Fans attending Slammers games might notice several upgrades made to Joliet Route 66 Stadium.
The Joliet City Council approved a five-year lease with the Slammers for Joliet Route 66 Stadium last year, the same day the team won the Frontier League Championship.
Since then, the organization has been focused on making several improvements to the stadium for the fans.
“We’re working on a five-year lease, which is really good for us,” said Ken Miller, the team’s director of community relations. “It’s been wonderful. So now we’re gradually working to improve some things inside the stadium and make it a better place for people to enjoy themselves.”
The restrooms on the concourse level were upgraded. The countertops in the women’s restrooms have been removed and replaced with new sinks. Countertops in the men’s restrooms are scheduled to be replaced in 2020. Both the men’s and women’s restrooms also have new floors and a fresh paint job.
The organization also added a new playground set from Rainbow Play Systems of Illinois along the left field line. The playground has slides, tunnels, rock walls, a ship’s wheel and a tic-tac-toe board, among others for kids to play with. There also will be an Adult Fun Zone located near the third base bar that will include numerous yard games.
The team also made several improvements to the suites during the offseason, including carpet treatment, a new paint job and new furniture.
The main passenger elevator was repaired and upgraded with the city’s help. It provides access to seating areas for handicapped fans and to the suite level. Miller said they wanted to ensure it didn’t have anymore problems this year. The Slammers’ general manager, Heather Mills, previously said the elevator broke down “a couple of times.”
Other upgrades include new signage, new paint jobs to the front, west and south gates and more protective netting added to the end of each dugout. Miller said the Slammers wanted to follow the example of Major League Baseball by adding the protective netting to ensure fan safety during games.
Last season’s big upgrade was the artificial turf field. Miller said it’s been a huge asset and allowed them to rent it more often than when it was natural grass.
Besides the college and high school baseball teams that play on the field, something they’ve been able to do more of now, Miller said community groups and other patrons are using the field many nights a week.
“It’s enabled us to be more than a place where you play 46 or 48 home games,” Miller said. “Now we can be a multiuse stadium and it’s used.”
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