Feature Stories |

ERIK LIS TO SERVE AS A PLAYER-COACH IN 2012

Oak Lawn native is the team’s DH and hitting coach…

(Joliet, IL) – Erik Lis has seven years of professional baseball experience. In 2012 he’ll utilize that experience as the Joliet Slammers’ Designated Hitter and hitting coach.

The idea was proposed by VP of Baseball Operations Ron Biga, who noticed how well Lis interacted with the younger players in 2011.

“I know Erik wants to one day be a hitting coach in affiliated baseball,” Biga said. “What better place for him to start his career than here? It’s practical for us because he’s going to be used mostly as a DH so he’ll be facing the same pitchers our other hitters are facing. He can share with them tips throughout the game based on what he’s noticing at the plate.”

Lis, 28, emphasizes that he wants every hitter on the team to have fun and not make hitting any harder than it already is by putting too much pressure on themselves.

“If guys want to come in early for some extra batting practice, I’ll be there to help them,” Lis said. “Getting quality at bats, squaring the ball up, if they’re doing that, they’re doing it right.”

Lis hit .302 with a team-leading 20 home runs and 77 RBI in 2011.

The Slammers play their home opener on Tuesday, May 22 at 7:05 p.m. against the Traverse City Beach Bums. The 2011 championship team will be honored with a ring ceremony before the game and a post-game fireworks show will entertain fans afterward.

A SUITE OPENING NIGHT DEAL

Posted on May 16, 2012

Enjoy a premium experience for a big discount…

(Joliet, IL) – Opening Night is Tuesday, May 22 at 7:05 p.m. and it’s going to be special for a lot of reasons. One big factor is the latest “Sweet Suite” Deal from the Slammers!

On Opening Night fans can enjoy a 22-person luxury suite for only $399.

But that’s not all.

The Slammers are also including in the package some great food items! Enjoy 12 hot dogs with all the traditional condiments and popcorn. Six grilled bratwurst on fresh rolls and assorted mustards come included. Six charbroiled burgers with traditional toppings will be available too. Quench your thirst with a six-pack of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi or Sierra Mist. For the grownups the Slammers will also include a six-pack of Budweiser, Bud Light or Miller Lite. For dessert, enjoy six gourmet cookies!

Silver Cross Field’s luxury suites are a great way to entertain clients and co-workers or to celebrate a special occasion with family & friends.

With this sweet deal, you can’t go wrong on Opening Night!

Call the Slammers at 815-722-2287 or stop by the Box Office to lock in your sweet suite night on Tuesday, May 22.

SLAMMERS ANNOUNCE FULL PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE

Posted on May 9, 2012

Lots of exciting events at Silver Cross Field in 2012…

(Joliet, IL) – The Joliet Slammers Professional Baseball team plays 48 home games in 2012 and every single one of them will have fun promotions for fans to enjoy at the ballpark.

It all starts Opening Night on Tuesday, May 22 as the organization honors their 2011 Frontier League championship season with a ring ceremony before the game. First pitch that night is at 7:05 p.m. and fireworks are planned for after the game. The Slammers will be giving out magnet schedules courtesy of Green River Lines on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday of opening week.

Just like 2011, fans will be treated to a spectacular fireworks show after every Friday home game. A total of 14 fireworks nights are planned.

The Slammers will be welcoming a number of entertainment acts to the yard this season. On Saturday, May 26, Myron Noodleman, the hippest nerd in da biz, comes to town. Then on Friday, July 6, it will be a frightfully fun night at the yard as Chicago television icon Svengoolie comes to Silver Cross Field thanks to Me-TV. The ZOOperstars visit on Saturday, August 18 and Quick Change performs on Saturday, August 25. On Thursday, August 9, the Slammers will welcome the band “Maggie Speaks” to the yard for the second straight season.

Fun giveaways are planned all season long, including a Frontier Cup replica trophy on Saturday, July 7 and a J.L. Bird bobblehead on Saturday, July 28. On Tuesday, August 7, the Slammers are giving away a gnome of their lovable mascot Spikes courtesy of the Will County Health Department’s “Get the Lead Out” campaign.

This season is also highlighted by not one, but two “Bark in the Park” days! On Sunday, May 27, and Sunday, August 19, bring your pup to the yard and enjoy some baseball. Tickets on the grass berms cost $5 and there’s no extra cost for your dog! The first “Bark in the Park” is brought to you by Joliet Animal Control and the second “Bark in the Park” is brought to you by Blackbird’s Bowl: Natural Pet Foods & More.

