Schaumburg Boomers | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
Information | |||||
League | Frontier League (West Division) | ||||
Location | Schaumburg, Illinois | ||||
Ballpark | Wintrust Field | ||||
Founded | 2011 | ||||
League championships | 4 (2013, 2014, 2017, 2021) | ||||
Division championships | 3 (2013, 2017, 2021) | ||||
Colors | Black, orange, white | ||||
Ownership | Patrick "Pat" Salvi | ||||
Manager | Jamie Bennett | ||||
General Manager | Michael Larson | ||||
Media | Daily Herald | ||||
Website | boomersbaseball |
The Schaumburg Boomers are a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois. The Boomers compete in the Frontier League (FL) as a member of the West Division and have won four league championships since their founding in 2011. They are the Frontier League's team with the most titles since their existence. Since 2011, the team has played their home games at the Wintrust Field, which they share with the Dominican Stars, a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the NCAA. The Boomers replaced the now defunct Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League after the franchise was evicted for not paying almost US$1 million in back rent. [1]
The "Boomers" nickname comes from a common nickname for males of the greater prairie chicken species, a bird which was once abundant in the Midwest but is now a vulnerable species. That bird's nickname comes from the dance these males do in order to attract females for mating purposes. The Boomers carry on the mascot's tradition by performing a reenactment of the prairie chicken's dance in between innings during games.
Originally, the team was set to play in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball under the ownership of rival Joliet Slammers principal owner Alan Oremus; however, Oremus sold the team to Gary SouthShore RailCats owner Pat Salvi, who moved the team to the Frontier League because of his loyalty to the RailCats and lack of interest in setting up a conflict should the two teams play against each other. [2] Under Oremus's ownership, the team had held a name-the-team contest, with the winning selection of "Mallers". After the ownership change, however, the Boomers name, logo, and colors were unveiled on October 18, 2011. [3]
The first signed roster player was infielder Andrew Cohn of Emory University. Shortstop Gerard Hall recorded the first hit in Boomers history in a 4–0 shutout against the Lake Erie Crushers in Avon, Ohio, in the franchise's first-ever regular season game. Outfielder Jereme Milons had the first extra-base hit in team history with a double to centerfield in the same game.
The Boomers won their home debut with a 5–2 victory over the Florence Freedom in front of 6,067 fans at Boomers Stadium. Outfielder Nate Baumann hit the first home run at Boomers Stadium with a two-run blast to left in the five-run sixth inning.
The Boomers finished the first half of their inaugural season as the Frontier League West Division Leaders with a record of 29–19. The team had a total of 10 representatives appear in the 2012 Frontier League All-Star Game in Normal. Manager Jamie Bennett managed the West Division squad and was joined by his coaching staff, Mike Kashirsky, Paul Kubon, C.J. Thieleke, and team trainer Scott Waehler. Schaumburg's Frank Pfister was selected as the West Division's starting third baseman, and was joined by outfielders Sean Mahley and Chad Mozingo and pitchers Cameron Roth and Patrick Mincey. [4]
The Schaumburg Boomers won the 2013 Frontier League championship in September 2013, becoming the first team in league history to finish the playoffs undefeated (in this case 6–0 as they won two best-of-five series). They defeated the Lake Erie Crushers in the championship final.
The Boomers again won the 2014 Frontier League championship, winning back-to-back titles. They beat the Southern Illinois Miners 2 games to 1 in the divisional round, and beat the River City Rascals 3 games to 1 to win the title.
The Boomers also won the 2017 Frontier League championship by defeating the Evansville Otters in the first round 3 games to 1, and beat the Florence Freedom, also 3 games to 1, in the championship round to win the title.
The Boomers won their fourth title by winning the 2021 Frontier League championship as they beat the Florence Y'alls in the first round 3 games to 1, and defeating the Washington Wild Things 3 games to 2 in the championship round.
Schaumburg Boomers seasons (2012–present) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Record | Average | Finished | Playoffs | |
2012 | 54–42 | .563 | 3rd in FL West | Did not qualify | |
2013 | 59–37 | .615 | 1st in FL West | Won Divisional Round over Florence Freedom 3–0 Won Championship over Lake Erie Crushers 3–0 | |
2014 | 61–35 | .635 | 2nd in FL West | Won Divisional Round over Southern Illinois Miners 2–1 Won Championship over River City Rascals 3–1 | |
2015 | 40–56 | .417 | 7th in FL West | Did not qualify | |
2016 | 41–55 | .427 | 6th in FL East | Did not qualify | |
2017 | 66–30 | .688 | 1st in FL East | Won First Round over Evansville Otters 3–1 Won Championship over Florence Freedom 3–1 | |
2018 | 45–51 | .469 | 4th in FL East | Did not qualify | |
2019 | 47–49 | .490 | 2nd in FL East | Did not qualify | |
2020 | - | - | - | Season not played due to COVID-19 | |
2021 | 51–45 | .531 | 1st in FL Central | Won First Round over Florence Y'alls 3–1 Won Championship over Washington Wild Things 3-2 | |
2022 | 54–43 | .557 | 2nd in FL Central | Won Wild Card Game over Evansville Otters 5-1 Won Divisional Round over Washington Wild Things 2-0 Lost Championship to Québec Capitales 3–1 | |
2023 | 54–41 | .568 | 2nd in FL Central | Lost Wild Card Game over Evansville Otters 4-3 | |
2024 | 51–45 | .531 | 4th in FL West | Did not qualify | |
Totals | 569–488 | .540 | 20–4 |
Games are broadcast on WRMN (1410 AM, Elgin, Illinois) by Boomers broadcaster Tim Calderwood. [5] [6]
The mascot of the Schaumburg Boomers is Coop the boomer. Coop is portrayed by a person dressed in a prairie chicken costume. [7] [8]
Active roster | Coaches/Other | |||
Pitchers
| Catchers Infielders
Outfielders | Manager
Coaches
Disabled list |
A boomer, or baby boomer, is a child born between 1946 and 1964.
