SoxFest people, there's no need to dress for the occasion. We all know why we’re here.
Spring is coming. I've seen it on the horizon at SoxFest.
SoxFest is the annual gathering for fans of the summer game played on the South Side. North Siders have a similar event, Cubs Convention, that's just as silly as the Chicago White Sox event—three days in a hotel mostly standing in line. Think of it as Disney World, but without the thrill rides.
Like most rituals, the fan festivals signify something unseen. A fan convention starts a process in which a major league baseball team assembles its coaches and staff for spring training. Pitchers and catchers will report to Arizona on Feb. 12, but in the bleak midwinter, fans can get a read on spring before the groundhog (which by the way a minor-league mascot in the Braves system.)
So Brenda and I go. The couples we sit with in the ballpark go. We all meet each other in the halls and coffeeshops and bars at the Chicago Hilton, comparing notes on who's available to sign what and when. Collectively we’re trying to recreate the ballpark experience by killing time creatively.
