Meet Al Koman — A 43-Year White Sox Season Ticket Holder
By Colin McGauley
At 60 years-old, Al Koman is a sales director who spends a vast majority of his working days on the phone. And if you are a family member, friend, client or prospective business partner who is lucky enough to receive Al’s call during baseball season, you’ll definitely want to answer… especially if the White Sox are playing at home.
Al has been a White Sox season ticket holder for 43 years, and while he’s had experiences that even the biggest White Sox fans can only dream of, his fondest memories come from sharing gameday traditions at the ballpark with whomever he’s chosen to take out to the ballgame — often, that’s family, friends, and as he prioritizes, “White Sox’ first-timers”.
“I love taking first-timers to my seats [Section 143, Row 6] because their jaw drops, and they’re just amazed. A lot of people have been to White Sox games, but very few have ever sat that close to the action. I’m right down the third base line and next to the home dugout, so it’s really a cool experience for people.”
Simply put, Al has access.
A two-hour commute to the ballpark from his hometown of Lake Villa typically warrants an experience grander than nine innings of baseball. Al treats all his guests to the Stadium Club, where he has known the White Sox staff since becoming a member in 1995. Snagging his favorite seats two hours prior to first pitch, he ensures his company drinks and eats well before the game, while the group chats baseball, sometimes business, and unwinds from rush hour traffic.
Al’s favorite Stadium Club staff — shoutout to his 25-year friendship with Kathy Bird and his favorite waitress, Deb Jeske — certainly missed his presence this past season, so the Inside the Sox blog team decided to catch up with Al and learn more about his Sox fandom over the years.
Becoming a Season Ticket Holder
A lifelong Chicago sports fan, Al began watching the White Sox at age 14. Though most of his family favored that team up north, Al’s father, a diehard White Sox fan, always snuck him glimpses of the Sox games televised late into the evening. In 1977, when he turned 18 years-old, he bought his first ticket package so he could witness the greatness of the South Side Hit Men in-person.
“It was the team that didn’t play good defense but could hit. They didn’t have the best pitching, but Steve Stone was on the team… Richie Zisk, Chet Lemon, Ralph Garr. Wayne Nordhagen was one of my favorites at the time.”
Five years later, Al took on full season tickets, and then in ’87, with the help of a close friend and his company, G.W. Berkheimer, he had enough interest and partners to take on even more seats. Today, Al has four seats in his season ticket package and is one of the most recognizable fan faces each game at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Top Moments that Jump to Mind
Al’s seen it all, from the team’s World Series championship campaign in 2005 — the organization’s third, and its first in 88 years — to witnessing back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs twice (’08: Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramírez and Juan Uribe; ’20: Yoán Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, José Abreu, Eloy Jiménez). On top of that, Al’s made it a point to share these historic moments with others. When asked about witnessing Mark Buehrle’s perfect game in ’09, it came as no surprise that he had given the tickets to the Elgin Police Department who used the opportunity to take a group of underprivileged kids to their first game.
Favorite Personal Memories
Momentous wins aside, Al also has been treated to his fair share of top-notch White Sox experiences. He regularly enjoys bringing friends, families and kids to the team’s annual Grinder Bash at Guaranteed Rate Field. Moreover, he has taken live batting practice and fielded hitting from minor league players on the field, attended press conferences, including José Abreu’s Rookie of the Year award media availability, went to the MLB All-Star Game at Comiskey Park in ’83, and he even was invited to give an in-person congratulations to Paul Konerko when he announced his retirement in September 2014.
In 2019, the White Sox invited Al to throw the first pitch in front of packed ballpark and more than 200 of his closest family members and friends, all the while, arranging for Ron Kittle to heckle him from the side of the mound. To his surprise, White Sox Chairman and Owner Jerry Reinsdorf joined the group for an introduction.
“So I’m walking out to the field, nervous as all hell, with two of my daughters and my wife, and I hear Jerry exclaiming, ‘Where’s Al? I’m looking for Al. I want to chat with Al.’ I’m absolutely shocked! We spent at least twenty minutes talking, and it was one of the most phenomenal experiences I’ve ever had. To me, that just topped the day.”
What’s Al Looking Forward To?
The simple answer is getting back to his seats and watching this promising team take the field in 2021. Al has been blown away by the talent of young players like Luis Robert and Eloy Jiménez, and his favorite player to watch right now is Tim Anderson. As most fans this season, he loved seeing Abreu campaign for an AL MVP nod and recalled his excitement catching Giolito’s no-hitter at home with his family. Al also mentioned that given the global public health crisis, this was the first season he was able to watch or listen to every single game, and he is over the moon about the White Sox chances to make deep postseason runs in the years to come.
Any Parting Thoughts, Al?
“The White Sox take care of me. I know how well I’ve been treated, and I really, really appreciate it. Some of the things they’ve done for me, they’re unbelievable. I will never forget. I’m so grateful, and I don’t think I’ll ever truly be able to express that.”
Season ticket holders have the opportunity to create new Sox memories at the ballpark all season long. They also are invited to private events like Grinder Bash, season ticket holder appreciation nights, player meet and greets and more. To learn more about White Sox ticket packages, exchange dates, flexible payment plans and other benefits, call 312–674–1000 to speak with a White Sox ticket sales representative.
