Schaumburg Flyers
Encyclopedia
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 the NAL. From the 1999 season to the 2010 season, the Flyers played their home games at Alexian Field
, near the Elgin O'Hare Expressway. The team formerly played in Thunder Bay
, Ontario
, where they were known as the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks. The team was originally a member of the Northern League from 1993 to 2010.
On July 27, 2009, the Flyers played host to Battle of the Sexes II, which pitted the Flyers against the National Pro Fastpitch Softball Champions, the Chicago Bandits. Played by official softball rules, the game was seen by an overflow record crowd of 8,918, and was won by the Bandits 4-2. Covered by over 20 media outlets, the game goes down in Chicagoland and professional sports history as one of the most successful and innovative special events ever orchestrated.
In 1999, the Flyers hired their first manager, Ron Kittle
. Kittle is most famous for his playing days with the White Sox, and former Cub and White Sox Greg Hibbard
was the pitching coach. During the early years of the franchise, Kittle did a series of TV commercials to promote the team, using the gimmick "Ma Kittle." where he played both himself and his "Ma." The ads were successful at sparking some initial interest in the team as the Flyers hoped to steal away fans from the nearby Kane County Cougars
. The ad mimmicked the highly successful Converse ads where Larry Johnson starred as both himself and "Gramama." At the end of the 2001 season, however, Kittle resigned from his managerial position, and Jim Boynewicz was hired to replace him.
In 2004, the Flyers made it to the Northern League Championship Series against the St. Paul Saints
. Despite leading the five-game series 2-1, Schaumburg eventually lost the series. In Game 5, Flyers relief pitcher
Lyle Prempas allowed a game winning grand slam
by St. Paul infielder Marc Mirizzi in the ninth inning.
The Flyers appeared in the Northern League Playoffs four times (1999, 2003, 2004, 2006) but never won the championship. Some famous players who played for the Flyers were former Oakland A's outfielder Ozzie Canseco
and former Chicago Cubs
outfielder Dwight Smith.
and SportsCenter
. Nigel brought many fans to Alexian Field, but on May 1, 2006, Nigel was traded to Fullerton of the Golden League for 60 cases of Budweiser beer.
The 2007 season saw the Flyers undergo some changes, most notably with the departure of '06 manager Andy McCauley to the Kansas City T-Bones
. Steve Maddock became the fourth manager in Flyers history after McCauley left for Kansas City, and he quickly worked to build a team that had only one member carry over from the 2006 campaign. The road for Schaumburg that year proved to be difficult, as the Flyers could manage no more than 20 wins in either half of the season and failed to make the playoffs.
May 21, 2009: Flyers prepare to unveil their new logo, accompanied by a new black jersey to be worn for all Friday night home games. Along with this new look, the Flyers teamed up with Rainbow Play Systems and Finish Stong Sports Academy to expand their Kidz Zone, located along the left field line.
May 22, 2009: Flyers starter Dustin Glant goes the distance, allowing just two runs en route to a 6-2 Flyers home-opener victory over the JackHammers in front of 5,288 fans.
May 24, 2009: Glant earns season’s first Northern League Pitcher of the Week honor, going 2-0 with a sparkling 1.13 ERA in his first two starts of the campaign.
May 25, 2009: Flyers turn second triple play in franchise history. With runners on first and second and in motion, Joliet’s Wally Backman Jr. lined out to 2B Jose Valdez. Valdez threw to first for the second out, and 1B Jason Colson completed the play by firing to SS Travis Brown behind the lead runner at second.
June 6, 2009: Richard Mercado blasts season’s first walk-off homer at Alexian to top Kansas City 7-5, extending the Flyers win-streak to a season-best eight games.
June 7, 2009: Flyers players sweep Northern League weekly awards, with Jeff Dunbar taking NL Player of the Week and Craig James earning NL Pitcher of the Week.
June 28, 2009: 43 year-old former big-leaguer and Flyers DH Felix Jose improves OBP to season-high .457, a .050 lead over the Northern League’s second best.
