Field, a company with an upside-down arrow as its logo. Yes, a major league team actually did this. Hey, you have to pay the salaries of mediocre relief pitchers somehow.

Jeremy Scheuch @jeremyscheuch The logo for Guaranteed Rate is literally just an arrow pointing down. Good job @whitesox. Guaranteed Rate Field 4:01 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Chris Cwik ✔ @Chris_Cwik The 2016 White Sox: - Killed Drake LaRoche - Cut up some jerseys - Partnered with a company whose logo is an arrow trending down 5:12 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Joe Sheehan @joe_sheehan Guaranteed Rate Field isn't the problem. The problem is the rate is .475. #whitesox 4:12 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Michael T. Scott @MikeyTScott "We Won A World Series Before The Cubs Stadium" #BetterSoxStadiumNames 6:36 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Anyway, remember that as a fan, you aren't paid by Guaranteed Rate, so you can call it whatever you want -- such as, you know, Comiskey Park.

Where does this rank on the list of worst ballpark names? My guess is that most of the bad ones would be those named after corporations. "Yay, our ballpark is named after a bank!"

Here are some of the bad ones:

Comiskey Park

On second thought, do you want to name your ballpark after an owner who helped keep the color barrier intact and was such a miserly, old grouch that his players rebelled against him and threw the ?

O.co Coliseum

Apparently, the home of the Athletics is back to being called the Oakland Coliseum. But from 2011 to 2015, they played in a stadium named after ... a letter? A company? The A's payroll? The sound people made when the toilets backed up? I was never quite sure.

Enron Field

The Houston energy company and the Astros agreed to a 30-year, $100 million naming rights deal when the park opened in 2000. (Aside: Why do we call them ballparks? They're not parks. They're stadiums. A park has trees and maybe a pond and maybe some swings but certainly not a concession stand selling $16 nachos in a plastic helmet.) Anyway ... oops. In 2001, Enron filed for bankruptcy, with its claimed revenues the result of systematic accounting fraud.

It was located in King County, and it was a dome, so I guess the name made sense. But it was so presumptuous and arrogant! King? King of what? Gray concrete monstrosities? A blight on the great city of Seattle. Also, my grandmother always called it the "Kingdom." Now that would have been a cool name.

Sicks Stadium

The played here in their one season of existence. Apparently, "Whooping Cough Stadium" and "Typhoid Fever Ballpark" were already taken. The stadium was actually named after Emil Sick, owner of the Pacific Coast League's Seattle Rainiers, but no apostrophe was used. So it was not Sick's Stadium but Sicks Stadium. Bad grammar. No wonder the Pilots left for Milwaukee.

All stadiums named after banks/insurance companies/beer companies

I'm OK with a stadium named after a juice company, even if sugary drinks aren't good for you.

Baker Bowl

Hailed as the finest ballpark in America when it was built in 1895, it was renamed when William Baker was part of the group that purchased the Phillies in 1913. Well, Baker proved to be one of the most incompetent owners in the game's history. The Phillies made the World Series in 1915 but then spiraled into a run of ineptitude. From 1918 to 1930, they finished under .500 every season, usually in last place. Baker was so cheap that he employed one scout and used a flock of sheep to trim the outfield grass. The right-field wall was 280 feet from home plate, and the power alley was just 300 feet away. As Red Smith once wrote, "If the right fielder had eaten onions at lunch, the second baseman knew it." Even worse, the wall was made of tin and rusted over the years, so when a ball struck it, rust showered down on the right fielder.

But here's the thing: Even after Baker died in 1930, the name was kept. Maybe nobody wanted to take on the name of the majors' worst ballpark (nicknamed "The Dump on the Hump" because the Reading Railroad tunnel ran under center field and caused a slight rise in the field). The Phillies finally moved into in 1938, and, yes, I need to do a separate, 5,000-word post on .

By the way, the best ballpark name ever? Easy. The , home of the from 1902 to 1911.

Guaranteed Rate Field? Fans are not impressed. By Danny Ecker / Crain’s Chicago Business | August 24th, 2016

The home of the Chicago White Sox is getting a new name.

Chicago-based mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate has purchased naming rights to the South Side ballpark in a deal that will rename it Guaranteed Rate Field through the end of the Sox's stadium lease in 2029. The team has an option to extend the deal through 2030.

Guaranteed Rate replaces U.S. Cellular, which has owned the naming rights to the venue since 2003. The new name will officially go into effect on Nov. 1.

U.S. Cellular had naming rights to the stadium through 2023, but the carrier pulled its brand from the market in 2012 in a sale to Sprint Nextel. The company's naming rights deal was worth about $3.4 million annually.

“We are pleased to find, in Guaranteed Rate, a new naming rights partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans,” White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field.”

Financial details were not disclosed, but the White Sox won't be the only ones pulling in revenue from the deal—the state's stadium authority will get a boost as well.

While Guaranteed Rate will pay the Sox a sponsorship fee through 2026, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority—the government agency that owns and operates the park—will receive up to $6.4 million from Guaranteed Rate over the final years of the deal, beginning in 2027.

Read more:

• White Sox expect ticket sales struggle through the summer • White Sox sign with Coke after 15-year run with Pepsi • First look: The White Sox's new video boards

That structure has to do with the way the U.S. Cellular agreement was set up.

That 20-year deal coincided with a 2003 ISFA bond sale to fund a series of renovations to the park, including reconfiguring sections of the upper deck to make it less steep.

The Sox agreed to forgo a portion of maintenance funding from ISFA in return, which the agency has put toward retiring the bonds. But the Sox would keep money from the naming rights deal until it recouped the cost of the renovation.

Under the new deal, Guaranteed Rate assumes U.S. Cellular's financial obligation to the team, though the Sox won't be made whole on its naming rights deal until 2026. That is when revenue from the Guaranteed Rate deal will begin going to ISFA.

On top of that, the Sox also waived a clause in its lease—for the final years of its rental agreement—that says ISFA must pay for an upgrade of major stadium amenities if at least 75 percent of MLB teams have them. That clause is why ISFA was responsible to buy the team massive new outfield video boards this season, for example.

ISFA Chairman Manny Sanchez said that move could save the stadium authority as much as $25 million in facility upgrades over the final years of the Sox's lease.

"That's a huge piece of this from an ISFA perspective," Sanchez said. "This is something that is a really, really serendipitous godsend that we have encountered."

Revenue and savings late during the next decade will be critical for ISFA, which uses hotel tax revenue and annual city and state subsidies to pay off the debt from the renovation of Soldier Field and the construction and maintenance of the Sox's park.

That annual debt obligation will steadily balloon from $38.5 million for the year ending June 30, 2017, to $87 million in 2032.

Sharing in revenue from the deal and waiving the upgrade clause "was something that was important to ISFA . . . and something that we were willing to discuss," said Brooks Boyer, White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing. "As we discussed this and figured out the best way to put this together, this was something we were willing to concede."

Meanwhile, the deal is another big marketing splash by Guaranteed Rate, which has invested heavily in promoting its brand.