Fans that enjoy classic cars will get their kicks at Route 66 Night at Silver Cross Field on Sunday, June 17. There will be a classic car show before the game and the evening is brought to you by Greg’s Body Shop.

The Slammers have a number of other creative nights at the park including “Rat Pack Night” on Friday, June 22, Military Appreciation Night on Wednesday, August 8 and “A League of Their Own” Day on Sunday, August 12.

To check out the full promotional schedule for 2012 just head on over to http://jolietslammers.com/gameday/promo-days.

Weekly Promotions:

Memorable Mondays Presented By Me-TV: Every Monday home game is a trip down memory lane in 2012. During the Slammers’ Monday home games this season fans will get treated to lots of fun clips from popular and iconic classic TV shows.

Two for Tuesdays: Fans can purchase two hot dogs for the price of one and two sodas for the price of one as well!

Win It Wednesdays: If the Slammers win, all fans in attendance win a ticket to the next Wednesday home game.

Thirsty Thursdays: 12-ounce draft beers for only $2.00.

Fireworks Fridays: Stay after every Friday game for the most spectacular fireworks show in the region!

Grand Slam Saturdays: Every Saturday home game features a premium giveaway or a fun entertainment act at Silver Cross Field.

Signature Sundays: The Slammers players will sign autographs after every Sunday home game. Seniors 55 and older get half off their purchase of a reserved ticket.

Single game tickets for the 2012 season are available now. Opening Night is Tuesday, May 22 as Joliet takes on the Traverse City Beach Bums at 7:05 p.m. Fireworks are scheduled for after the game.

Season tickets, flex plans and group outings are currently available by calling 815-722-2287!

ANOTHER EXPERIENCED PITCHER ADDED TO JOLIET’S ROSTER

Posted on May 8, 2012

Daniel Carela has spent time in the Mets and Dodgers organizations…

(Joliet, IL) – The Joliet Slammers rounded out their Spring Training roster with the signing of RHP Daniel Carela.

“Carela throws hard and has affiliated baseball experience,” VP of Baseball Operations Ron Biga said. “We’re excited to see how he does in camp.”

Carela, 24, hails from New York City and attended Wallace Community College. He signed with the Mets as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He was outstanding in 2010 as he recorded a 2-1 record with a 1.63 ERA in 22 games for the GCL Mets and the Brooklyn Cyclones.

The right-hander moved on to the Dodgers organization and split time in 2011 with the AZL Dodgers and the High Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He recorded a 4.35 ERA in the hitter-friendly California League.

The signing gives the Slammers 34 active players on the Spring Training roster. Their first two exhibition games have been rained out but the Slammers head to Schaumburg this Thursday to take on the expansion Boomers at 1:00 p.m.

Single game tickets for the 2012 season are available now. Opening Night is Tuesday, May 22 as Joliet takes on the Traverse City Beach Bums at 7:05 p.m. Fireworks are scheduled for after the game.

Season tickets, flex plans and group outings are currently available by calling 815-722-2287!

REFLECTIONS ON A CHAMPIONSHIP: BRANDON PETERS

Posted on May 3, 2012

Brandon Peters (center) is congratulated after his walk-off home run to win game three of the Frontier League Championship Series

One swing of the bat cemented his legacy in Joliet…

Some moments live forever in the hearts and minds of baseball fans.

For Joliet baseball fans, Brandon Peters’ walk-off home run in game three of the Frontier League Championship Series is one of those moments.

It also represented the pinnacle of Peters’ career. The Slammers acquired him from the Gateway Grizzlies on August 12 and things did not start so smoothly. During batting practice a ball deflected off another player’s glove and hit Peters in the face.

“It was kind of one of those surreal moments,” Peters said. “I didn’t even have a chance to meet half the guys yet because I was kind of running around; getting my equipment and everyone was already on the field about to take batting practice. So Bart told me to go out and meet a couple guys. I was going to hit in the last group that day and just get comfortable out there. I literally headed out to right field and within minutes it happened. It was kind of a fluke accident.”

Peters went to the hospital and got stitches. He returned in the sixth inning and the Slammers threw him right in the fire as he went up to the plate in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter.

Peters was promptly hit by the pitch.

