Joliet JackHammers
Encyclopedia
The Joliet JackHammers were a professional baseball team based in Joliet, Illinois
, in the United States
. The JackHammers were a member of the Northern League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
. From 2002 to 2010, the JackHammers played their home games at Silver Cross Field
.
The 2008 Jackhammers were managed by one time Arizona Diamondback managerial candidate Wally Backman
. The primary radio announcer was Jon Versteeg.
The Jackhammers, in response to extremely low attendance in 2009, had a total makeover to start the 2010 season. Everything, from the roster and management, all the way down to the uniforms, was re-done. Their offseason advertising campaign was also very aggressive, and included everything from newspaper ads to billboards. The Jackhammers made the playoffs for the first time in 8 years, making the season a success performance-wise. They still lagged in attendance, averaging about 3,500 fans a game, 4th in the league.
The team was sold in December 2010 after months of negotiations to Steel City Baseball LLC. Steel City bought all assets to the team seeing as they owed $220,000 to the city. With the sale, none of the unpaid bills will be paid off. Steel City will be changing the team's name for the 2011 season and now have joined the Frontier League
. On January 12th, 2011 GM John Dittrich announced for the 2011 season the new team would be called the Joliet Slammers
. The team will continue to use Silver Cross Field
as their home venue.
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The JackHammers were a member of the Northern League, 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...
. From 2002 to 2010, the JackHammers played their home games at Silver Cross Field
Silver Cross Field
Silver Cross Field is a baseball field located in Joliet, Illinois. The stadium was built in 2002 and holds 6,016 people. It is the home of the Joliet Slammers.In December 2010 the Joliet Jackhammers were sold to Steel City Baseball LLC...
.
History
Their first season was the 2002 season. Their first playoff appearance came in that season.The 2008 Jackhammers were managed by one time Arizona Diamondback managerial candidate Wally Backman
Wally Backman
Walter Wayne Backman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He is best known for his time with the New York Mets from - and was a member of their 1986 World Series-winning team...
. The primary radio announcer was Jon Versteeg.
The Jackhammers, in response to extremely low attendance in 2009, had a total makeover to start the 2010 season. Everything, from the roster and management, all the way down to the uniforms, was re-done. Their offseason advertising campaign was also very aggressive, and included everything from newspaper ads to billboards. The Jackhammers made the playoffs for the first time in 8 years, making the season a success performance-wise. They still lagged in attendance, averaging about 3,500 fans a game, 4th in the league.
- Founded: 2002
- Playoff appearances: 2002, 2010
- Divisional titles won: 2002
- League Championships won: None
The team was sold in December 2010 after months of negotiations to Steel City Baseball LLC. Steel City bought all assets to the team seeing as they owed $220,000 to the city. With the sale, none of the unpaid bills will be paid off. Steel City will be changing the team's name for the 2011 season and now have joined 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...
. On January 12th, 2011 GM John Dittrich announced for the 2011 season the new team would be called 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...
. The team will continue to use Silver Cross Field
Silver Cross Field
Silver Cross Field is a baseball field located in Joliet, Illinois. The stadium was built in 2002 and holds 6,016 people. It is the home of the Joliet Slammers.In December 2010 the Joliet Jackhammers were sold to Steel City Baseball LLC...
as their home venue.
Year-by-year record
| First Half | Second Half | Overall | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Division | W-L | Finish | W-L | Finish | W-L | Win% | Playoffs | ||||||
| 2002 | South | 22-23 | 3rd | 31-15 | 1st | 53-38 | .582 | Lost Central semi-final | ||||||
| 2003 | East | 19-25 | 4th | 21-23 | 4th | 40-48 | .455 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2004 | South | 24-24 | 3rd | 25-23 | 3rd | 49-47 | .510 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2005 | South | 23-25 | 5th | 13-35 | 6th | 36-60 | .374 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2006 | South | 16-32 | 4th | 26-23 | 2nd | 42-55 | .433 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2007 | South | 22-26 | 2nd | 23-25 | 3rd | 45-51 | .469 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2008 | N/A | 43-53 | 5th | N/A | N/A | 43-53 | .448 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2009 | N/A | 32-63 | 6th | N/A | N/A | 32-63 | .337 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2010 | N/A | 53-47 | 3rd | N/A | N/A | 53-47 | .530 | Lost semi-final | ||||||
External links
- Joliet JackHammers official site
- nlfan.com Joliet JackHammers' Guide