Exploring the Rich History of Sports in Cicero, IL

Cicero, Illinois is a town steeped in sports history. From baseball to basketball, football to horse racing, the sports traditions in Cicero run deep. So if youre interested in exploring this towns sporting past and its vibrant and diverse current culture, here are some mustvisit locations.

Begin your journey at Hawthorne Race Course (3501 S Laramie Ave). This historic racetrack has been around since 1891 and was once known as Chicagos track. Famous horses like Citation and Whirlaway raced on these grounds throughout the 20th century. Today, visitors can still enjoy live racing or participate in offtrack betting at one of many simulcast locations around Chicagoland.

Next up is Wrigley Field (1060 W Addison St), home of the Chicago Cubs but also significant for hosting several boxing matches back when it was called Weeghman Park. In fact, on July 4th 1915 heavyweight champion Jack Johnson fought Jess Willard there before losing his title. Baseball fans will appreciate seeing this iconic stadium thats over 100 years old while boxing enthusiasts will love imagining what fights were like over a hundred years ago.

Head across town to Johnnys Grill (3465 S Morgan St) for delicious food and local flavorincluding photos on their walls depicting scenes from the movie The Breakfast Club which was filmed nearby at Maine North High School (9511 Harrison St). But why include Johnnys Grill as part of our sports tour? Well back during Prohibition era Al Caponewho regularly visited Racine Avenue where well visit later frequented Johnnys grill often enough that he had a personal booth built with thick curtains surrounding it for privacy!

Now lets continue south to Morton West High school(2400 Home Ave) located near S. Harlem Ave & Roosevelt Rd and here, youll discover one of the most famous basketball courts in Ciceros historyThe Cage. The Cage was made by local residents back in 1954 and features steel fences around it to prevent outofbounds plays from flying into traffic on the street below. It hosted tournaments full of legendary players like Isiah Thomas, Mark Aguirre, Nick Anderson during their high school careers.

Last but not least is Sportsmans Park (3700 South Kedzie Avenue). If that name doesnt ring a bell todayperhaps its previous name will: Comiskey Park II where the Chicago White Sox called home until 1991 when they moved to U.S Cellular Field now known as Guaranteed Rate field . But did you know that before this park housed the Sox or even MLB baseball for that matter it was home to multiple teams since opening up in April 1919? Notably some records indicate this facility held boxing events regularly from early days through midcentury.

Cicero, Illinois has an impressive sporting past that reflects its diverse community over time from horse racing and boxing matches at iconic venues; to pickup games at neighborhood public schools with worldclass players playing within makeshift facilities invented out of necessity by dedicated locals.Journey back into time by visiting these historic locations each providing a glimpse into what life looked like in decades gone by.

Websites:

Hawthorne Race Course: https://www.hawthorneracecourse.com/

Chicago Cubs/Wrigley Field: https://www.mlb.com/cubs/ballpark

Johnnys Grill: http://johnnysgrillciceroil.com/

Morton West High School Home of The Cage: https://ilciceromortonwesthighschool2.schooltree.org/

Sportsmans Park/Comiskey II/Guaranteed Rate Field :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportsman%27s_Park.