"One of the things we're doing as a company is really building the brand across the country through TV, billboards, social media, blogs, you name it," said Victor Ciardelli, a native of Oak Brook and self- described "huge Chicago sports fan" who launched Guaranteed Rate in 1999 with $2.5 million in equity from family and friends. "Now to have a naming rights deal on a Chicago sports team . . . I'm very excited about this opportunity.”

Yes, Chicago White Sox have the worst stadium name in sports It’s time to start protesting corporate sponsorship by calling your team’s stadium whatever you want By Jason Diamond / Rolling Stone | August 25th, 2016

The Chicago White Sox are already having a bad season. They came out of the spring looking like they could contend for the Central crown, but have gone on to have a sub-.500 season and are all but out of the wild card race as we start heading into September. For all the love the team's counterparts to the north tend to always get (that's the Cubs in case you don't know your Chicago geography), this year seems like an especially crappy one for the Sox. The summer looks out of reach, the Cubs are the best team in baseball and now there's the news that the team's stadium will be renamed from the already terrible U.S. Cellular Field to the even worse, Guaranteed Rate Field.

The 13-year deal was announced yesterday, and basically everybody, from Sox fans to the city's football team, took an opportunity to poke fun at the new name.

Chicago Bears ✔ @ChicagoBears BREAKING: Still Soldier Field. 4:55 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Of course, over the past 30 years, the White Sox do have more championships than the Bears and Cubs combined, but that's another story completely, and naming stadiums after the businesses that own them is nothing new. Wrigley Field, for instance, is named after William Wrigley Jr., the chewing gum king who owned the team. It's both a stamp that this place belonged to a very wealthy man, but also an advertisement. That's why United Airlines owns the rights to name the United Center, the Red Wings will start playing the in Little Caesars Arena this year, and let's not forgive the especially embarrassing KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. There are some horrendously bad names for arenas out there, some, aesthetically speaking, might be worse than the new name for the spot where the White Sox will play next year. The name is not only clunky, it just sounds terrible. Nobody wants to say, "Let's go catch a day game and drink some beers at Guaranteed Rate Field."

But a name is just a name. If the team is good, then it should be an afterthought. Yet there is reason to pause for a moment and ponder the fact that the company that took over the naming rights for a 115- year-old franchise's stadium was recently ordered to pay $25 million dollars for what the Chicago Tribune called, "an alleged corporate espionage scheme that seems straight out of the play Glengarry Glen Ross, with an employee diverting hundreds of loan applications from a rival mortgage company."

While there's no word whether or not Alec Baldwin saying "Always Be Closing" from the film version of David Mamet's play will come on over the speakers whenever the home team clinches a victory, the fact remains that a baseball team with a long, sometimes not-so-proud history (see: , ) now has to call Guaranteed Rate Field home for the next 13 years. Hell, even Quicken Loans Arena or Smoothie King Center rolls off the tongue a little easier.

But there is one other option, as Barry Petchesky at Deadspin points out: "So call it the Cell if you like. Call it Comiskey. Hell, call it White Sox Park. You’ll know what you mean. Your friends will know. Your cab driver will know. Google Maps already knows. This goes for everyone out there: Call your stadium or arena whatever the hell you want."

Sports are supposed to be for the fans. In an ideal world, the corporations that name the teams would maybe put it to some public vote of some sort and just plaster their hideous logos all over everything like they already do as a compromise. But that's not how things work. So if you don't like the name, we support your protest by not using it.

You don’t have to call it Guaranteed Rate Field By Barry Petchesky / Deadspin | August 25th, 2016

The White Sox got themselves a new stadium naming-rights deal, and it’s a laugher. Starting next season, U.S. Cellular Field, formerly the second Comiskey Park, will go by: Guaranteed Rate Field. Yes it will.

Adam Eaton, what do you think?

“It’s a mortgage company?” Eaton asked. “Man, they must be doing really well…I don’t really know what to say.”

It’s a 13-year-deal, with the terms undisclosed, and with the team about to miss out on the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 seasons, perhaps Guaranteed Rate’s logo was too on-the-nose to pass up.

Stadium names don’t get much clumsier, but there’s strong competition for the worst. Maybe something generic like NRG Stadium or the MTS Centre? Something entirely uninspiring like the Canadian Tire Centre or ? Any of the glut of buildings unmemorably named after banks or energy companies will do.

In the NBA alone, there’s the Amway Center, which is named after a literal pyramid scheme; the late, unlamented Sleep Train Arena, which was at least an improvement on Power Balance Pavilion, named after a straight-up pseudoscientific scam; the Smoothie King Center; Talking Stick Resort Arena; and Vivint Smart Home Arena. I write about sports for a living and for the life of me I could not have told you who plays at that last one before I looked it up.

This may seem grim now, White Sox fans, but there is hope—just as there is hope for all of us whose favorite teams have been saddled with unlovely stadium names. Always remember this: You don’t have to call it that.

The White Sox have to call it Guaranteed Rate Field, as does the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, which owns and operates the ballpark. They signed a contract. But did you sign a contract? You did not. They are getting millions of dollars to call it that. You aren’t getting shit.

So call it the Cell if you like. Call it Comiskey. Hell, call it White Sox Park. You’ll know what you mean. Your friends will know. Your cab driver will know. Google Maps already knows. This goes for everyone out there: Call your stadium or arena whatever the hell you want. The battle over corporate naming rights is like the battle over language, and the prescriptivists are again doomed to the losing side.

Our bud George over here gets it:

“It will always be ‘Comiskey’ or ‘Sox Park’ to me, so I don’t care,” said George Schultz of Chicago, a regular attendee at the Cell who wore a Jim Thome jersey to Wednesday’s game. This is a free country, and they can put a mortgage lender’s signage up all over your ballpark, but they can’t make you say its name.

White Sox ballpark to be renamed “Guaranteed Rate Field” By Craig Calcaterra / NBC Sports | August 24th, 2016

Stadium naming rights have long been with us. They’re just a part of the sports landscape now. Some are pretty spiffy despite their corporate underwriting: “Great American Ballpark” could be the name of a sports facility even if it wasn’t also the name of an insurance company. “Progressive Field” could be the name of a field even an anti-corporate dude like Bernie Sanders could appreciate, at least if he’s sloppy with capitalization.

Others are clunky: “Globe Life Park in Arlington” seems to have both adjective and preposition problems, as if it were run through a foreign language translator and then back again to English. The joint in Oakland went by the name O.co Coliseum for a spell. That was for Overstock.com, but it didn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

At the risk of being snobbish, I think it’s fair to say that there are also higher and lower rent names as well. Banks, airlines and beer companies, however crassly commercial they are, seem a bit more respectable and venerable than, say, the fly-by-night dot com companies which named sports facilities for several years. “Chase” and “Coors” aren’t going anyplace. Those places are named after American institutions, even if they’re still corporate institutions. I’m pretty sure that circa 2001 half the stadiums and arenas in the country were named after businesses still being run out of tech incubators in nondescript office parks, their first biggest investment being the naming rights, their second biggest investment being the ping pong table in the break room.