June 30, 2009: A Northern League-best nine Flyers are named to the Great Lakes All-Star roster. Honorees are DH Felix Jose, 3B Vince Harrison, OF Jeff Dunbar, 2B Jose Valdez, OF Victor Ferrante, and pitchers Dustin Glant, Cephas Howard, Ed Almonte, and Craig James.
July 16, 2009: Hundreds storm the infield at Alexian for the first Richard Allen Jewelers Diamond Dig. Participants are given Popsicle sticks to dig the infield dirt in search of a $1,500 diamond gold ring, which becomes the property of the lucky finder, no strings attached.
July 27, 2009: An Alexian Field record crowd of 8,918 witnesses the much-anticipated Battle of the Sexes, as the National Pro Fast-Pitch Softball’s Chicago Bandits defeats the Flyers 4-2 in a game governed by official softball rules.
July 30, 2009: Mayor proclaims Rotary Night. Rotarians and their guests account for 5,000 of the 5,596 people at the game.
August 8, 2009: Flyers ride Dustin Glant to 7-2 win over Winnipeg, sealing their first series win at CanWest Park since 2006 and notching back-to-back victories for the first time in nearly a month.
August 25, 2009: Flyers RF Victor Ferrante named Northern League Player of the Week, leading the league during the seven-day stretch in total bases (23), RBI (9) and slugging percentage (.920), while batting .440 (11-for-25) with seven runs scored, four doubles, a triple, and two home runs in the week.
August 31, 2009: Flyers lead the Northern league in win increase from 2008 to 2009 as well as highest attendance increase from 2008 to 2009.
September 16, 2009: Cephas Howard named Northern League Rookie Pitcher of the Year, and shortstop Travis Brown named Northern League Defensive Player of the Year for the 2009 campaign.
May 28, 2010: The Flyers come onto Alexian Field under the temporary team name of Schaumburg Pilots. The Pilots name was upheld throughout the Stanley Cup Finals as a sign of support for the hometown Chicago Blackhawks as they took on (and beat) the Philadelphia Flyers in 6 games. The Pilots beat the Gary Southshore Railcats 5-3 for the team’s first home win of the season.
June 1, 2010: Pilots win 6-5 over the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks. Richard Mercado hit a two-run homer, and Andre Marshall hit a walk off solo home run to seal the game for the Pilots.
June 19, 2010: Ryan Gehring strikes out eight Kansas City T-Bones and allows only five hits en route to a 4-1 Flyers victory. Gehring picked up the win in his first start of the season.
June 21, 2010: Dustin Glant tosses a complete game shutout as the Flyers win 2-0 over Joliet. The righty allowed five hits while striking out seven batters. Joey Gomes hit an RBI single in the first inning, and Andre Marshall added a solo home run in the fourth to give the Flyers all they would need for the victory.
June 22, 2010: University of Illinois head football coach Ron Zook and head basketball coach Bruce Weber were on hand to witness a 9-5 Flyers victory on Illini night at Alexian Field.
June 23, 2010: The Flyers knocked off the Jackhammers in dramatic style with a bottom of the ninth walk-off double by Joe Pauley for a 5-4 win, securing Schaumburg’s first series sweep of the season. Joey Gomes stretched his league leading hit streak to 18 games, going 3-4 with three singles.
June 25, 2010: Flyers need just three hits to secure a 4-3 victory over the Lake County Fielders. Joey Gomes drew two walks in the game, but did not collect a hit, snapping his 19 game hit streak.
June 26, 2010: Flyers win their sixth straight game. Dustin Glant pitched 8.2 strong innings before being pulled in a bases loaded jam in the top of the ninth. Evans was able to strike out the Fielder’s Brian McFall to seal the win for Glant and pick up the save.
July 7, 2010: Flyers sweep their series against the Rockford Riverhawks, winning both games of a double-header. Richard Mercado and Joe Nowicki smacked solo home runs for the Flyers in the first game, and Matt Elliott picked up the win in the 5-2 victory. In the second game, Ron Bourquin drew a game-winning bases loaded walk in the eleventh inning to score Ruddy Yan and win 4-3.
