Grandstand: Bridgeport's family-owned home for White Sox fans

South Siders know Grandstand well. The family-owned Bridgeport staple has outfitted generations of Chicago sports fans since 1989.

Now, with the White Sox on a winning streak in the post-season, Grandstand feels less like a store and more like a home.

The Sox have been woven into Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood for generations. Grandstand has been part of the game-day tradition for decades.

Pete and Rosemary Powers started the business with a simple idea: create a place where Chicago sports fans could find gear they were proud to wear and feel welcome while doing it. More than three decades later, that family philosophy is still at the heart of the store.

Today, second-generation owners Josh and Stephanie carry the business on, welcoming longtime customers alongside new generations of Sox fans.

Grandstand has become a familiar stop not only for fans, but for members of the White Sox family itself.

Over the years, the store has welcomed some of the biggest names connected to Chicago baseball.

Stephanie has met White Sox legends including Robin Ventura and Frank Thomas, along with other Chicago sports icons. Carlos Lee, the former White Sox slugger, even found himself behind the cash register, helping Josh and Stephanie out in the store on one memorable occasion.

Grandstand has been here through winning seasons, rebuilding seasons, heartbreak and everything in between. The store has seen the neighborhood change, and it has been there when the Sox were chasing October baseball and when fans were simply looking for something to give them hope for next season.

Chicago Magazine recently described Grandstand as Bridgeport's headquarters for White Sox merchandise, noting that the store remains family-owned and sits just minutes from the ballpark.

And now, with White Sox playoff excitement back in Bridgeport, the store is once again doing what it has done for generations: getting Chicago fans ready for October.

And it's not just for the Soxl you'll find merchandise for the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks and Cubs, too. The family has always understood that being a Chicago sports fan means being part of something bigger than one team.

But make no mistake—when you walk into Grandstand in Bridgeport, you know whose neighborhood you're in. his is Sox territory.

And the family has one message for Chicago: Come to Bridgeport. Come see what makes this neighborhood special. Come visit a family-owned business that's been here since 1989. And get yourself some playoff gear.

And right now, with October baseball in the air, there's only one thing left to say: GO WHITE SOX!