The White Sox have long played in “U.S. Cellular Field.” This is pretty dicey as it is, given that that company is only a regional wireless provider. Fifth largest in the country. Certainly not A-list, and likely far more identifiable to more Americans as the name of a ballpark than the name of a going telecommunications concern, thereby sort of defeating the purpose of naming rights. Which must be why U.S. Cellular is getting out of the naming rights business, leaving the White Sox to find a different naming rights partner:

Danny Ecker @DannyEcker BREAKING: Guaranteed Rate has purchased naming rights to U.S. Cellular Field. Will be known as Guaranteed Rate Field thru 2030. 3:31 PM - 24 Aug 2016

As the tenth largest mortgage company in the country, is there even any guarantee that Guaranteed Rate will be in business in 2030? If the choices are “it goes under,” “it gets purchased by a larger lender” and “it’s still there,” I am not putting money on the latter choice.

That aside, it’s just a goofy name for a ballpark. It’ll better lend itself to columnist jokes about bad guaranteed contracts for bust veterans than it will to spreading awareness of a financial services company. And don’t even get me started on the dissonance between the ballpark name and its tenant’s ticket price policies:

Best work on that, guys.

UPDATE: LOL

Josh Frydman ✔ @Josh_Frydman Guaranteed Rate was ordered to pay $25 million in damages for an alleged corp. espionage scheme in March #WhiteSox 3:59 PM - 24 Aug 2016

White Sox to rename US Cellular Field By James Neveau / NBC Chicago | August 24th, 2016

Chicago White Sox fans will have a new corporate name attached to their home stadium next season, as the team has sold naming rights for their ballpark to Guaranteed Rate, the team announced Wednesday.

The stadium, currently known as U.S. Cellular Field, will become Guaranteed Rate Field on Nov. 1 as part of a new 13-year contract that the White Sox signed with the mortgage company, according to a statement released by the club.

"We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field," chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in the statement.

The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority approved the name change during a board meeting, the statement said. Financial terms of the deal between the White Sox and Guaranteed Rate were not disclosed. Celebs in the Stands[NATL] Celebrities in the Stands

The White Sox retained an option under the team’s lease for the ballpark, which could extend the deal an additional year through 2030.

"We are incredibly excited and honored to be part of the White Sox family," president & CEO of Guaranteed Rate Victor Ciardelli said. "It really is a dream come true to have the Guaranteed Rate name on a hometown Chicago ballpark."

Chris Sale Suspended for 'Clubhouse Incident'

"We love this city and its baseball fans, and couldn’t be happier to partner with an iconic team and a legendary owner in Jerry Reinsdorf," Ciardelli added. "We look forward to many great years of White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field."

Cubs, Bears poke fun at White Sox stadium name change U.S. Cellular Field will become Guaranteed Rate Field beginning November 1, the White Sox announced By Craig Calcaterra / NBC Chicago | August 24th, 2016

The Chicago White Sox announced they would be changing the name of their home ballpark to Guaranteed Rate Park on Wednesday, and the reaction on social media was swift.

With the adverse reaction to the new name, which will take effect beginning on Nov. 1, two of the White Sox's fellow Chicago teams weighed in with tweets poking fun at the baseball team.

Their neighbors to the north were first to join in on the fun, as the Chicago Cubs made a reference to it while celebrating a home run from their Wednesday game with the San Diego Padres:

@Cubs Guaranteed fate. 4:52 PM - 24 Aug 2016

A few minutes later, the Chicago Bears hopped on the bandwagon, taking a more direct shot at the White Sox:

@ChicagoBears BREAKING: Still Soldier Field. 4:55 PM - 24 Aug 2016

There's no word on whether the Blackhawks or Bulls will join the fray, but at least fans won't have to worry about the United Center changing names for at least another 17 years. Published at 5:25 PM CDT on Aug 24, 2016

Cubs, Bears troll White Sox over ‘Guaranteed Rate Field’ By Bob Hille / Omnisport | August 24th, 2016

When the White Sox announced Wednesday that a new naming rights deal would change their home stadium from U.S. Cellular Field to Guaranteed Rate Field, social media backlash from fans was predictable.

After all, when the Sox changed the South Side ballpark from Comiskey Park to U.S. Cellular in 2003, there was an outcry — though social media wasn't in play back in the day. Fans resigned themselves and made best of it by calling it "The Cell."

But Guaranteed Rate Field? Gurf.

MORE: Worst arena and stadium names in sports

Even some of the White Sox's fellow Windy City teams couldn't resist joining in on the joke shortly after the news broke.

Danny Ecker @DannyEcker BREAKING: Guaranteed Rate has purchased naming rights to U.S. Cellular Field. Will be known as Guaranteed Rate Field thru 2030. 3:31 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Chicago Bears ✔ @ChicagoBears BREAKING: Still Soldier Field. 4:55 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Chicago Cubs ✔ @Cubs Guaranteed fate. 4:52 PM - 24 Aug 2016

And somewhere someone at Guaranteed Rate is saying, "You can't buy that kind of advertising!"

White Sox’s U.S. Cellular Field changing name to Guaranteed Rate Field USA Today Sports | August 24th, 2016

The Chicago White Sox announced Wednesday that U.S. Cellular Field will be renamed Guaranteed Rate Field beginning Nov. 1.

The White Sox signed a 13-year naming rights agreement with Guaranteed Rate, a Chicago-based national mortgage lender.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to find, in Guaranteed Rate, a new naming rights partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans,” said Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of the White Sox. “We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field.”

The stadium was known as New Comiskey Park from 1991-2002 before it was renamed U.S. Cellular Field in 2003.

The White Sox are on pace for their fourth consecutive losing season at "The Cell."

The Cubs masterfully trolled the White Sox’s stadium name change By Steven Ruiz / USA Today Sports | August 24th, 2016

The White Sox announced Wednesday that U.S. Cellular Field will be renamed Guaranteed Rate Field, which is officially in the running for worst stadium name in sports.

The Cubs decided to have a little fun with their cross town rivals’ unfortunately-named stadium, with the help of Willson Contreras’ home run against the Padres.

Chicago Cubs ✔ @Cubs Guaranteed fate. 4:52 PM - 24 Aug 2016

That’s the social media equivalent of this:

The Bears joined in on the fun, too…

Chicago Bears ✔ @ChicagoBears BREAKING: Still Soldier Field. 4:55 PM - 24 Aug 2016

All of Chicago is laughing at the White Sox and their awful stadium name.

The home of the White Sox is being renamed Guaranteed Rate Field By Zach Long / TimeOut Chicago | August 25th, 2016

The home of the Chicago White Sox is getting a new name, thanks to a new naming rights deal that was announced this afternoon. Beginning on November 1, the stadium formerly known as U.S. Cellular Field will be called Guaranteed Rate Field, named after the national mortgage lender that is headquartered in Chicago.

