Joliet Slammers Want $75,000 Rent Waived For 2020

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet City Council will vote next week whether to let the Joliet Slammers independent minor league baseball team forgo its annual rent payment because the new coronavirus health crisis has wiped out the Frontier League's season so far.

The resolution on Tuesday's meeting agenda indicates the city-owned stadium on East Jefferson Street has a lease and operation agreement with Joliet Community Baseball and Entertainment LLC for use and operation of DuPage Medical Group Field.

Under that agreement, Joliet's minor league baseball team is obligated to make two annual payments of $37,500 to the city for a grand total of $75,000.

However, "the State of Illinois has placed restrictions on certain activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and ... these restrictions have caused the use and operation of DuPage Medical Group Field to cease," the proposal reads.

For those reasons, the Joliet Slammers have made no lease payments this year and the team has requested a waiver of its required lease payments due to financial strains caused by the above restrictions, city documents state.

As of Thursday, May 28, the Joliet Slammers' season remained murky. The following statement is posted on the team's website: "The (Frontier) League, which is the largest independent baseball league in North America, will continue to monitor the situation, and announce a start date for the 2020 season at the appropriate time."