The Frontier League is a professional baseball league in North America comprising 16 teams; 13 in the United States and 3 in Canada. The FL is one of the seven independent baseball leagues across North America, and is one of the four leagues considered as an MLB Partner League. The league is headquartered in Sauget, Illinois.
The River City Rascals were a professional baseball team based in O'Fallon, Missouri, in the United States. The Rascals were a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 1999 season to 2019, the Rascals played their home games at CarShield Field.
The Florence Y'alls are a professional baseball team based within the Greater Cincinnati region in the city of Florence, Kentucky. The Y'alls compete in the Frontier League (FL) as a member of the West Division. Since 2004, they have played their home games at Thomas More Stadium, which is located near Interstates 71 and 75.
The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Kansas. Formerly known as the Kansas City T-Bones, they are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball; which, in 2020, became designated as a Major League Baseball partner league. They have played their home games at Legends Field since 2003, when the team began as a member of the Northern League. In 2011, the team joined the modern American Association. In 2018, the T-Bones won their first-ever American Association championship by defeating the St. Paul Saints. While named the T-Bones, the team's mascot was named Sizzle. On January 21, 2021, the team announced a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and a rebranding to the Kansas City Monarchs, one of the founding teams of that league.
The Frisco RoughRiders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Based in Frisco, Texas, the team is named after the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment during the Spanish–American War, headed by future American President Theodore Roosevelt, nicknamed "The Rough Riders" by the American press. They play their home games at Riders Field, which opened in 2003 and seats 10,316 people.
The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named for Baseball Hall of Famer and Texas native Nolan Ryan, who was nicknamed "The Ryan Express." Ryan, along with son Reid Ryan and Don Sanders make up the team's ownership group, Ryan Sanders Baseball.
The Windy City ThunderBolts are a professional baseball team based in the Chicago suburb of Crestwood, Illinois, in the United States. The ThunderBolts are a member of the Frontier League (FL), as a member of the West Division. Since 1999, the ThunderBolts have played their home games at Ozinga Field. Formerly known as the Cook County Cheetahs, in 2004 they received a new ownership group, name and mascot. The Cheetah/ThunderBolts franchise has existed since 1995.
The Tri-City ValleyCats are a professional baseball team based in Troy, New York. The ValleyCats compete in the Frontier League (FL) as a member of the East Division, and play their home games at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
The New Jersey Jackals are a professional baseball team based in Paterson, New Jersey. The Jackals compete in the Frontier League (FL) as a member of the East Division. The team was founded in 1998 by Floyd Hall and is owned by Al Dorso, a businessman who also owns the Sussex County Miners, Skylands Stadium, and State Fair Superstore. The Jackals play their home games at Hinchliffe Stadium.
The Schaumburg Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois, in the United States. The team played in the Northern League from 1999 to 2010, with their home games at Alexian Field, near the Elgin O'Hare Expressway. They formerly played in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where they were known as the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks.
The Lancaster JetHawks were a baseball team located in Lancaster, California. They were named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and played their home games at The Hangar. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's California League, a Class A-Advanced league affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB). With MLB's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, Lancaster was not selected to continue in affiliated baseball, and ultimately folded.
Wintrust Field is a stadium in Schaumburg, Illinois, formerly known as Boomers Stadium and Alexian Field. It is now home to the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League which began play in May 2012 and captured the first-ever professional baseball championship for Schaumburg in 2013. It is primarily used for baseball, and was the home field of the Schaumburg Flyers baseball team from 1999 through 2010 before the Boomers resurrected the facility for pro baseball in 2012.
The Québec Capitales are a professional baseball team based in Quebec City. They compete in the Frontier League (FL) as a member of the East Division. The club is owned by Jean Tremblay, Pierre Tremblay, and Marie-Pierre Simard. Since their establishment, they play their home games at Stade Canac. Their mascot is Capi the Lion.
The Southern Illinois Miners were a professional baseball team based in Marion, Illinois. The Miners were members of the West Division of the independent Frontier League. From 2007 to 2021, the Miners played their home games at Rent One Park.
The Lake Erie Crushers are a professional baseball team based in Avon, Ohio. They compete in the Frontier League (FL) as a member of the West Division, and began play as an expansion team in 2009.
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area, and play their home games at Constellation Field.
The Joliet Slammers are a professional baseball team based in Joliet, Illinois. The Slammers competes in the Frontier League (FL) as a member of the West Division and play their home games at the Duly Health and Care Field. The Slammers were founded in 2010, a year before their rival Schaumburg Boomers.
WRMN is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Elgin, Illinois. It serves the Fox Valley in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. The station's broadcast license is held by Elgin Community Broadcasting LLC. It has a format of talk radio shows and shopping programs.
Braxton Cain Thomas Davidson is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Gastonia Baseball Club of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.