The White Sox and Guaranteed Rate have signed a 13-year naming rights deal, with the option to extend the deal past 2030. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Sox got $68 million from U.S. Cellular in exchange for a 20-year deal—there's a good chance that Guaranteed Rate's deal is even more lucrative.

Of course, this isn't the first time that the home of the White Sox has switched up its moniker. The stadium was opened in 1991 as Comiskey Park, paying tribute to the name of the field where the Sox had played since 1910. In 2003, the stadium was renamed U.S. Cellular Field—a name that many fans rejected, while some opted to call it "the Cell."

Chicago White Sox stadium now ‘Guaranteed Rate Field’ The Daily Beast | August 24th, 2016

The Chicago White Sox announced Wednesday that its U.S. Cellular Field will change its name to Guaranteed Rate Field. A new, 13-year naming rights deal between the American League ball club and the national mortage lender will last until at least 2030, with a team option to extend beyond that. The Sox did not immediately disclose how much Guaranteed Rate paid for the naming rights. The stadium was originally and most famously known as Comiskey Park from 1991 until 2002 before naming rights were bought by U.S. Cellular in 2003.

U.S. Cellular Field changing name to Guaranteed Rate Field By Kelly Bauer and Joe Ward / DNA Info Chicago | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO — U.S. Cellular Field will change its name to Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox announced Wednesday afternoon.

The White Sox and Guaranteed Rate, a national mortgage lender, have signed 13-year naming rights deal, according to the Sox. But the name could last even longer — the Sox have an option of extending the deal past 2030.

“We are pleased to find, in Guaranteed Rate, a new naming rights partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans,” said Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of the White Sox.

DNAinfo Chicago ✔ @DNAinfoCHI BREAKING: U.S. Cellular Field changing name to Guaranteed Rate Field http://dnain.fo/2bhdOjx pic.twitter.com/1LnUCh0tqr

DNAinfo Chicago ✔ @DNAinfoCHI So what will you call the @whitesox renamed Guaranteed Rate Field? http://dnain.fo/2bhdOjx 3:41 PM - 24 Aug 2016 The GRate Comiskey Sox Park Something Else Vote 1,741 votes • 38 minutes left

“We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field,” Reinsdorf said.

The name change drew a decidedly mixed reaction from fans on social media, many of which began sarcastically listing "better" names than Guaranteed Rate Field.

Brooks Boyer, chief marketing officer and senior vice president for the Sox, said he had not spent much time on social media since the decision was reached but said he was glad fans were having fun with the name.

"I've seen a couple of the good ones and we had a good chuckle," Boyer said on a conference call with reporters."

Boyer said the team doesn't have a preferred shorthand for the new park name just yet, and said officials will likely allow one to grow "organically" from fans.

"Fans will ultimately decide," he said.

As for a logo for the park, Boyer said the team is working on one and that it likely won't copy that of Guaranteed Rate's, which is an arrow pointing down.

A downward-pointing arrow isn't ideal imagery for a ball team, but "it's good for a pitcher's ERA []," Boyer joked.

The stadium was known as Comiskey Park 1991-2002 before it was dubbed U.S. Cellular Field in 2003. Fans were slow to warm to the name, but some started calling it "The Cell." Others kept calling it Comiskey. Some opted for Sox Park. Still others, including former Mayor Richard M. Daley, appeared to call it Kaminski Park.

U.S. Cellular paid $68 million for a 20-year naming rights deal. The Sox did not immediately say how much Guaranteed Rate would pay for their naming rights deal.

Chicago White Sox ✔ @whitesox Guaranteed Rate and the #WhiteSox announce new ballpark naming rights partnership for 'Guaranteed Rate Field': 3:35 PM - 24 Aug 2016

U.S. Cellular Field changed its name and people are freaking out By Kelly Bauer / DNA Info Chicago | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO — U.S. Cellular Field is changing its name — which was hard news to swallow for people who are still calling it Comiskey Park.

The baseball stadium and home of the White Sox will now be called Guaranteed Rate Field, according to the White Sox.

The Sox and Guaranteed Rate, a national mortgage lender, have agreed to a 13-year naming rights deal.

South Sider and WGN Radio Sports Reporter Sam Panayotovich reacts to the name change.

Not all fans are pleased with the deal. Almost instantly, people on Twitter started using the hashtag #BetterSoxStadiumNames to suggest alternatives, including "Berwyn Stadium at Svengoolie Field," "Malort Field" and — an old favorite — "Comiskey Park."

On Reddit, baseball fans lamented, "THE NAMES KEEP GETTING WORSE." Another opined: "Too bad Chris Sale can't cut up terrible names."

"Look on the bright side," one person wrote of the name change on Reddit. "It's only til 2030."

The Chicago Bears poked fun at the new name.

Chicago Bears ✔ @ChicagoBears BREAKING: Still Soldier Field. 4:55 PM - 24 Aug 2016

It’s guaranteed – White Sox ballpark changing name to Guaranteed Rate Field By Don Muret / Sporting News | August 24th, 2016

Somewhere, Charles Comiskey is rolling over in his grave.

The Chicago White Sox announced this afternoon that their ballpark will change its name to Guaranteed Rate Field. The team signed a 13-year naming rights deal with Guaranteed Rate, a retail mortgage lender. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The company replaces U.S. Cellular as the ballpark's naming rights holder. The South Side ballpark was known as U.S. Cellular Field from 2003 to 2016.

From 1991, when the stadium opened, to 2002, it was called New Comiskey Park, named for Charlie Comiskey, the team's owner for 31 years. It replaced the original Comiskey Park, which stood from 1910 to 1990.

“U.S. Cellular has been an important and valued partner to the organization," said Brooks Boyer, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the White Sox. “We celebrated many memorable moments at U.S. Cellular Field throughout the years, including the 2005 World Series title. Looking forward, we will make many more incredible memories for our fans at Guaranteed Rate Field with a successful and growing partner who shares our passion for Chicago.”

For those unfamiliar with the new naming rights partner, Chicago-based Guaranteed Rate is the eighth- largest retail mortgage lender in the U.S. It has about 175 offices and is licensed in 50 states.

Since it was founded in 2000, the company has provided about $100 billion in home purchase loans and refinances of $18 billion in 2015 alone.

Impressive numbers. But sorry, Sox fans. Guaranteed Rate Field sounds sort of minor league-ish. I liked "The Cell" much better.

So did many others apparently. #BetterSoxStadiumNames popped up on Twitter and is trending in Chicago.

