Oak Forest Woman Attends 600 Straight White Sox Home Games

CHICAGO, IL - Baseball loyalty is something of which most of us can relate.

It’s likely you’ve been to a Major League ballpark. And you probably have a favorite team, even if the actual game of baseball doesn’t seem that appealing.

Fans in a city divided like Chicago show their loyalty to either the White Sox or Cubs, and will defend their team to the end. A yearly visit for a home game at your team’s park is usually a must for loyal fans.

Laura Williams says she is just one of those "ordinary" loyal White Sox fans. But her loyalty goes far beyond ordinary. Making the trip to U.S. Cellular Field isn’t something she does once a year. It’s something she does every night the team is in town. She hasn’t missed a home game since 2008, attending more than 600 consecutive contests in the process.

“I’ve been going ever since I was 10 or 11 years old,” Laura said. “I remember more Cubs games being on TV, so I can’t remember exactly why I picked the Sox. Our family went to a game in 1990 for the final season at the old ballpark and I knew then this was my thing. We went again the next year when they opened the new stadium and I’ve been going ever since.”

The possibility of a 600-game streak dates back to the magical 2005 season, when the White Sox won the World Series, Laura says. She signed up for season tickets for the following year during a promotion that offered tickets to two World Series games that year for the first few who could commit.

“The tickets I got that year were for Game 6 and 7 of the World Series,” she remembers, which perhaps was a tad bittersweet since her team took care of business before the championship series with the Houston Astros could even get that far.

“I was excited to go (to the World Series), but I’ll take the sweep,” she said.

Since the 2006 season opener, Laura has only missed nine White Sox home games.

The 37-year-old native of south suburban Crestwood who now lives in Oak Forest describes herself on Twitter as “an average girl” who loves her “family, friends and THE WHITE SOX!”

But there’s nothing average about a 600-game attendance streak. Her family knew that, and thanks to them, the team recognized it.

ESPN Chicago’s Sarah Spain told an inspirational story of the bond Laura has with her mother, Alice and sister, Carrie and its connection to baseball and White Sox home games.

After opting not to renew the season tickets for 2016 for family medical reasons, it was Carrie who noticed her sister’s streak would likely end at 591 consecutive games. But there was just something odd about that number. It was too close to 600, and Carrie made sure Laura would be in attendance for at least the first nine games this year.

Carrie then coordinated with the White Sox on recognizing her sister’s achievement. For Game 600, Laura was featured during and after the game on television. Play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti briefly told her story during an extended at-bat during the team’s 4-1 win over the Texas Rangers on April 24. Alice made sure the feat was recognized by those in attendance that day, setting up a congratulatory message on the scoreboard.

RELATED ON SOUTH SIDE PATCH: The 25 Best White Sox Moments at U.S. Cellular Field on its 25th Anniversary

Laura thought that was a good way to end the streak. But the White Sox themselves had other ideas. They awarded her tickets to the next five home games so the streak would remain intact when the team could honor her during a May 7 outing against the Minnesota Twins.

That’s when Laura would become the next recipient of a “Sox Surprise.”

Before the game, outfielder Adam Eaton presented Laura with a personalized jersey marking the accomplishment, a tote bag full of goodies and season tickets for the remainder of the year in an on-field ceremony.

As Hawk Harrelson would say, “Don’t stop now, (Laura).”

A handful of the nine games Laura has missed over the last decade came in 2006, when she underwent surgery for cystic fibrosis, a condition she’s had since birth. Spain’s piece for ESPN further told of the bond Laura shares with Carrie, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012. The two have always been close, but the health challenges they both face have brought them even closer.

Read more on the Williams sisters' story via ESPN and Sarah Spain

Laura, a Mother McAuley High School alum who is now a medical technologist at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital outside of Chicago, said even though she attended nearly all the home games during the first three seasons of her season ticket era, a streak of 600 was not something in the plans.

It just sort of happened.

She missed a game in August 2008 due to a death in the family, but showed up again on August 13. She made it through the rest of that year, which included the famous “Black Out” game that propelled the White Sox to the American League Central Division championship.

“Then I made it through all of 2009 without missing a game and thought that was pretty cool,” Laura remembers. “Then I thought about how cool it would be to do the same thing in 2010. Then we started counting, and all of a sudden I was at 100, 200, 300 games in a row.”

Seeing as the White Sox have not fielded a playoff team since that 2008 season which saw the start of the streak, Laura hasn’t been watching the best baseball on a nightly basis. But the ballpark experience offers something new and unique each time, she says.

“Even the year when we lost 99 games, there were still some pretty fun comeback wins. There are always good promotions and the Star Wars day at the park is always fun. There’s always something.”

Among Laura’s favorite moments at the ballpark include being there for Jim Thome’s 500th home run and for the Mark Buehrle Perfect Game in 2009.

“I remember sitting there with Carrie [in the Bullpen Sports Bar] that day, remembering we were supposed to meet our mom,” Laura remembers of Buehrle’s masterpiece. “But we didn’t want to move anywhere that day.”

But as the team has put together a compilation of so-so seasons, 2016 so far is bucking that trend. As of Wednesday, the White Sox are 24-15 this year and lead the Cleveland Indians by three-and-a-half games for first place in the division.

“No one picked us to do well this year,” Laura said. “Hopefully we can keep this going and prove everyone wrong.”

As for the streak, it won’t reach 700 this year even if the White Sox reach the World Series. But it would come as no surprise if it reached that number, and other milestones, at some point.

“I never had perfect attendance in school as a kid, I got sick a lot growing up” said Laura.

But she has learned to deal with her health better as an adult, and has been the most loyal of all the dedicated fans at the ballpark.

Not the only dedicated fan, of course. And someone pretty close is working on a consecutive games streak of her own. The White Sox recognized Alice during the team's May 17 game against the Astros. It was her 200th straight at the ballpark.

"Only 407 to catch Laura!," read a message on the outfield scoreboard.

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PHOTOS:

1. Laura Williams in attendance at her 606th consecutive Chicago White Sox home game.

2. From left: Dave Bukowski (Laura's boyfriend), Laura, Alice Williams (Laura's mother), Carrie Williams (Laura's sister) and Randy Sturm (Carrie's boyfriend).

3. Laura and her sister Carrie take in the on-field moment when the White Sox surprised the longtime fan with season tickets for the remainder of the 2016 season.

4. Laura is joined by Carrie and Alice to celebrate the 600th game.

5. Laura is presented a special box with season tickets from White Sox player Adam Eaton, commemorating her streak of 600 consecutive home games attended. A custom "600" jersey was also included.

6. All the tickets from Laura's 600-game streak.

7. The White Sox presented Alice Williams with a customized jersey during the May 17 game against the Astros. It was her 200th consecutive game at U.S. Cellular Field.