July 14, 2010: Dustin Glant and Richard Mercado represent the Schaumburg Flyers in the Northern League All-Star game in Tucson, Arizona. Mercado notched a hit and Glant pitched one inning of relief, giving up one earned run on two hits to go along with a strikeout. The Northern League All-Stars cruised past the Golden League All-Stars 9-3.
July 24, 2010: Dustin Glant tosses a complete-game gem, his second of the year, as the Flyers beat the Winnipeg Goldeyes 4-2. Glant allowed just two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
July 28, 2010: Newly inducted Hall of Famer Andre Dawson hosts a celebrity softball event at Alexian Field following the Flyers game against Joliet. The Hawk suited up in front of a lively crowd with several other baseball greats and celebrities, including Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, Don Zimmer, Vida Blue, Steve McMichael, and Giuliana and Bill Rancic.
July 31, 2010: The Flyers beat the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 9-7 in an impressive display of offense by both teams at Alexian Field. Ruddy Yan hit an inside-the-park home run that scored two.
August 2, 2010: Joey Gomes hit two home runs to blast the Flyers past the Riverhawks 12-5. Gomes finished his remarkable night 3-5 with two homers, a double, five RBI, and three runs scored. Mario Delgado returned to the Flyers with a bang as he launched a Brett Durand offering over the center field fence in the second inning.
August 11, 2010: Alain Quijano was almost unhittable at Alexian Field. The lefty tossed a one-hit shutout as the Flyers earned a 4-0 win over the Lake County Fielders. It took 116 pitches for Quijano to finish the complete game, striking out seven Fielders along the way. It was the fourth complete game of the season for the Flyers.
August 15, 2010: Dustin Glant is named Northern League Player of the Week. Glant went 2-0 in two starts with a 1.80 ERA during the week.
August 29, 2010: Flyers sweep Fielders 9-4. Dustin Glant picked up his ninth win of the year, and Kit Pellow and Chris Schultz each hit homers for the Flyers.
September 1, 2010: Flyers pitcher Brian McCullough is named the Northern League’s Pitcher of the Month for August. McCullough allowed only one earned run during August and owned a 3-0 record with a 1.33 ERA in the month. He also had 5 saves during that span, while appearing in 12 games.
September 15, 2010: Travis Brown is named the Northern League’s Top Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Brown led all shortstops with 330 assists and 522 total chances, committing only 20 errors (.962), and helping the Flyers post the best fielding percentage in the league (.977).
November 18, 2010: Flyers join newly formed North American Baseball League. The league was formed by members of the Golden Baseball League, the Northern League, and the United League.
in the winter of 2010. Village of Schaumburg officials have been trying to get more than $900,000 in unpaid rent from the team that plays at the village-park district owned Alexian Field. The Schaumburg Flyers received an eviction notice from their long-held lease at Alexian Field on February 24th, but may have until March 6 to be sold to a new owner before they have to pack their bags.
On Thursday February 24th, a judge issued a court order that returns the Flyers’ lease to the village of Schaumburg and Schaumburg Park District, which co-own the stadium. The order also requires the team’s ownership to pay $551,828.92 in overdue rent.
The village and park district sued the team earlier this offseason for more than $920,000 in overdue rent and other payments. The two governments repossession of the lease allows them to begin negotiations with other parties interested in establishing a team at Alexian Field.
But the Flyers’ current ownership is continuing to work toward the sale of the team, which remains the best option for all concerned for many reasons, including marketing, Schaumburg Village Manager Ken Fritz said. “Until we make a commitment to someone, it’s still an open door,” he said. The tight time frame to get an entirely new team established and in a league before this summer would be challenging but not impossible, Fritz said.
It’s not likely that a new team would take the Flyers’ place in the North American League, though, because that league remains in discussions with the potential buyers of the Flyers, Fritz added.
Rich Ehrenreich, the original owner of the 12-year-old Flyers, has been trying to sell the team since the 2009 announcement that he was partnering with actor Kevin Costner to start up the Zion-based Lake County Fielders.