More like Guaranteed Loss Field. I hate being a #WhiteSox fan #BetterSoxStadiumNames

Malcolm Mossman @MalcolmMossman More like Guaranteed Loss Field. I hate being a #WhiteSox fan #BetterSoxStadiumNames 4:06 PM - 24 Aug 2016 alpalzal @aezalesny Still Gonna Call it Comiskey Park Field #BetterSoxStadiumNames 3:50 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Kenny Williams @NotKenWilliams "We pay no attention to the team up north stadium" #BetterSoxStadiumNames 4:01 PM - 24 Aug 2016

White Sox ballpark will be renamed Guaranteed Rate Field in November Chicago-based mortgage lender purchases naming rights of U.S. Cellular Field for 13 years. Park to be renamed after 2016 season By Tim Moran / South Side Patch | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO, IL — The U.S. Cellular Field era in Chicago is about to come to a close. The Chicago White Sox and Chicago-based national mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate have entered into a partnership that will change the name of the team's home ballpark on the South Side to Guaranteed Rate Field beginning on Nov. 1, 2016.

The deal between the White Sox and Guaranteed Rate is for naming rights for 13 years. The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority approved the change in name Wednesday, according to a White Sox news release.

“We are pleased to find, in Guaranteed Rate, a new naming rights partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans,” said Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of the White Sox. “We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field.”

Founded in 2000, Guaranteed Rate is the eighth-largest retail mortgage lender in the United States, according to its website. The company has approximately 175 offices across the nation and is licensed in all 50 states.

The ballpark at 333 W. 35th St. opened in 1991. It was called the New Comiskey Park until U.S. Cellular purchased the naming rights in 2003. It has since been U.S. Cellular Field.

White Sox new field name sponsored by company with unfortunate logo By Chris Cwik / Yahoo! Sports | August 24th, 2016

R.I.P., U.S. Cellular Field, we hardly knew ye. As of Nov. 2016, the Chicago White Sox’s stadium will have a new name. The team announced a partnership with residential mortgage company Guaranteed Rate on Wednesday. As a result, the White Sox will play at “Guaranteed Rate Field” in 2017.

Is it the worst stadium name of all time? That’s certainly up for debate. Most sponsored stadiums sound pretty dumb, and it’s not like U.S. Cellular Field was an exception there. Fans were definitely upset when the mobile phone company purchased the naming rights back in the day, and some opted to refer to the stadium as Comiskey Park long after that name was removed from the park. That said, the nickname “The Cell” eventually caught on, and that seemed to help.

As of right now, it’s unclear how to make “Guaranteed Rate Field” sound cool. That’s not the only problem, though. Take a look at the Guaranteed Rate logo. It’s not exactly an image you want to associate with an exciting, up-and-coming sports franchise.

MLB Insider Dinger @atf13atf Leave it to the White Sox to partner with a company whose logo is a red arrow pointing downward 3:35 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Yeah. The Guaranteed Rate logo is a red arrow trending down. You can’t make this stuff up, folks.

In a way, it’s fitting. The White Sox have been in baseball limbo for years now. The club hasn’t made the playoffs since 2008, and can’t seem to decide whether to go all-in with their current core or completely tear things down. As the last two winters have proved, half measures aren’t going to lead to success.

The symmetry here is beautiful, though. Anyone who was watched the team over the past few years has realized the arrow has been trending in the wrong direction. Now, the Guaranteed Rate logo can really drive the point home!

The White Sox’s field will be renamed ‘Guaranteed Rate Field’ next season By Gwendolyn Purdom / Chicagoist | August 24th, 2016

And you thought it couldn't get more corporate than U.S. Cellular Field. Think again, Sox fans. Instead of The Cell, visitors to the South Side baseball stadium will enter Guaranteed Rate Field after this season, the team announced Wednesday.

"We are pleased to find, in Guaranteed Rate, a new naming rights partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans," White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field."

The naming deal, which was approved by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Wednesday afternoon, goes into effect Nov. 1 and will last for at least 13 years, though it could extend until 2030, the team said. Financial details were not released.

Dan Hayes ✔ @CSNHayes #WhiteSox have naming rights deal in place. Going from US Cellular Field to Guaranteed Rate Field starting next season. 3:35 PM - 24 Aug 2016

What was once Comiskey Park became The Cell in 2003. In 2012, U.S. Cellular announced it was selling its Chicago assets, thereby raising questions on whether the field's name would also leave town. Now we've got our answer. Though social media, understandably, is already offering some other name options. The hashtag #BetterSoxStadiumNames started blowing up at Wednesday's news:

Ben Meyerson ✔ @bmeyerson Taco Burrito King Park #BetterSoxStadiumNames 3:50 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Faruq Abdul-Basir @FaruqBasir Anything But What The Hell They Just Named It.... Field. #BetterSoxStadiumNames 3:55 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Michael Nagrant @MichaelNagrant Tronc(TM) Dome #BetterSoxStadiumNames 4:11 PM - 24 Aug 2016 alpalzal @aezalesny Still Gonna Call it Comiskey Park Field #BetterSoxStadiumNames 3:50 PM - 24 Aug 2016

A few of these ideas have a nice ring to them. The Sox might want to keep them in mind when their deal's up in 2030.

Cringeworthy White Sox park renaming By Natasha Korecki / Politico | August 24th, 2016

Good Thursday morning, Illinois. Chicago once again is faced with tragic rebranding, this time it’s of the old Comiskey Park-turned-U.S. Cellular Field turned … Guaranteed Rate Field. Story Continued Below

Maybe fans will find a workaround, like by calling it GRF. Or maybe just WTF.

TRONC FIELD, MAYBE? -- “There can’t be a worse name than Guaranteed Rate Field. Can’t be." by Sun-Times' Rick Morrissey: “Guaranteed Rate Field? You’re kidding, right? Was Year End Clearance Stadium already taken? Going Out of Business Sale Park? Your Name Here Yards? ... There are brutal ballpark names, there are ballpark names that inspire feelings of despair and hopelessness, and then there is Guaranteed Rate Field. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that Guaranteed Rate Field makes me want to lock in on a date to end it all.” http://bit.ly/2bjvWxH

IT’S ONLY UNTIL 2029 -- Crain’s Chicago Business’ Danny Ecker writes: “Chicago-based mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate has purchased naming rights to the South Side ballpark in a deal that will rename it Guaranteed Rate Field through the end of the Sox's stadium lease in 2029. The team has an option to extend the deal through 2030. Guaranteed Rate replaces U.S. Cellular, which has owned the naming rights to the venue since 2003. The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the government agency that owns and operates the facility, approved the name change today.

“Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, though ISFA said in a statement that the agency could receive up to $6.4 million in revenue for the facility. U.S. Cellular had naming rights to the stadium through 2023, but the carrier pulled its brand from the market in 2012 in a sale to Sprint Nextel. The company's naming rights deal was worth about $3.4 million annually.” http://bit.ly/2bGcLwf

TAXPAYER PARK -- Why not give state taxpayers the right to name it, since we’re still paying off the cost to rebuild the park. http://trib.in/2bP2Mng

Twitter was understandably abuzz about the news

#Tronc? #GuaranteedRateField? Chicago, have you lost your mind? Why don't you change Wrigley Field to Hog Slaughterhouse Park? theschmozone @schmozone I have never been more embarrassed as a White Sox fan #GuaranteedRateField

From Chicago Bears Verified account: “@ChicagoBears BREAKING: Still Soldier Field.”

