White Sox Under Fire For Renaming Stadium Concourse Section

Chicago IL

27 May, 2021

11:49 AM

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CHICAGO — The 2005 season will always hold a special place in the heart of Chicago White Sox fans, but for the family of Loretta Micele, a World Series championship was just part of the allure of a magical year. Micele had been a fixture at the Sox home ballpark since 1945 when she started working home games as a concessions worker. So, when Game 1 of the 2005 World Series rolled around, Micele never figured the Sox would honor her for 60 years of employment with the team. The anniversary celebration also included the Sox honoring Micele's years of service with a sign naming a section of the 100-level concourse after her "Loretta's Lounge." But seven years after Loretta's death in 2014, her little piece of the ballpark has been done away with and instead named after first-year manager Tony La Russa. But the rebranding of what is now considered "La Russa's Lounge" hasn't gone unnoticed and has Sox fans — and Micele's family — unhappy with how the team handled the renaming of the space. Much of this week's firestorm started after Sox fan Tyrone Palmer tweeted a photo of the new sign bearing the 76-year-old manager's name. This legit pissed me off. This was formerly named Loretta's Lounge after Loretta Micele. She worked concessions for the Sox for 60 years. They dedicated it to her during the 2005 World Series. She gave so much to the organization and replacing her name to that of TLR is shameful. pic.twitter.com/mecpWbTMoU— Tyrone Palmer (@TheTyronePalmer) May 26, 2021 "This legit pissed me off," Palmer wrote in a tweet that has garnered more than 29,000 likes and more than 4,500 retweets in less than one day. "This was formerly named Loretta's Lounge after Loretta Micele. She worked concessions for the Sox for 60 years. ... She gave so much to the organization and replacing her name to that of TLR is shameful." Lou Soto, Micele's great-grandson, told Patch on Thursday that the family wasn't even made aware that the change would be made. Soto's mother still works part-time for the team's payroll department and several family members work as concessions workers at the park. Soto also worked in the past for the team, and he said when the family inquired about the sign that has been displayed on the 100-level concourse for nearly the past 16 years, they were told the sign had already been disposed of. Since, he said believes that the lettering on the sign was replaced to include La Russa's name rather than Loretta's. Loretta Micele worked for the Chicago White Sox, Blackhawks and Bulls for more than 60 years as a concessions worker. (Photo courtesy of Lou Soto) For years, the family has wondering if each new season would be the year the sign came down as they understand that Major League parks undergo branding changes and updates. But the fact the sign bearing his great-grandmother's name without any notice was the toughest pill to swallow for the family. "It was just how it was handled," Soto told Patch in a telephone interview on Thursday. "Knowing we're still involved with the White Sox stadium and concessions and still have family still working there is what threw us off not hearing from management that they did it....that's what really irked us. It really hurt us." Soto has attended every Sox home opener since he was a kid and routinely would visit the lounge to snap a photo of him and friends and family in front of the "Loretta's Lounge" sign and to have a drink with "Gramm," Soto said. But since the firestorm over the removal of her name from the sign began this week, Soto said he has learned just how much Micele meant to the community. "There's so many people that knew my Great-Gramm that we've never met," Soto said of his great-grandmother who worked for the Sox for a total of 66 years."...She's the heart and soul of the South Side... everybody knew who she was, everybody called her 'Gramm', they asked her if she was OK, if she needed anything. She would brighten everybody's day." Loretta Micele's family has been visiting the lounge on the 100-level concourse to take pictures with the sign honoring Micele's years of service. (Photo courtesy of Lou Soto) The Sox issued a statement saying that another part of the ballpark that honored La Russa — the American League Manager of the Year in 1983 — was moved to the spot that had been dedicated to Micele's six decades of service to the team. "A space that had been named after La Russa for many seasons was relocated to the current area on the 100 level," the Sox said in the statement. "Loretta Micele has always been a treasured member of the White Sox family and a plaque in her honor remains in the space to honor her memory despite the name change. As we say in the plaque, Loretta was a dedicated concession stand staff member known for her service with a smile attitude." Micele, who was 85 when she was honored with the sign at the ballpark in 2005, told the Times of Northwest Indiana that she still loved her job as much as when she started. "I don't like to sit around the house," Micele, who lived in Bridgeport, told the newspaper. The sign which was displayed next to Micele's concession stand down the third-base line, came with an on-field ceremony to pay tribute to the long-time employee who said she cried when Old Comiskey Park was torn down in 1991. "I'd like to have died when I saw (the sign)," Micele told the Times of Northwest Indiana. "They had me on the field, and I waved and blew kisses to everyone." Micele also worked concessions at the United Center for Bulls and Blackhawks games during her years of employment and celebrated 60 years working for the two teams in 2006. Like her transition from Comiskey Park to U.S. Cellular Field, Micele also made the move from Chicago Stadium to the United Center. She told the Times of Northwest Indiana that after being honored by the team to start the 2005 World Series, she was rooting hard for the Sox to finish the job — which they did with a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros. "Please say a prayer for the White Sox and remember to come by the park and say hi to Gramma," she said. Unfortunately, years later, the sign that honored her space on the concourse of the home ballpark of the team she loved so much is no more. Still, Soto said he hopes the situation can be fixed and that his great-grandmother's presence can still be felt in the space that bore her name for so many years. If the sign was taken down, Micele's family always talked about having it moved to a lot they own where the sign could be displayed permanently. Soto remembers taking his youngest son to Loretta's Lounge for a photo and was disappointed when he wasn't able to take his 7-month-old son to the park last year when fans were not allowed to attend games. Now, with the sign seemingly gone, he still has faith in a team to which he remains faithful. "We're happy that (the sign) made it this long," Soto told Patch. "The Sox have already reached out to our family, and we're in the process of talking with them trying to make this right. I know they will do the right thing."