“It was coming towards my face but I got hit in the elbow,” Peters said. “I ended up scoring a run on (David) Fox’s base hit and we ended up winning that game so that was cool. But it was a bit of a coincidence that the ball started heading towards my face again.”

Peters had suffered numerous injuries throughout his career and 2011 was no different as he battled through a wrist injury the entire season. Consequently his numbers were down but in the end it didn’t matter: one at bat cemented his legacy in Joliet.

Game Three of the Frontier League Championship Series was unbelievably intense. With the best-of-five series knotted at one, this game would put one team on the brink of elimination. Back-and-forth the teams battled. River City took the lead. Then Joliet tied it. Joliet took the lead. Then River City tied it. River City took the lead again and Joliet tied it again in the eighth inning thanks to an Erik Lis RBI single.

Peters entered the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth.

“I was kind of watching (River City closer Derrick) Miramontes warm up in the bullpen throughout that inning,” Peters said. “I’d faced that guy a lot of times because they were in our division when I played in Gateway so he’d been on River City for a couple years. I’d seen him a bunch of times and I knew he was going to try to get ahead especially knowing I hadn’t had an at bat the whole night.”

With the game tied, Peters stepped to the plate to lead-off the bottom of the ninth against Miramontes. His hunch was correct; Miramontes went after him and Peters drove the first pitch he saw over the right field wall. The smash sent the crowd of more than 2000 fans into a frenzy.

“One of the highlights of it for myself honestly was there was about six or seven guys on River City who were teammates of mine in years past on Gateway,” Peters said. “They had a lot of guys who had played for Gateway. So that really made it pretty cool for myself just to have a lot of those guys on the field as we beat them. It was pretty fun man. What a way to go out.”

Peters had never hit a walk-off home run in his career. In fact, he can’t remember even being on a team that was on the winning side of a walk-off hit.

After the season concluded with the Slammers as the Frontier League champions, Peters decided to retire.

“My body hasn’t been able to hold up for a full season the past two years and it was wearing me out mentally and physically,” Peters said. “I live in San Diego now so I can’t complain. I work for a swimming pool contractor and do tile work. I’m finishing school and looking to take life in a new direction.”

Peters credits the coaching staff with making his final professional baseball season one to remember forever.

“Coming there I’d made a name for myself in the league a little bit over the years but I wasn’t having the best season,” Peters said. “The coaching staff really gave me the confidence that they wanted me there and they felt they had the team to win. That was the message they relayed to me as I walked in the first day. They really were the leaders of that team. Everyone played the way they showed up to the field every day. They were so consistent and that’s why we won it man.”

Previous: Hector Pellot

Next: Billy Petrick

2012 SPRING TRAINING PHOTOS

Posted on May 3, 2012

Click the photo to check out all the pics from Spring Training!

SLAMMERS SELECT TWO PLAYERS AT FRONTIER LEAGUE DRAFT

Posted on May 2, 2012

A couple of young infielders added to the roster…

(Joliet, IL) – The defending Frontier League champion Joliet Slammers selected infielders Kyle Zimmerman and Naperville native Anthony Amedei III Tuesday in the league’s draft in Washington, PA.

Zimmerman, 23, hit .329 his senior year at D-2 Ouachita Baptist University. He hit four home runs while driving in 33 runs. The Slammers made him their second round pick in the draft. Joliet did not have a first round pick due to the Ryne Miller trade last season.

Amedei III, 22, hit .325 his senior year at D-3 Aurora University. He hit three home runs and drove in 34. The Slammers made him their third round pick in the draft.

“Zimmerman comes highly recommended from previous tryout camps and is extremely versatile,” Slammers manager Bart Zeller said. “Amedei impressed with his arm strength and we’re excited to give another local talent the chance to play for us.”

Joliet is playing two home exhibition games this season: Sunday, May 6 at 2:00 p.m. against the Normal CornBelters and Monday, May 14, at 7:00 p.m. against the expansion Schaumburg Boomers.

Single game tickets for the 2012 season are available now. Opening Night is Tuesday, May 22 as Joliet takes on the Traverse City Beach Bums at 7:05 p.m. Fireworks are scheduled for after the game.

Season tickets, flex plans and group outings are currently available by calling 815-722-2287!