A Flyers spokesman said this morning that the sale of the team should be completed within days.
Schaumburg Professional Baseball, L.L.C. has not paid sales or withholding taxes, and as a result lost its business registration as of Aug. 25, 2010, said Sue Hofer, Illinois Department of Revenue spokeswoman.
Team owner Rich Ehrenreich said the license revocation was a “misunderstanding,” caused by a contractor handling the Flyers’ payroll who gave the state an incorrect tax identification number. He said late last week the team is current in its taxes and he expects the problem to be cleared up soon.
Hofer would not say how much the team owes, or for how long the taxes haven’t paid, but said the Flyers may not operate as a business and sell merchandise and tickets until the matter is settled. The state could place liens on the property of the business or its owners, she said.
Hofer couldn’t provide a timeline of when it might reach that point and said the state’s preference is to work with a business to keep it going.
“Our goal … is to keep them operating,” she said. “The last thing we want to do is shut down a business.”
The license is the latest in a string of financial woes for the team, which has played in Schaumburg since 1999. The team owes the village and park district – joint owners of Alexian Field – more than $900,000 in unpaid rent, which dates back to 2007, according to court documents.
On March 9, 2011, the lease to Alexian Field was awarded to Alan Oremus, owner of the Joliet Slammers
, whose proposal had no professional team calling Alexian home in 2011, and had a new team taking over at Alexian Field in 2012, slated to be a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. This effectively brought an end to the Schaumburg Flyers calling Alexian Field home. According to a press release on the Flyers website, the team had a deal in place to sell the Flyers to an unnamed local business owner who would have paid off all the debts to Schaumburg and the local vendors, however, the deal was rejected by Village officials.
In April of 2011, the Flyers remaining assets were auctioned off, signaling an end to Schaumburg Flyers baseball. However, to date, no official release has been made marking an end to Flyers baseball, as it is presumed that ownership is still trying to sell the team, despite no lease, players, and being roughly a million dollars in debt.
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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Flyers were to be a charter member of the North American League
North American League
The North American League is an independent baseball league that began play in the 2011 season...
, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, however, the team folded in March of 2011, before they began play in the NAL. From the 1999 season to the 2010 season, the Flyers played their home games at Alexian Field
Alexian Field
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...
, near the Elgin O'Hare Expressway. The team formerly played in Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, where they were known as the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks. The team was originally a member of the Northern League from 1993 to 2010.
On July 27, 2009, the Flyers played host to Battle of the Sexes II, which pitted the Flyers against the National Pro Fastpitch Softball Champions, the Chicago Bandits. Played by official softball rules, the game was seen by an overflow record crowd of 8,918, and was won by the Bandits 4-2. Covered by over 20 media outlets, the game goes down in Chicagoland and professional sports history as one of the most successful and innovative special events ever orchestrated.
In 1999, the Flyers hired their first manager, Ron Kittle
Ron Kittle
Ronald Dale Kittle is a former left fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who was known mostly for his home run power, being named the 1983 AL Rookie of the Year...
. Kittle is most famous for his playing days with the White Sox, and former Cub and White Sox Greg Hibbard
Greg Hibbard
James Gregory Hibbard is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the major leagues from -. Currently, he is the pitching coach for the Class-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers in the Cleveland Indians organization.-External links:*...
was the pitching coach. During the early years of the franchise, Kittle did a series of TV commercials to promote the team, using the gimmick "Ma Kittle." where he played both himself and his "Ma." The ads were successful at sparking some initial interest in the team as the Flyers hoped to steal away fans from the nearby Kane County Cougars
Kane County Cougars
The Kane County Cougars are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Kansas City Royals, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Geneva, Illinois, about 35 miles west of Chicago....
. The ad mimmicked the highly successful Converse ads where Larry Johnson starred as both himself and "Gramama." At the end of the 2001 season, however, Kittle resigned from his managerial position, and Jim Boynewicz was hired to replace him.
