The Frontier League’s Joliet Slammers are using their nickname after announcing they will play an exhibition game at a local jail next season.
Old Joliet Prison, open from 1858 to 2002 and featured in the 1980 film “The Blues Brothers,” will host “The Big House Ballgame” on April 30, starring the Slammers and Gateway Grizzlies.
“The Slammers are proud to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the famed Route 66 and are excited to help usher in a new era of baseball and community connections in Joliet,” the Slammers said in a statement. The ‘Big House Ballgame’ will be the start of a series of programs and community events across the city. “
It’s no surprise that a member of the Vick family was involved in the idea.
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William “Night Train” Veeck, whose grandfather Bill came up with the idea for Disco Demolition Night, among many others, joined Slammers in January 2024 as executive vice president of sales and marketing and part owner.
Vic’s father Mike and actor Bill Murray are also members of the ownership group.
It didn’t take long for Vic to come up with a creative idea that brought attention to the Slammers.
Last July, the Slammers attempted to set a Guinness World Record by dropping 2,600 hot dogs onto the stadium from a helicopter.
Warden Edmund Allen introduced baseball to inmates at the prison to boost morale and help them develop good behavior, Slammers reported. Baseball games continued to be played there until the facility closed in 2002.
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There’s no word yet on how the Slammers will configure the stadium or how many fans will be able to attend jail games.
