The Chicago White Sox's attendance problems have been well-documented this season. While the South Siders have turned into the hottest team in baseball over the last two weeks, they're still having trouble filling the stadium.
This is nothing new on the South Side. Attendance has become a yearly issue for the White Sox, especially when the team isn't in contention. While the overall numbers have been steadily improving this year thanks to good weather and even better baseball, I've always argued the Sox's attendance issues are caused by a relatively small fanbase. Even for a city as sports drunk as Chicago, supporting two teams is no easy task. There simply aren't that many Sox fans.
The Sox's attendance woes took an unforeseen hit on Monday when the Tribune reported the red line will be closing South Side service for five months starting in the spring of 2013.
That's right: next spring, red line service between Cermak-Chinatown and 95th Street will be closed for a large portion of the White Sox's season. The CTA is offering free shuttle service to the Green Line, but one would assume it'll still have a hefty impact on urban-dwellers traveling to U.S. Cellular Field.
It's certainly a nightmare for those who live south of Roosevelt, and likely another sign that attendance at White Sox games is inherently screwed.
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