In 2004, the Flyers made it to the Northern League Championship Series against the St. Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
. Despite leading the five-game series 2-1, Schaumburg eventually lost the series. In Game 5, Flyers relief pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Lyle Prempas allowed a game winning grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
by St. Paul infielder Marc Mirizzi in the ninth inning.
The Flyers appeared in the Northern League Playoffs four times (1999, 2003, 2004, 2006) but never won the championship. Some famous players who played for the Flyers were former Oakland A's outfielder Ozzie Canseco
Ozzie Canseco
Osvaldo "Ozzie" Canseco Capas is a former Major League Baseball player and the identical twin brother of former Major League Baseball player José Canseco....
and former 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...
outfielder Dwight Smith.
Year-by-year record
| First Half | Second Half | Overall | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Division | W-L | Finish | W-L | Finish | W-L | Win% | Playoffs | ||||||
| 1999 | East | 19-24 | 1st | 25-18 | 1st | 44-42 | .512 | Lost Central semi-final | ||||||
| 2000 | East | 18-25 | 4th | 20-23 | 4th | 38-48 | .442 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2001 | North | 18-27 | 3rd | 19-26 | 3rd | 37-53 | .411 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2002 | South | 19-24 | 4th | 16-29 | 5th | 35-53 | .398 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2003 | East | 25-19 | 3rd | 22-22 | 2nd | 47-41 | .534 | Lost semi-final | ||||||
| 2004 | South | 31-17 | 1st | 27-21 | 2nd | 58-38 | .604 | Lost championship series | ||||||
| 2005 | South | 16-32 | 6th | 22-26 | 4th | 38-58 | .396 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2006 | South | 31-17 | 1st | 15-33 | 4th | 46-50 | .479 | Lost division final | ||||||
| 2007 | South | 20-28 | 3rd | 19-29 | 4th | 39-57 | .406 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2008 | N/A | 30-66 | 6th | N/A | N/A | 30-66 | .313 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2009 | N/A | 43-53 | 5th | N/A | N/A | 43-53 | .448 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2010 | N/A | 41-59 | 7th | N/A | N/A | 41-59 | .410 | Did not qualify | ||||||
"Leon" is a Flyer
The actor who plays "Leon" in a Budweiser advertising campaign, Nigel Thatch, became a Flyer in 2005. This brought national attention to the Flyers, with mentions on ESPN's Pardon the InterruptionPardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption is a sports television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels, TSN, ESPN America, XM, and Sirius satellite radio services, and as a downloadable podcast. It is hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who discuss, and frequently argue over, the top stories...
and SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
. Nigel brought many fans to Alexian Field, but on May 1, 2006, Nigel was traded to Fullerton of the Golden League for 60 cases of Budweiser beer.
2006 and 2007 seasons
For the second half of the 2006 season, the Flyers and MSN partnered to let fans choose the Flyers lineups online. This program is called "Fan Club: Reality Baseball"http://fanclub.msn.com/. The program also included online video segments that took fans through the season alongside the team with behind-the-scenes access.The 2007 season saw the Flyers undergo some changes, most notably with the departure of '06 manager Andy McCauley to the Kansas City T-Bones
Kansas City T-Bones
The Kansas City T-Bones are a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Kansas, in the United States. The T-Bones are a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
. Steve Maddock became the fourth manager in Flyers history after McCauley left for Kansas City, and he quickly worked to build a team that had only one member carry over from the 2006 campaign. The road for Schaumburg that year proved to be difficult, as the Flyers could manage no more than 20 wins in either half of the season and failed to make the playoffs.
2008 season
The Flyers struggled mightily through the 2008 season, dropping their final 14 contests and winning just 30 games. Manager Steve Maddock will not return for the following season, and only six players will don Flyers uniforms on Opening Day 2009. The Flyers did set attendance records on Bearon's Birthday, with 8,636 fans attending the Flyers game with the JackHammers on July 23.2009 season
February 18, 2009: Flyers hold Grand Reopening of The Schaumburg Club to a record off-season crowd of over 300 fans. Mayor Larson was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and local band 7th Heaven entertained fans and community partners until late in the evening.May 21, 2009: Flyers prepare to unveil their new logo, accompanied by a new black jersey to be worn for all Friday night home games. Along with this new look, the Flyers teamed up with Rainbow Play Systems and Finish Stong Sports Academy to expand their Kidz Zone, located along the left field line.
