Want to get in the know about independent baseball this summer but don’t know where to start?

FloBaseball has you covered, broadcasting some of the best independent ball leagues in North America, all season long.

Some especially unique ballclubs around the independent scene need their own introductions, however. 

That’s where FloBaseball’s team profile series comes into play to help out, explaining and breaking down some of the quirks and features that make each club tick.

Here’s a breakdown of the Frontier League’s Schaumburg Boomers.

What Year Were The Schaumburg Boomers Founded?

The Schaumburg Boomers were founded in 2011 and have been based in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, for all of their existence. 

Filling a void for independent baseball in town after the unrelated Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League folded in 2011 due to financial troubles, all of the Boomers’ on-field seasons (since 2012) have been played in the Frontier League, where they currently play in the West Division. 

Unforgettable night! Largest attendance in Boomers history with 7,645 fans and a walk-off homer shortly after this announcement! ⁦@boomersbaseball⁩ pic.twitter.com/e19aDG6bfb

— Alex Sotiropoulos (@alexsotirop) July 4, 2023

Who Owns The Schaumburg Boomers?

An ownership group led by former Joliet Slammers owner Alan Oremus was awarded a lease to have a team play baseball at Wintrust Field, the Flyers’ former home, after that team folded. 

But before those owners could see that team play a game, Pat Salvi – a Chicago attorney and former owner of the nearby Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Professional Baseball – purchased the club in full in September 2011 and has held onto it ever since, choosing to have the then-unnamed Boomers join the Frontier League in order to avoid any potential conflicts with the RailCats in the AAPB. 

What Is The History Of The Schaumburg Boomers Name And Mascot?

No, the Boomers’ name isn’t a dig at the baby boomer generation, but rather one that pays homage to the male greater prairie chicken (nicknamed a “boomer”), a bird that once had a population in the millions across the Midwest, before being driven over time to a vulnerable species. 

During mating season, the bird has a ritual called booming, where it displays for females and has distinct orange patches on both sides of its neck, which are visible in the baseball team’s logo. 

The name was chosen shortly after Salvi acquired the team and has remained the same ever since.

Have The Schaumburg Boomers Ever Won A Frontier League Championship?

Almost immediately after the Frontier added the Boomers, they rocketed to the top of the league and have stayed around there ever since. 

The four-time champions, even after barely a decade of life as a club, already are the most successful club in Frontier history. The Boomers won titles in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2021. 

They had a perfect playoff record, winning the league championship every time they qualified for the postseason, until this past season, when they lost to the Quebec Capitales in the Championship Series in four games. 

Currently, Schaumburg is 28-18 as of Wednesday afternoon and is in second place in the West. 

Where Do The Schaumburg Boomers Play?

Wintrust Field, originally opened as the home of the Flyers in 1999, is one of just three Frontier venues able to hold over 7,000 fans – capacity is 7,365 people for baseball and can be expanded for concerts – and has the exact field dimensions of Wrigley Field, the home of the MLB’s Chicago Cubs. 

Ironically, it was Chicago’s other big-league team, the White Sox, who used Wintrust Field as the training site for its 2020 season taxi squad, after the Frontier’s season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dominican University’s baseball team, a NCAA Division III program nearby, also plays its home games at the stadium.

Schaumburg Boomers Notable Alumni

Per the Frontier’s website, nine former Boomers have been picked up by major-league organizations, with one – right-handed pitcher Jake Cousins (2019) – making it to the show with the Milwaukee Brewers, whom he’s thrown a total of 52 2/3 innings for over the past three seasons. 

Some of the most well-known players to have ever graced the Frontier have applied their trade in Schaumburg, too: Quincy Nieporte, now with the Detroit Tigers organization, won the Frontier’s MVP award en route to the Boomers’ 2021 title win, while former White Sox outfielder Willy Garcia also suited up for the Boomers that same year.

Boomers earn their 300th home win in franchise history tonight. This is Jamie Bennett's 300th as well! pic.twitter.com/S4nHki5bHY

— Schaumburg Boomers (@boomersbaseball) June 18, 2023

How To Watch The Schaumburg Boomers

The Atlantic, Frontier, Pioneer and the Coastal Summer Plain League, as well as the Florida Collegiate Summer League, all are streaming on FloBaseball and the FloSports app. 

Replays, highlights and more news can be found on the site.