Above, from left: Joliet Slammers; Chicago Dogs; and Windy City Thunderbolts
Photos: (Slammers) AHJ Photo; (Dogs) Daniel Boczarski; (Thunderbolts) Gary Middendorf/ Daily Southtown
Sure, Chicago is blessed with two major league franchises. But if you’re looking to catch some baseball on a budget — or just want to see the game up close — there are six minor league clubs within an hour of the city.
| Chicago Dogs (Rosemont) | Gary Southshore Railcats | Joliet Slammers | Kane County Cougars (Geneva) | Schaumburg Boomers | Windy City Thunderbolts (Crestwood) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Seats | $9 (bleachers) | $7 (terrace) | $8 (lawn) | $9 (lawn) | $8 (lawn) | $9 (upper-deck box) |
| Odds of Seeing a Future Big Leaguer | Unlikely. But former Red Sox manager and infielder Butch Hobson is the GM. | Moderate. Former Railcats include Tim Byrdak and Randall Simon, best known for assaulting a sausage mascot with a bat during the Milwaukee Brewers’ famous sixth-inning race. | Marginal. Its one claim to fame is Billy Petrick, who made eight appearances with the Cubs in 2007. | High. Josh Beckett, Miguel Cabrera, Willson Contreras, and Kyle Schwarber are all alumni, and it’s a farm team for the Arizona Diamondbacks. | Nil. None of their former players are in the majors. | Meh. Brewers hitting coach Andy Haines and former White Sox pitcher Dylan Axelrod are alumni. |
| Name Inspo | Chicago — wait for it — hot dogs | The South Shore Line, as well as Gary’s many freight rails | Ask Jake and Elwood Blues: Joliet is perhaps best known for its old prison. | Nothing. But alliteration! | A type of prairie chicken, ostensibly fierce | A fan vote after the team moved from Midlothian |
| Mascot | Squeeze, a bottle of mustard, and the villain Ketchup, because, you know … | Rusty, a giant cat | J.L. Bird (get it?) | Ozzie and Annie T. Cougar | Coop the Boomer, a chicken who does a (G-rated) mating dance | Another Boomer, though this one isn’t a chicken or any other recognizable creature |
| Pork-Centered Eats | Pizza puff with pork sausage and pepperoni | Pulled pork nachos | Barbecue pork cheese fries | Barbecue pork chop sandwich on brioche | Mac and cheese topped with pulled pork in a waffle cone | Bratwurst on a pretzel roll |
| Wacky Promo | Wiener Wednesdays, when the team switches its moniker to another encased meat | The world’s largest white elephant gift exchange, a.k.a. Marie Kondo’s nightmare | Bark in the Park, when you can bring your pet | Juggler Mad Chad tossing chainsaws and flaming tennis balls in the air | A race with anthropomorphic aerosol cans | Fans wearing giant inflatable balls running into each other for prizes |
| Can You Get There by Train? | Yes (CTA Blue Line or Metra North Central Service) | Yes (South Shore Line) | Yes. (Metra Rock Island District and Heritage Corridor) | No (Ike to I-88) | Yes (Metra Milwaukee District West) | No (Dan Ryan to I-57) |
Winner: Chicago Dogs
An onsite Wiener’s Circle, fan-accessible batting cages, and the largest high-def scoreboard in independent baseball: They may be the new team in town, but you can’t beat their amenities.