May 22, 2009: Flyers starter Dustin Glant goes the distance, allowing just two runs en route to a 6-2 Flyers home-opener victory over the JackHammers in front of 5,288 fans.
May 24, 2009: Glant earns season’s first Northern League Pitcher of the Week honor, going 2-0 with a sparkling 1.13 ERA in his first two starts of the campaign.
May 25, 2009: Flyers turn second triple play in franchise history. With runners on first and second and in motion, Joliet’s Wally Backman Jr. lined out to 2B Jose Valdez. Valdez threw to first for the second out, and 1B Jason Colson completed the play by firing to SS Travis Brown behind the lead runner at second.
June 6, 2009: Richard Mercado blasts season’s first walk-off homer at Alexian to top Kansas City 7-5, extending the Flyers win-streak to a season-best eight games.
June 7, 2009: Flyers players sweep Northern League weekly awards, with Jeff Dunbar taking NL Player of the Week and Craig James earning NL Pitcher of the Week.
June 28, 2009: 43 year-old former big-leaguer and Flyers DH Felix Jose improves OBP to season-high .457, a .050 lead over the Northern League’s second best.
June 30, 2009: A Northern League-best nine Flyers are named to the Great Lakes All-Star roster. Honorees are DH Felix Jose, 3B Vince Harrison, OF Jeff Dunbar, 2B Jose Valdez, OF Victor Ferrante, and pitchers Dustin Glant, Cephas Howard, Ed Almonte, and Craig James.
July 16, 2009: Hundreds storm the infield at Alexian for the first Richard Allen Jewelers Diamond Dig. Participants are given Popsicle sticks to dig the infield dirt in search of a $1,500 diamond gold ring, which becomes the property of the lucky finder, no strings attached.
July 27, 2009: An Alexian Field record crowd of 8,918 witnesses the much-anticipated Battle of the Sexes, as the National Pro Fast-Pitch Softball’s Chicago Bandits defeats the Flyers 4-2 in a game governed by official softball rules.
July 30, 2009: Mayor proclaims Rotary Night. Rotarians and their guests account for 5,000 of the 5,596 people at the game.
August 8, 2009: Flyers ride Dustin Glant to 7-2 win over Winnipeg, sealing their first series win at CanWest Park since 2006 and notching back-to-back victories for the first time in nearly a month.
August 25, 2009: Flyers RF Victor Ferrante named Northern League Player of the Week, leading the league during the seven-day stretch in total bases (23), RBI (9) and slugging percentage (.920), while batting .440 (11-for-25) with seven runs scored, four doubles, a triple, and two home runs in the week.
August 31, 2009: Flyers lead the Northern league in win increase from 2008 to 2009 as well as highest attendance increase from 2008 to 2009.
September 16, 2009: Cephas Howard named Northern League Rookie Pitcher of the Year, and shortstop Travis Brown named Northern League Defensive Player of the Year for the 2009 campaign.
2010 season
May 20, 2010: Flyers win the season opener with a 10-2 rout in Rockford. Dustin Glant gives up only one earned run on six hits and one walk in seven innings of work to earn the win. Richard Mercardo and Mike Mooney blast their first home runs of the season.May 28, 2010: The Flyers come onto Alexian Field under the temporary team name of Schaumburg Pilots. The Pilots name was upheld throughout the Stanley Cup Finals as a sign of support for the hometown Chicago Blackhawks as they took on (and beat) the Philadelphia Flyers in 6 games. The Pilots beat the Gary Southshore Railcats 5-3 for the team’s first home win of the season.
June 1, 2010: Pilots win 6-5 over the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks. Richard Mercado hit a two-run homer, and Andre Marshall hit a walk off solo home run to seal the game for the Pilots.