White Sox ballpark getting new name By Eric Horng / ABC Chicago | August 24th, 2016

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Cell will soon be no more.

U.S. Cellular Field will be called Guaranteed Rate Field beginning November 1.

A 13-year deal gives the mortgage lender the naming rights for the team's home ballpark in Chicago. Financial terms of the deal between the White Sox and Guaranteed Rate were not disclosed, but one sports marketing analyst said it could be in the ballpark, no pun intended, of $100 million.

The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the owner and operator of the ballpark, approved the change in name at a meeting of its board on Wednesday afternoon.

The White Sox retain an option under the team's lease for the ballpark, which if exercised, could extend this naming rights deal an additional year through 2030.

For fans, the name change came as a surprise. Guaranteed Rate is a Chicago-based online mortgage lender known for its late night commercials with pitchman Ty Pennington.

At the White Sox game Wednesday night Victor Ciardelli, the CEO of Guaranteed Rate, was so excited he overthrew the first pitch.

"The reason why we're excited about it is to be part of the White Sox organization, to help build our brand, build our awareness," Ciardelli said.

The home-grown 16-year-old company is also the nation's eighth-largest mortgage lender.

"To have a Chicago-based company by people who are passionate about Chicago, passionate about Chicago sports, it's a great partner for us to have," said White Sox Vice President Brooks Boyers.

Fans said they're glad it's a local business, but with all the companies in Chicago many were confused about why Guaranteed Rate was chosen by the Sox.

"The Guaranteed Rate? What is that? Is that a company? What's the deal here?" asked fan Wally Beckman.

"I don't even know what that is. Is it a mortgage company or something? A mortgage company. I don't know," guessed Ron Niemer.

"Yeah, 'Me and my buddy about to go down here to Guaranteed Rate Field.' It just sounds weird," said Arnold Conwell, when asked to use the new name in a sentence.

There is also some suspicion stemming from a tweet Ciardelli sent out from Wrigley Field last May saying he was "pumped about another Cubs win." Is Guaranteed Rate's CEO actually a closet Cubs fan?

"I am a huge Chicago sports fan, and I am definitely a Chicago Cubs fan and a White Sox fan," Ciardelli said.

Upon the completion of existing naming rights payments to the White Sox, ISFA will receive all incremental naming rights revenue from this new agreement with Guaranteed Rate.

The White Sox played at New Comiskey Park from 1991-2002 before a naming rights agreement changed the ballpark's name to U.S. Cellular Field from 2003-2016. U.S. Cellular Field was commonly called "The Cell" for short. So what would the field's new nickname be? Some said "The Rate," or maybe "The GR," but fans still have some time to figure it out.

Chicago Cubs ✔ @Cubs Guaranteed fate. 4:52 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Chicago Bears ✔ @ChicagoBears BREAKING: Still Soldier Field. 4:55 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Lil Chano From 79th ✔ @chancetherapper They're changing the name to Guaranteed Rate Field... � So we'll be throwing the first & LAST festival at US Cellular Field #MCD 3:59 PM - 24 Aug 2016

White Sox fans react to ballpark’s new name By Craig Wall / FOX Chicago | August 24th, 2016

FOX 32 NEWS - The Chicago White Sox have sold the stadium naming rights to a new company, so starting after this season, US Cellular Field will become Guaranteed Rate Field.

But there’s a certain rebelliousness brewing with Sox fans, and at the game Thursday night they had some interesting reactions.

“Not very good, I don't like it too much, I'm not gonna lie,” said Dan Steffeck, who added “(it) just doesn't have a good ring to it."

“Well, I know that they call Guaranteed Rate, G-Rate, so they gonna call it G-Rate Park,” wondered Rhonda Washington, shaking her head. “No good, no that’s not right, don’t like it.”

The naming rights were bought by Chicago based mortgage company Guaranteed Rate, whose logo happens to be a down arrow, which was getting jeered on social media.

But the company CEO is hoping fans will come around and adopt G-rated nicknames.

“We like Rate Field, The Rate Field, the Rate,” said Victor Ciardelli, Guaranteed Rate CEO.

But he knows fans will come up with their own nicknames.

Ciardelli founded the company 16 years ago and was thrilled to get the naming rights contract.

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“I am a huge Chicago sports fan and I am definitely a Chicago Cubs fan and a White Sox fan,” Ciardellis said.

The White Sox decided that Guaranteed Rate was just the right fit for the team.

“When you look at the White Sox, our core and our base is here. We are Chicago. And to have a Chicago-based company by people who are passionate about Chicago, passionate about Chicago Sports, that's a great partner for us to have,” said Brooks Boyer, White Sox Sr. VP of Marketing.

“It's always Comiskey,” said Mike Beecher and his reaction was fairly typical.

But others tried to be good sports about it.

“I definitely didn’t expect it, but Guaranteed Rate Park, it could work,” said Charles Washington.

But others wish for the old days.

“Why can't we just go back to the old school, Cominskey (sic), old south side Sox Park, why not? Why do we have to keep changing everything? Like the Sears Tower, why did it have to become the Willis Tower?” wondered Megan Diamond with a laugh.

The contract for the stadium name is for the next 13 years. Terms were not disclosed.

White Sox announce name change to ballpark By WGN Web Desk and Tonya Francisco / WGN-TV Chicago | August 24th, 2016

The Chicago White Sox announced Wednesday they have signed a 13-year-naming rights agreement for the ballpark.

Beginning Nov. 1st, it will be known as Guaranteed Rate Field.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of the White Sox, said in a statement:

We are pleased to find, in Guaranteed Rate, a new naming rights partner founded in Chicago by Chicagoans, which shares our commitment to the city and to our fans. We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field.

In addition to the naming rights partnership, the White Sox and Guaranteed Rate have agreed on sponsorship elements associated with White Sox baseball, which include various branding, promotional and hospitality benefits, along with joint marketing opportunities. Guaranteed Rate becomes the official mortgage and title company of the White Sox, the statement said.

From ‘The Cell’ to ‘The Rant’? Sox unveil new stadium sponsor By Chris Sosa / RedEye | August 24th, 2016

We can't call it "The Cell" for much longer.

U.S. Cellular, which has maintained naming rights for the home of the White Sox since 2003, has been benched in favor of a new sponsor.

The team announced Wednesday that Guaranteed Rate, a Chicago-based national mortgage lender, has obtained the naming rights to the stadium in a 13-year contract effective Nov. 1.

"We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field," Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said.

The Sox are one of 19 teams in MLB whose stadium is named for a corporation.

The question now becomes: What do fans call it for short? The Rate? The Tee? The Rant? Eh, none of those options have a great ring to them. Maybe they should just stick to Sox Park, or go with one of these suggestions from social media:

RedEye ✔ @redeyechicago Tweet us your best #BetterSoxStadiumNames so we can laugh through the pain. We'll RT the best.

