In early August, I attended a Schaumburg Boomers game. As my workday typically wraps up by 11am, I scheduled a day to be in the Schaumburg area so I could take in some early afternoon baseball. The Schaumburg Boomers are an independent professional team, playing in the Frontier League.
The Boomers play at Wintrust field in Schaumburg. The venue was great for independent baseball. Easy parking, easy access with highways nearby. It's a clean and modern stadium, with plenty of good and affordable seating. There were food and bathrooms everywhere. Speaking of food, it was GRRREAT!
The big hit was the tater bowl. It's a helmet, filled with fries, then a layer of pulled pork, nacho cheese, and bacon bits. Essentially, it's loaded fries. However, the fries are prepared in such a way so that they are crunchy, yet full of spud. The pulled pork could've been something simple from a can, but it tasted fresh, like it was prepared from scratch. It's really good!
They also have beer bats! $20 for the initial, then discounted refills. They had 312 Summer Shandy on tap, which is a perfect summer afternoon beer.
It's worth noting that there's an odd sort of wind tunnel behind home plate. The stadium is closed off along the outer wall on the sides for first and third base, but then there's a large opening behind home plate on the main concourse. This allows winds to group and make a wind tunnel. It doesn't reach the seats, but if you are up for a walk and are hot, you can hang there and cool off. It's very refreshing!
Overall, The Boomers and Wintrust field offer a great independent baseball experience. It's affordable, simple, and high quality. A lot of the challenge in attending baseball is fighting traffic for overpriced tickets, and those are simply non-issues at a Boomers game. If you have young kids and need an affordable fun event that's close to home, this is the way to go. The crowd doesn't rival Wrigley after a dinger, but the food and views do. At a much reduced price, it's a good baseball experience for all!