Today marked the home opener for the Chicago White Sox’ 2016 season at U.S. Cellular Field. Despite a 7-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians and weather unconventional for baseball, the smell of baseball and spring was still in the air this afternoon. The sky saw fireworks, a jet planes, sunshine, snow flurries and home runs while the field saw some of the American League’s best athletes and a ceremonial pitch from Chicago’s Chance The Rapper.
Check out our photos from the Chicago White Sox Home Opener below and see our coverage from Chance’s first pitch here.
Chance The Rapper is nearing a club ambassador deal with the Chicago White Sox, ESPN reports, and it’s our favorite new partnership in the music and sports worlds. Chance has famously sported his White Sox cap, repping Chicago’s Southside, for years, and which recently led to the Chicago native designing a special Sox cap of his own with New Era.
While Chance’s Sox deal isn’t final and public just yet, Chance is certainly on path to help re-brand the Sox, the way that Drake has helped the Toronto Raptors in the NBA. So what better way for the White Sox to kick off their 2016 season than with Chance The Rapper throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for their home opener against the Cleveland Indians.
Rocking his new Sox hat, today marked the second time that Chance has thrown out the first pitch for the White Sox, but today’s pitch was especially significant. In a partnership that ESPN has called brilliant, as Chance wound up for his pitch this afternoon, the ‘Angels’ rapper may have given way to the start of a new era for the Chicago White Sox. Move over Wrigley, the U.S. Cellular Field is on its way to become the Windy City’s premiere place to catch a ball game.
Check out our snowy photos from Chance The Rapper’s ceremonial first pitch below.