Alexian Field
Encyclopedia
Schaumburg Baseball Stadium is a stadium
in Schaumburg, Illinois
formally known as Alexian Field. It is primarily used for baseball
, and was the home field of the Schaumburg Flyers
minor league
baseball team from 1999 through 2010. It is now home to the Schaumburg Boomers
of the Frontier League
which will begin play in May 2012.
Schaumburg Baseball Stadium opened in 1999 and holds 6,000 people. Its field dimensions mimic those of Chicago's Wrigley Field
, and the land the stadium is built on was originally purchased in the mid-1980s as a hopeful site for the New Wrigley Field, had the City of Chicago and the Chicago Cubs
not come to terms to bring night baseball to the North Side. Some pro lacrosse
as well as professional
and amateur
softball has also been played at Schaumburg Baseball Stadium due to the late start (mid-May) of the Northern League's season.
The Stadium itself is located west of I-355
off the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway
. Originally and once again called Schaumburg Baseball Stadium, the Alexian Brothers Medical Center in nearby Elk Grove
purchased the naming rights to the ballpark in 2000. The Stadium was host to the Schaumburg Flyers
from its opening through the end of the 2010 season. At that point, the village and park district which owned the stadium began eviction proceedings against the Flyers for failure to pay $ 551,800 in back rent. On February 24, 2011, a Cook County
court ruled the Flyers could be evicted, ordered the now defunct team to pay the back rent, and the naming rights contract was terminated when there was no professional baseball played in the park in 2010.
From 2009-10, the Wheaton College Thunder, a Division III baseball program, played its home games at the Schaumburg Baseball Stadium, and in 2011, the Roosevelt Lakers, an NAIA baseball program, played its home games at the stadium as well.
Later that year, in September 2011, Chicago attorney Patrick A. Salvi was awarded ownership of a Frontier League
franchise that will begin play in May 2012. Salvi is also the owner of the American Association's Gary SouthShore RailCats
. The franchise will be known as the Schaumburg Boomers named after the "booming dance" of the male Greater Prairie Chicken.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As...
formally known as Alexian Field. It is primarily used for baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and was the home field of the Schaumburg Flyers
Schaumburg Flyers
The Schaumburg Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois, in the United States. The Flyers were to be a charter member of the North American League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, however, the team folded in March of 2011, before they began play in...
minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
baseball team from 1999 through 2010. It is now home to the Schaumburg Boomers
Schaumburg Boomers
The Schaumburg Boomers are a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois, that will begin play in the independent Frontier League for the upcoming 2012 season. Home games are played at Alexian Field...
of the Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
which will begin play in May 2012.
Schaumburg Baseball Stadium opened in 1999 and holds 6,000 people. Its field dimensions mimic those of Chicago's Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, and the land the stadium is built on was originally purchased in the mid-1980s as a hopeful site for the New Wrigley Field, had the City of Chicago and the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
not come to terms to bring night baseball to the North Side. Some pro lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
as well as professional
Major North American professional sports teams
The following is a list of teams that play in one of the six major sports leagues in the United States and Canada: Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Soccer. All lists...
and amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
softball has also been played at Schaumburg Baseball Stadium due to the late start (mid-May) of the Northern League's season.
Interstate 355
Interstate 355 , also known as the Veterans Memorial Tollway, is an Interstate Highway and tollway in the western and southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Like most other toll roads in the northeastern portion of the state, I-355 is maintained by a State Highway Authority...
off the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway
Elgin-O'Hare Expressway
The Elgin-O'Hare Expressway is an Interstate-standard freeway in northeast Illinois, United States. Contrary to its given name, the expressway does not enter either Elgin or O'Hare International Airport, giving it a somewhat infamous reputation as a "road to nowhere"...
. Originally and once again called Schaumburg Baseball Stadium, the Alexian Brothers Medical Center in nearby Elk Grove
Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Elk Grove Village is a municipality located in northeastern Illinois adjacent to O'Hare International Airport and the City of Chicago. Elk Grove Village encompasses in land area with located in Cook County and located in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 32,745 at the 2010 census...
purchased the naming rights to the ballpark in 2000. The Stadium was host to the Schaumburg Flyers
Schaumburg Flyers
The Schaumburg Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois, in the United States. The Flyers were to be a charter member of the North American League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, however, the team folded in March of 2011, before they began play in...
from its opening through the end of the 2010 season. At that point, the village and park district which owned the stadium began eviction proceedings against the Flyers for failure to pay $ 551,800 in back rent. On February 24, 2011, a Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
court ruled the Flyers could be evicted, ordered the now defunct team to pay the back rent, and the naming rights contract was terminated when there was no professional baseball played in the park in 2010.
From 2009-10, the Wheaton College Thunder, a Division III baseball program, played its home games at the Schaumburg Baseball Stadium, and in 2011, the Roosevelt Lakers, an NAIA baseball program, played its home games at the stadium as well.
Later that year, in September 2011, Chicago attorney Patrick A. Salvi was awarded ownership of a Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
franchise that will begin play in May 2012. Salvi is also the owner of the American Association's Gary SouthShore RailCats
Gary SouthShore RailCats
The Gary SouthShore RailCats are a professional baseball team based in Gary, Indiana, in the United States. The RailCats are a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The RailCats have played their home games at...
. The franchise will be known as the Schaumburg Boomers named after the "booming dance" of the male Greater Prairie Chicken.