SoxFest returns for first time since 2020 as White Sox seek to climb out of the MLB cellar
CHICAGO (CBS) -- For the first time since 2020, the White Sox annual fan convention is back, rebranded as SoxFest Live.
The two-day event kicked off Friday at the Ramova Theatre, about half a mile west of the ballpark in Bridgeport.
The event comes after both editions in 2021-22 were canceled due to the pandemic. The 2023 fest was called off citing "multiple reasons," and a smaller event was held last year just for season-ticket holders. This year, the fest is back in full swing.
SoxFest also kicked off with a surprise, as one of the greatest pitchers in White Sox history is getting immortalized at the stadium he called home for 12 seasons. A Mark Buerhle statue will be unveiled on July 11 as part of a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the World Series championship team.
Meantime, fans got a chance to meet current players and top prospects who are eager to compete to be a part of a team that can start to make change in the form of more wins under first-year manager Will Venable.
"Obviously, we have a great fanbase. So just being able to interact with them, and meet them, and obviously they wanted more out of us, and we couldn't give that to them last year. So it will be nice just being around them getting to know them," pitcher Drew Thorpe said.
Some of the familiar faces still on the team like Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert weren't at SoxFest, opening an opportunity for top prospects like Colson Montgomery and Downers Grove North's George Wolkow to take center stage and let the fans get to know some of their hopefully future fan favorites.
"It's really exciting, especially being a local. This will be my first opportunity to go out at an event in front of the fans in Chicago, and so it's super-exciting just to have the opportunity to be here, first, and to just be able to do this," Wolkow said.
Montgomery, a shortstop ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 4 White Sox prospect and No. 37 overall in MLB, will be competing for a spot on big league roster at spring training in Arizona next month.
"I think the Sox are doing a really good job of bringing in the right guys," Montgomery said. "I mean, it sucks you see some of our guys – [Garrett] Crochet and [Dylan] Cease and everybody – leave, but you've got to move on, you've got to get past it all, and look for betterment of the organization. So everybody here is hungry."
After a historically bad 2024 season, when the White Sox set a Major League record with 121 losses, hungry young talent will be key for a brighter future.
Montgomery is one of six Sox prospects who was named to the latest MLB pipeline top 100 list.