June 19, 2010: Ryan Gehring strikes out eight Kansas City T-Bones and allows only five hits en route to a 4-1 Flyers victory. Gehring picked up the win in his first start of the season.
June 21, 2010: Dustin Glant tosses a complete game shutout as the Flyers win 2-0 over Joliet. The righty allowed five hits while striking out seven batters. Joey Gomes hit an RBI single in the first inning, and Andre Marshall added a solo home run in the fourth to give the Flyers all they would need for the victory.
June 22, 2010: University of Illinois head football coach Ron Zook and head basketball coach Bruce Weber were on hand to witness a 9-5 Flyers victory on Illini night at Alexian Field.
June 23, 2010: The Flyers knocked off the Jackhammers in dramatic style with a bottom of the ninth walk-off double by Joe Pauley for a 5-4 win, securing Schaumburg’s first series sweep of the season. Joey Gomes stretched his league leading hit streak to 18 games, going 3-4 with three singles.
June 25, 2010: Flyers need just three hits to secure a 4-3 victory over the Lake County Fielders. Joey Gomes drew two walks in the game, but did not collect a hit, snapping his 19 game hit streak.
June 26, 2010: Flyers win their sixth straight game. Dustin Glant pitched 8.2 strong innings before being pulled in a bases loaded jam in the top of the ninth. Evans was able to strike out the Fielder’s Brian McFall to seal the win for Glant and pick up the save.
July 7, 2010: Flyers sweep their series against the Rockford Riverhawks, winning both games of a double-header. Richard Mercado and Joe Nowicki smacked solo home runs for the Flyers in the first game, and Matt Elliott picked up the win in the 5-2 victory. In the second game, Ron Bourquin drew a game-winning bases loaded walk in the eleventh inning to score Ruddy Yan and win 4-3.
July 14, 2010: Dustin Glant and Richard Mercado represent the Schaumburg Flyers in the Northern League All-Star game in Tucson, Arizona. Mercado notched a hit and Glant pitched one inning of relief, giving up one earned run on two hits to go along with a strikeout. The Northern League All-Stars cruised past the Golden League All-Stars 9-3.
July 24, 2010: Dustin Glant tosses a complete-game gem, his second of the year, as the Flyers beat the Winnipeg Goldeyes 4-2. Glant allowed just two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
July 28, 2010: Newly inducted Hall of Famer Andre Dawson hosts a celebrity softball event at Alexian Field following the Flyers game against Joliet. The Hawk suited up in front of a lively crowd with several other baseball greats and celebrities, including Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, Don Zimmer, Vida Blue, Steve McMichael, and Giuliana and Bill Rancic.
July 31, 2010: The Flyers beat the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 9-7 in an impressive display of offense by both teams at Alexian Field. Ruddy Yan hit an inside-the-park home run that scored two.
August 2, 2010: Joey Gomes hit two home runs to blast the Flyers past the Riverhawks 12-5. Gomes finished his remarkable night 3-5 with two homers, a double, five RBI, and three runs scored. Mario Delgado returned to the Flyers with a bang as he launched a Brett Durand offering over the center field fence in the second inning.
August 11, 2010: Alain Quijano was almost unhittable at Alexian Field. The lefty tossed a one-hit shutout as the Flyers earned a 4-0 win over the Lake County Fielders. It took 116 pitches for Quijano to finish the complete game, striking out seven Fielders along the way. It was the fourth complete game of the season for the Flyers.
August 15, 2010: Dustin Glant is named Northern League Player of the Week. Glant went 2-0 in two starts with a 1.80 ERA during the week.
August 29, 2010: Flyers sweep Fielders 9-4. Dustin Glant picked up his ninth win of the year, and Kit Pellow and Chris Schultz each hit homers for the Flyers.
September 1, 2010: Flyers pitcher Brian McCullough is named the Northern League’s Pitcher of the Month for August. McCullough allowed only one earned run during August and owned a 3-0 record with a 1.33 ERA in the month. He also had 5 saves during that span, while appearing in 12 games.