MEDIA DAY SET FOR MAY 16

Posted on May 1, 2012

Players and coaches will be available for interviews…

(Joliet, IL) – Spring Training starts May 3^rd and the defending Frontier League champion Joliet Slammers announced Tuesday their media day is scheduled for Wednesday, May 16 at 11:00 a.m.

The event will occur at Silver Cross Field and is closed to the public. This is also the day for the media to pick up their press passes for the 2012 season. Media guides will be available as well. The Slammers will be serving lunch to the media at noon.

If members of the media cannot make it to the event, but would still like to schedule interviews with players or coaches before the season, please call Aaron Morse at 815-651-2043.

Joliet is playing two home exhibition games this season: Sunday, May 6 at 2:00 p.m. against the Normal CornBelters and Monday, May 14, at 7:00 p.m. against the expansion Schaumburg Boomers.

The Slammers’ current roster can be viewed here.

Single game tickets for the 2012 season are available now. Opening Night is Tuesday, May 22 as Joliet takes on the Traverse City Beach Bums at 7:05 p.m. Fireworks are scheduled for after the game.

Season tickets, flex plans and group outings are currently available by calling 815-722-2287!

REFLECTIONS ON A CHAMPIONSHIP: HECTOR PELLOT

Posted on April 29, 2012

The star of the playoffs looks back on some crucial moments on the way to the title…

Hector Pellot went on the Disabled List after the Slammers’ June 27 game against the Rockford RiverHawks. At the time he was hitting .272.

He returned to the lineup on July 17 a changed man at the plate.

“Getting injured for me was a blessing in disguise,” Pellot said. “I changed my swing completely. I spent like three weeks working on it. I couldn’t hit or take BP or work out in the cage, but I was tracking pitches in the bullpen, getting the feel for it, and then it was just great.”

In his return to the lineup Pellot blasted his first two home runs of the season. It was also the first multi-home run game in his career. Pellot finished the season with a team-best .319 batting average. The advice to completely re-work his swing came from an unexpected source: the Slammers’ reserve catcher, veteran Lee Rubin.

“He told me, hey you’ve got a lot more potential with that swing,” Pellot said. “He told me some things, then I got hurt and I had time to practice that stuff. The rest was history.”

Specifically, Pellot added a slight leg kick to his swing. This helped him with his rhythm at the plate and it also allowed him to put everything he had into every swing. Pellot is not a power hitter; he only hit four home runs on the year. But in the playoffs he hit two bombs while hitting a sensational .500 (13-26) with six doubles.

“At the end of the regular season, I was just feeling great,” Pellot said. “If they had given me 20 more games I would have hit .400 in the league, that’s how good I felt. Remember I started doing well with my swing change, but it was a change, so you have to adapt to it to make it consistent. I just got hot at the end and the playoffs were unbelievable.”

Pellot is not one to look at his numbers during the regular season. But one accomplishment he was proud of in 2011 was hitting over .300 for the first time in his career. Including the playoffs, Pellot hit safely in 21 of his final 22 games. It was a remarkable offensive breakthrough for the former fourth round draft pick who had struggled at the plate in the Mets’ farm system.

“When I got released from the Mets and I realized that I had to play independent ball, I didn’t have good hopes at all,” Pellot said. “I was just ‘okay, this is just one more opportunity that I’m going to have to play baseball.’ I didn’t have any idea what it would be like. But I think going to Joliet was the best thing that happened to me. It feels like my family now; I had the greatest host family in the world. It was just a wonderful experience, I love it there. It’s just great.”

Pellot described the level of play in the Frontier League as somewhere between high-A and double-A.

“The big difference of independent ball is that there are no more levels,” Pellot said. “You are there to win, not to move up. That makes it a little more fun and entertaining. We’ve got guys who signed out of college to independent ball and they’re not making much money at all, and they are just busting their tails off. It’s very impressive.”

Thanks in large part to Pellot’s brilliant performance in the playoffs, the Slammers won the title and for Pellot it was a dream come true.

“No, never, never, had I won a title before this,” Pellot said. “I can tell you it’s the greatest experience ever. No matter where you go in professional baseball it’s just so hard to win it, no matter what level. It could be rookie ball, independent ball, once you complete that goal; it’s just the greatest feeling in the world. I cried like a baby when we got that third out.”

Previous: Chris Pack

Next: Brandon Peters

TIME LAPSE: SLAMMERS FIELD WORK BY ROGER BOSSARD

Posted on April 26, 2012