Nidhi Madhavan @Nidhi_Ehm @redeyechicago The George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Field #BetterSoxStadiumNames 4:20 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Chad @RevDJEsq 1. Subprime on the South Side 2. P&I Ballpark 3. The Escrowliseum https://twitter.com/redeyesportschi/status/768553957782392836 … 4:15 PM - 24 Aug 2016

RedEye ✔ @redeyechicago Tweet us your best #BetterSoxStadiumNames so we can laugh through the pain. We'll RT the best. Follow

Hanna Klein @hannaklein @redeyechicago updated my previous version #BetterSoxStadiumNames pic.twitter.com/6HDTSJybhb 4:09 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Christopher Sosa @redeyesportschi Welp, we can't call it The Cell much longer. What should we call the home of the #WhiteSox now?http://trib.in/2bWKbbL wickedzeus @wickedzeus75 @redeyesportschi @redeyechicago grate field is the only non sucky choice 4:07 PM - 24 Aug 2016

The Chicago Cubs need to chill out By Kyle Koster / The Big Lead/USA Today Sports | August 24th, 2016

U.S. Cellular Field will change its name to Guaranteed Rate Field, the Chicago White Sox announced on Wednesday.

Now, obviously, this is an unfortunate name for a stadium. Things like this happen in 2016 where money talks much louder than tradition. Many Sox fans never warmed up to the first corporate name and continued to call it Sox Park or Comiskey. These are the real heroes.

The Cubs decided to take a little jab at their crosstown rivals with this puny tweet.

Chicago Cubs ✔ @Cubs Guaranteed fate. 4:52 PM - 24 Aug 2016

It’s important to point out that the Cubs’ ballpark, Wrigley Field, is named after chewing gum. Or, if you want to be exact, a man who made millions off of chewing gum.

It’s also important to point out that the corner of Clark and Addison, once a monument to baseball’s past, has succumbed to the same sponsored outdoor mall fate as MLB’s other venues. The ivy is still on the brick walls but does little to obscure the corporate branding elsewhere.

And you know what? That’s fine. The problem is that the Cubs don’t understand that they aren’t any different than other franchises. That misguided superiority spawned this tweet.

Sure, it’s relatively inoffensive. But how many times must people who live in glasshouses be reminded not to throw stones?

The Cubs are trying to break the most historic curse in sports. They are the odds-on favorite to win the World Series. Optimism is even higher than it was in 2003 before Steve Bartman became involved.

As I’ve said all year, they need to just keep their head down and stay focused. I don’t particularly believe in curses but if I’m a Cubs fan, there’s no point in risking it. Don’t do anything to upset the applecart.

We could look back at this moment as when it all went wrong.

Look, if you haven’t won it all since 1908 and play in a stadium built on the back of gum, you have some exposures while sparring on Twitter. Just saying.

You’ll never guess the White Sox’ stadium’s new name, guaranteed Get ready for Guaranteed Rate Field By R.J. Anderson / CBS Sports | August 24th, 2016

Bad news, White Sox fans -- the rest of the league has another reason to poke fun at your team. On Wednesday, the White Sox announced new naming rights for their stadium, currently known as U.S. Cellular Field. You'll never guess the new name. Nope. Not that either. Here you go:

Dan Hayes ✔ @CSNHayes #WhiteSox have naming rights deal in place. Going from US Cellular Field to Guaranteed Rate Field starting next season. 3:35 PM - 24 Aug 2016

That's Guaranteed Rate as in Guaranteed Rate Inc., a mortgage company whose headquarters is located in Chicago. Whether that local flavor helps offset the oddness of the name ... well, no, it almost certainly doesn't. Sorry, folks.

But hey, on the bright side: at least nobody will forget where the White Sox play?

White Sox changing stadium name to Guaranteed Rate Field; internet begins mocking Get ready for Guaranteed Rate Field By Grey Papke / Larry Brown Sports | August 24th, 2016

The Chicago White Sox agreed to a deal on Wednesday that will see their stadium renamed Guaranteed Rate Field at season’s end, and the internet is having a blast mocking the new name.

The new deal runs through the 2030 season and takes effect starting next year.

Jordan Bernfield ✔ @JordanBernfield The Cell will no longer be The Cell. #WhiteSox announce new ballpark naming rights partnership. “Guaranteed Rate Field" 2017-2030. 3:33 PM - 24 Aug 2016

While we’re used to corporate ballpark naming rights, this one is pretty ridiculous, even by those standards. Naturally, Twitter reacted accordingly.

Kenny Ducey ✔ @KennyDucey "ready to go?" "where are we going?" "Guaranteed Rate Field" "ah — let me put on my shoes" 4:01 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Jeremy Scheuch @jeremyscheuch The logo for Guaranteed Rate is literally just an arrow pointing down. Good job @whitesox. Guaranteed Rate Field 4:01 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Joe Sheehan @joe_sheehan Guaranteed Rate Field isn't the problem. The problem is the rate is .475. #whitesox 4:12 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Lindsey Adler ✔ @Lahlahlindsey *chris sale cuts up naming rights contract* 3:39 PM - 24 Aug 2016 whitesoxdave @barstoolWSD Welcome to Guaranteed "we won't pay for any premium players" rates field - 2017 white sox slogan 3:41 PM - 24 Aug 2016 · Chicago, IL, United States

Amidst the mockery were details of some shady dealings made by the company in question.

Josh Frydman ✔ @Josh_Frydman Guaranteed Rate was ordered to pay $25 million in damages for an alleged corp. espionage scheme in March #WhiteSox http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-guaranteed-rate-fraud-verdict-0326-biz- 20160326-story.html … 3:59 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Photo published for Guaranteed Rate ordered to pay $25M in alleged loan diversion scheme We really do need Chris Sale’s take on this given the reasoning he gave for slicing up those jerseys. This is definitely one of the more cringeworthy corporate stadium names in all of pro sports.

I wish to purchase stadium naming rights and name the stadium after myself By Seth Rosenthal / SB Nation| August 24th, 2016

U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, now goes by the name Guaranteed Rate Field because a company called Guaranteed Rate paid $68 million for naming rights.

I would also like to buy naming rights to a stadium. Or an arena. Or a field, garden, park, dome, center ... even a centre. I don't have $68 million, but I do have $18. And that's not all.

See, I have no intention of reproducing, but I do intend to leave a lasting legacy on this planet. That is why I wish to purchase the rights to name a sporting venue Seth. Not Seth Stadium or The Seth Center, just Seth. Seth Jr., I guess. And unlike the corporations that coldly exploit their adopted mega-buildings, I will go beyond just naming my stadium. I will treat Seth Jr. like any father would treat a son or daughter. I will visit it a couple times a year, depending on the stadium's proximity to my home. I will feed and protect the stadium, and bathe it, I guess with a big hose. I will play ball with it. Or, you know, inside it. I will love it, nourish it and teach it lessons.

This is what I can offer that Vivint Smart Home and CenturyLink and Talking Stick can and will not. Less money, yes, but also a father's love.