September 15, 2010: Travis Brown is named the Northern League’s Top Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Brown led all shortstops with 330 assists and 522 total chances, committing only 20 errors (.962), and helping the Flyers post the best fielding percentage in the league (.977).
November 18, 2010: Flyers join newly formed North American Baseball League. The league was formed by members of the Golden Baseball League, the Northern League, and the United League.
2011 season
The Flyers joined the newly-formed North American LeagueNorth American League
The North American League is an independent baseball league that began play in the 2011 season...
in the winter of 2010. Village of Schaumburg officials have been trying to get more than $900,000 in unpaid rent from the team that plays at the village-park district owned Alexian Field. The Schaumburg Flyers received an eviction notice from their long-held lease at Alexian Field on February 24th, but may have until March 6 to be sold to a new owner before they have to pack their bags.
On Thursday February 24th, a judge issued a court order that returns the Flyers’ lease to the village of Schaumburg and Schaumburg Park District, which co-own the stadium. The order also requires the team’s ownership to pay $551,828.92 in overdue rent.
The village and park district sued the team earlier this offseason for more than $920,000 in overdue rent and other payments. The two governments repossession of the lease allows them to begin negotiations with other parties interested in establishing a team at Alexian Field.
But the Flyers’ current ownership is continuing to work toward the sale of the team, which remains the best option for all concerned for many reasons, including marketing, Schaumburg Village Manager Ken Fritz said. “Until we make a commitment to someone, it’s still an open door,” he said. The tight time frame to get an entirely new team established and in a league before this summer would be challenging but not impossible, Fritz said.
It’s not likely that a new team would take the Flyers’ place in the North American League, though, because that league remains in discussions with the potential buyers of the Flyers, Fritz added.
Rich Ehrenreich, the original owner of the 12-year-old Flyers, has been trying to sell the team since the 2009 announcement that he was partnering with actor Kevin Costner to start up the Zion-based Lake County Fielders.
A Flyers spokesman said this morning that the sale of the team should be completed within days.
Schaumburg Professional Baseball, L.L.C. has not paid sales or withholding taxes, and as a result lost its business registration as of Aug. 25, 2010, said Sue Hofer, Illinois Department of Revenue spokeswoman.
Team owner Rich Ehrenreich said the license revocation was a “misunderstanding,” caused by a contractor handling the Flyers’ payroll who gave the state an incorrect tax identification number. He said late last week the team is current in its taxes and he expects the problem to be cleared up soon.
Hofer would not say how much the team owes, or for how long the taxes haven’t paid, but said the Flyers may not operate as a business and sell merchandise and tickets until the matter is settled. The state could place liens on the property of the business or its owners, she said.
Hofer couldn’t provide a timeline of when it might reach that point and said the state’s preference is to work with a business to keep it going.
“Our goal … is to keep them operating,” she said. “The last thing we want to do is shut down a business.”
The license is the latest in a string of financial woes for the team, which has played in Schaumburg since 1999. The team owes the village and park district – joint owners of Alexian Field – more than $900,000 in unpaid rent, which dates back to 2007, according to court documents.
On March 9, 2011, the lease to Alexian Field was awarded to Alan Oremus, owner of the Joliet Slammers
Joliet Slammers
The Joliet Slammers are a professional baseball team based in Joliet, Illinois, that play in the independent Frontier League. They play their home games at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. They replaced the Joliet JackHammers of the Northern League after the franchise was crippled by numerous...
, whose proposal had no professional team calling Alexian home in 2011, and had a new team taking over at Alexian Field in 2012, slated to be a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. This effectively brought an end to the Schaumburg Flyers calling Alexian Field home. According to a press release on the Flyers website, the team had a deal in place to sell the Flyers to an unnamed local business owner who would have paid off all the debts to Schaumburg and the local vendors, however, the deal was rejected by Village officials.
In April of 2011, the Flyers remaining assets were auctioned off, signaling an end to Schaumburg Flyers baseball. However, to date, no official release has been made marking an end to Flyers baseball, as it is presumed that ownership is still trying to sell the team, despite no lease, players, and being roughly a million dollars in debt.