SoxFest 2020 – The MSS Guide

Folks, the White Sox released the full schedule for 2020’s SoxFest. You can see that here. We are hosting an afterparty on Friday night at Reggies (2105 S State St, Chicago IL) and we will have some tickets available FRIDAY! Subscribe at this link to get updates when the tickets are released! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-soxfest-after-party-hosted-by-from-the-108-sox-machine-tickets-86724205433

If this is your first Soxfest, be sure to read my survival guide from 2018, while the venue has changed, the same strategy should be deployed. Remember, it’s 1 autograph per person and you can only have 1 wristband at one time. Planning your 2 days is the most important thing you can do! And have a 2nd and 3rd option ready to go!

Here are some changes that I saw in the SoxFest 2020 Policies.

Inscriptions: Requests for unique inscriptions may be made, but team members are not required to comply with any inscription requests. Furthermore, the location of where a team member signs an item is at the discretion of the team member.

So they took that shit to heart in 2018 and made a policy because of that guy going apeshit on Tim Anderson. Way to go crazy Twitter dude.

 

Autograph and Photograph Line Procedure: New to SoxFest this year, there will be two separate lanes to streamline back-to-back autograph sessions at a particular stage. For example, Line A will be used for the first autograph session programmed, while Line B will be used as a holding area for fans awaiting the subsequent autograph session.

THIS IS PRETTY AWESOME. It takes away the guesswork about which line you are waiting in. You wanna line up for the 6:30 session on stage 3 at 5:00? Well now you can! That rocks.

Speed Passes: Guests who purchased the MVP Package will not be guaranteed a “no wait” experience when using their speed pass, but their wait time will be significantly reduced. The bearer of this pass must be in line within 20 minutes of the scheduled start time of the autograph session. The bearer of this pass may have a wristband for another autograph/photo session.

This is not a new rule but last year they enforced this for the first time and I lost one of my speed passes due to getting to the stage 20 minutes after the session started. So, if you are a MVP pass holder, hopefully you know that you do not need a wristband to use you speed pass, which allows you to get a wristband for one session and use you pass at another (designated times and stages only). Example, for Friday, if you want to get Jose Abreu (Stage 5 / 5pm) and Lucas Giolito (Stage 1 at 5 pm), go to Abreu, get that band then get over to Lucas and use your speedpass. That is what $300+ buys ya, use it wisely.

Please Note: The White Sox ask that all fans use caution and do not run across the floor of SoxFest, which could result in injury to yourself or another guest.

It’s sad they have to say this. But we all remember the time we almost died on the escalator at the Hyatt.

Friday Night

SoxFest starts at 5pm, with Opening Ceremonies starting at 4pm. Here is the schedule for Friday. The talent is stacked. Looks like fun!

Now, at 6pm on the main stage, you get Jason Benetti with Rick Hahn and Ricky Rents. If you don’t want to get Yasmani Grandal’s autograph or check out Dallas’ beard in person, get to that stage and watch some Sox fans praise Hahn! Years previous, I would have said he’d get roasted, but you can’t give him shit now! We spent some cash boy-eeeee! They usually allow questions, so if you have a beef, get out there and talk about it. I dare you.

Saturday!

6 MUTHAFUCKIN’ STAGES OF AUTOGRAPHS. 6,075 AUTOGRAPHS.

Here is the schedule for Saturday. Everyone out there showing out.

Now, there are some clinics that I will be checking out over in the Kids Area / Mini Field. First and foremost, 11:30 a.m. – Bat Flipping 101 with Tim Anderson. Woah. That is the #1 clinic of the day with a bullet as ‘Loaf would say.

Also, always fun, at the Main Stage, 10:00 a.m. – Kids Club Press Conference – Moderated by Leah Rahimi – Kids take the lead as they ask White Sox players Eloy Jiménez, Nomar Mazara and Yasmani Grandal questions about baseball and beyond.

So if you get skunked on the guys you wanna get autographs from, swing over to the autograph stages. Also, if you get in the area of the player you might get lucky! It’s worked before, bound to work again!

So keep an eye out for 108’ers! We’ll be out there doing the SoxFest thing, maybe catch a beer in the Goose Island area! Let’s hope they are bringing the tall boys! See ya this weekend!

-MSS