So who's it going to be? Looking around the web, I found a few buildings with naming rights set to expire in 2017. One is Qualcomm Stadium, home of the Chargers. I have ruled this out because I do not want my stadium-child to inherit an association with failure and suffering. Ditto the Verizon Center, home of the Washington Wizards. The pickings are slim, really.

So what about an arena whose naming rights have not been purchased? Madison Square Garden, home of my beloved Knicks, would be great. It would be such an honor for the Knicks -- history's most successful sports franchise -- to play home games at Seth, aka the "World's Most Famous Arena."

So hit me up, MSG people. Or anyone with a stadium, really. My heart is open, my money is good, and I am willing to commit for life. A brand can't give you all this.

White Sox hope new stadium name is not an indication of their fortunes By Pete Grathoff / Kansas City Star | August 24th, 2016

Here’s the thing: The Chicago White Sox actually seemed happy about this news that they have a new stadium sponsor that is worse than the current one.

And, yes, I know the White Sox play at U.S. Cellular Field.

On Wednesday, the White Sox announced that the naming rights for the stadium had been purchased by Guaranteed Rate, a mortgage lender based in Chicago.

What’s the big deal? Well, take a look at this Twitter post announcing the news:

Guaranteed Rate @GuaranteedRate We’ve hit a home run! The White Sox stadium is becoming #GuaranteedRateField this November! #SoxGameDay 3:36 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Yes, that is a very, very big red arrow pointing down. I’m not sure that’s what you want fans to see as they enter your stadium. Perhaps it’s an indication of the franchise’s fortunes since winning the World Series in 2005 … always headed down.

I don’t know anything about Guaranteed Rate, but maybe they promise to cut rates. Then again, do the Sox want to be known as a cut-rate organization?

Or maybe they slash rates like Chris Sale slashes jerseys?

The name change becomes official on Nov. 1, which could be during the World Series (depending on how many games are played). Does that mean the White Sox could play the World Series in a stadium with two different names?

Of course not. The White Sox aren’t going to the World Series.

The news release says that the name change was subject to the approval of the Illinois Sports Facilities Association, which apparently must be made up of Cubs fans.

Man, this new stadium name lends itself to so many jokes. I’ll let some of the fine folks on Twitter add a few of their own, starting with the Chicago Cubs.

Chicago Cubs ✔ @Cubs Guaranteed fate. 4:52 PM - 24 Aug 2016 jamesvanosdol @jamesvanosdol Guaranteed Rate Field? Does it get shortened to the Grate? 3:54 PM - 24 Aug 2016 · Chicago, IL, United States

Alex Quigley @alexquigley Source: Guaranteed Rate narrowly outbid this place for White Sox naming rights 3:54 PM - 24 Aug 2016 eriC @Word_Void Guaranteed Rate Field. That sounds like a generic cereal name from Dollar General. 3:54 PM - 24 Aug 2016

G. @CallMeKennyG Guaranteed Rate Field?? @whitesox 4:12 PM - 24 Aug 2016 · Chicago, IL, United States

₡ҤØ$Ẹ₦ Ø₦Ẹ @Angelia007 Guaranteed the White Sox are failing at this Rate. 3:54 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Kenny Williams @NotKenWilliams "Wait, they accepted our offer?" -Guaranteed Rate executives right now 3:55 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Lauren Joffe @thespinzone If Guaranteed Rate Field wore shoes, they'd look like this 4:11 PM - 24 Aug 2016 · Oakton, VA, United States

White Sox get trolled mercilessly for new stadium name By Des Bieler / Washington Post | August 24th, 2016

The White Sox announced a new naming-rights partner Wednesday, one that, in the words of team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, “shares our commitment to the city and to our fans.” He added, “We look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field.”

Well, the fans aren’t exactly enjoying the team’s 60-65 record, and early returns indicate that the new stadium name is going over even more poorly. “Was Year End Clearance Stadium already taken?” Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Morrissey asked.

“There are brutal ballpark names, there are ballpark names that inspire feelings of despair and hopelessness, and then there is Guaranteed Rate Field,” Morrissey wrote. “I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that Guaranteed Rate Field makes me want to lock in on a date to end it all.”

Not everyone was feeling suicidal about the change from U.S. Cellular Field — hardly the most stirring name in its own right, although “The Cell” had, ahem, a ring to it — but plenty agreed with Morrissey that “Guaranteed Rate Field” was well worth mocking. Here is a sampling of the reaction online:

Danny Ecker @DannyEcker BREAKING: Guaranteed Rate has purchased naming rights to U.S. Cellular Field. Will be known as Guaranteed Rate Field thru 2030.

Andy Cole @AndyCole84 .@DannyEcker because nothing screams the word "FUN!" quite like a night out at...Guaranteed Rate Field. 3:35 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Jeremy Scheuch @jeremyscheuch The logo for Guaranteed Rate is literally just an arrow pointing down. Good job @whitesox. Guaranteed Rate Field 4:01 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Kenny Ducey ✔ @KennyDucey "ready to go?" "where are we going?" "Guaranteed Rate Field" "ah — let me put on my shoes" 4:01 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Joe Sheehan @joe_sheehan Guaranteed Rate Field isn't the problem. The problem is the rate is .475. #whitesox 4:12 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Jeff Sullivan @based_ball I think Guaranteed Rate Field is a wonderful name for a ballpark. say, have you met my kids, Clubber- Butter and Fish Grease 4:13 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Jeff Lewis @ChicagoPhotoSho Due to my thick #chicago accent, I'm pretty sure "Guaranteed Rate Field" will sound more like "Sox park" when I say it. 4:11 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Phil Rosenthal @phil_rosenthal Low interest at Guaranteed Rate Field? OK. Now I get it. #WhiteSox 4:33 PM - 24 Aug 2016

CJ Nitkowski ✔ @CJNitkowski Guaranteed Rate Field? What's next?.... 7:10 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Holly Brooke @Holly_Brooke7 I thought renaming the Sears Tower to the WIllis Tower was dumb, but Cellular Field now "Guaranteed Rate Field"?! 11:00 PM - 24 Aug 2016

“I’ve seen a couple of the really good ones and I’ve got a chuckle out of them,” White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer said Wednesday. Oh wait, he was talking about possible new nicknames for the stadium, not the trolling tweets.

“It’s interesting because obviously U.S. Cellular Field got shortened to ‘The Cell,'” Boyer said. “Is it G- Rate Field? Or The Rate? I don’t know. We’ve kind of kicked it around.”

Just a hunch that White Sox executives would probably prefer that this nickname, popular on the Internet on Wednesday, does not actually catch on:

The new stadium name is set to take effect on Nov. 1, setting up a scenario, if the White Sox somehow reach the World Series, that Games 1 and 2 could be at U.S. Cellular and Games 6 and 7 at Guaranteed Rate. Meanwhile, even other Chicago teams were mining it for yuks.

Chicago Cubs ✔ @Cubs Guaranteed fate. 4:52 PM - 24 Aug 2016

Chicago Bears ✔ @ChicagoBears BREAKING: Still Soldier Field. 4:55 PM - 24 Aug 2016