Schaumburg Flyers

rdf:langString Schaumburg Flyers

rdf:langString Schaumburg Flyers

rdf:langString Navy Blue, Orange, White, Khaki

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rdf:langString Schaumburg Flyers

rdf:langString Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks

rdf:langString Schaumburg Flyers Logo.svg

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rdf:langString Richard Ehrenreich, John E. Hughes, Mike Conley

rdf:langString The Schaumburg Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois, in the United States. The Flyers were to be charter members of the North American League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, but the team folded in March 2011, before beginning play in the NAL. From 1999 to 2010, the Flyers played their home games at Alexian Field, near the Elgin O'Hare Expressway. They formerly played in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where they were known as the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks. The team belonged to the Northern League from 1993 to 2010. On July 27, 2009, the Flyers played host to Battle of the Sexes II, which pitted the Flyers against the National Pro Fastpitch Softball Champions, the Chicago Bandits, featuring star pitcher Jennie Finch. Played by official softball rules, the game was seen by an overflow record crowd of 8,918, and was won by the Bandits 4–2. In 1999, the Flyers hired their first manager, Ron Kittle, best known for his playing days with the Chicago White Sox. The former Chicago Cubs and White Sox player Greg Hibbard was the pitching coach. Kittle did a series of TV commercials to promote the team, using the gimmick "Ma Kittle," portraying both himself and his "Ma." The ads sparked interest as the Flyers hoped to steal away fans from the nearby Kane County Cougars. The campaign mimicked the highly successful Converse ads in which basketball star Larry Johnson starred as both himself and "Gramama." After the 2001 season, however, Kittle resigned as manager, with Jim Boynewicz hired to replace him. In 2004, the Flyers made it to the Northern League Championship Series against the St. Paul Saints. Despite leading the five-game series 2–1, Schaumburg eventually lost the championship. In Game 5, Flyers relief pitcher Lyle Prempas allowed a game-winning grand slam by St. Paul infielder Marc Mirizzi in the ninth inning. The Flyers appeared in the Northern League Playoffs four times (1999, 2003, 2004, 2006) but never won the championship. Among those who played for the Flyers were former Oakland A's outfielder Ozzie Canseco and former Chicago Cubs outfielders Dwight Smith and Brant Brown, as well as, very briefly, John Henry Williams, son of Ted Williams.

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rdf:langString Daily Herald

rdf:langString Schaumburg Review