Fan conventions are essentially corporate-powered versions of pep rallies we all attended in high school or college. The purpose is to hype up fans to bring an extra energy boost to the season and then watch them head to the sales team booth looking to buy tickets. For Major League Baseball teams, these conventions are a great way to assure season ticket holders that their investment is worthwhile and introduce them to younger generations of fans who meet their favorite players. One day, those pre-teens will be future-paying customers. Thus, the cycle of profitable professional sports entertainment continues to spin.
Many MLB teams have been hosting conventions in big hotels or at their own ballparks, and the White Sox chose the former before the pandemic. In their first SoxFest since January 2020, they decided to stay in the neighborhood and host their convention at the newly restored Ramova Theater this weekend. This venue decision served two purposes: it would allow fans to check out the new Bridgeport attraction, and the White Sox could utilize the concert venue to put on a show.
That last point made 2025 SoxFest so much different from previous versions. Not only did fans scream wildly when 2005 World Series heroes Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, and Jose Contreras were introduced, but they also got to jam with The DIFF, a Boston-based band with a familiar face playing bass in White Sox radio play-by-play announcer Len Kasper. Comedian Kevin Bozeman closed out Friday night with his Comedy Curveball set that paired White Sox players with fans.
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That's the level of marketing hustle it will take to get fans through the turnstiles. White Sox fans have already been fooled by a rebuild before, so they're not going to fake enthusiasm for this particular team. Hell, even Getz himself has difficulty in trying to sell a reason why to watch in 2025. The front office can't get the people going, so it's up to the having White Sox marketing team to use nostalgia and other sources of entertainment.
That is why I think SoxFest at Ramova Theater worked. It's hard to beat a night out with friends while listening to live music and comedy and taking selfies with ballplayers. It was a great distraction from embracing the reality of another 100-loss season.
