Fresh off their purchase by Mike and Night Train Veeck and Bill Murray, the Frontier League’s Joliet Slammers will kick off their 2024 season on Friday night.
The Slammers will take on the Evansville Otters in the game at Duly Health and Care Field for the first game under the club’s new ownership.
Mike and Night Train Veeck teamed up with Murray to purchase the team earlier this year. Bill Veeck, Mike’s father and Night Train’s grandfather, is the former owner of the Chicago White Sox, pioneering many advances in baseball promotions including post-home run fireworks.
Night Train, who will handle many of the day-to-day operations of the Slammers, has worked in a variety of sports fields around the world, including helping with promotions for Australia’s Big Bash cricket league and owning a soccer club in Northern Ireland.
Murray, a noted Chicago sports fan, has previously owned stakes in multiple teams, including the St. Paul Saints.
While it’s not known if Murray will be in attendance at Friday night’s opener, the team says it will offer up a variety of giveaways and will conclude the festivities with fireworks, one of 10 such fireworks nights on the schedule this season.
The team will also host College Night on Saturday and Mother’s Day at the Park on Sunday, offering free tickets to students and to moms at the two games.
The Slammers play their games in the Frontier League, a designated partner league of Major League Baseball. They were founded in 2010 after the demise of the JackHammers, who played their games in the Northern League.