Slammers signs Series champ

The new owners of an indoor baseball and softball training facility have something new to bring to the plate.

Todd Fine recently changed the name of the training facility from MVP to Slammers and brought in new partners with a wealth of experience.

The facility, at 28427 Ballard Drive on the Lake Forest/ Libertyville border, offers 16 batting cages, 45 yards of infield area, three pitching mounds, a weight room and state-of-the-art pitching machines. Private lessons, clinics and training programs are available for children as young as 5. The facility also houses the elite Top Tier 18-year-old team that draws players from Wisconsin and Indiana.

The power behind Slammers is in the coaching staff, Fine said. "I don't know if there's another facility in the country that has the resume of coaches and Division I players that we have here," Fine said.

His former partner recently sold his share of the business to athletes Gary Bennett, Dar Townsend and Tom Knauss.

Bennett, a 1990 graduate of Waukegan East High School, was a catcher on the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. The Green Oaks resident has played in the major leagues for 12 seasons with 7 different teams. He signed last month with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bennett said in a phone interview Tuesday while heading to Florida for spring training that he and Townsend have become good friends over the years and have tossed the idea around for this type of venture. At 35, he admitted that his professional career is almost over and he'll soon have a lot more time on his hands while raising his three children, ages 3, 5 and 7.

Slammers goes beyond sports. "We want to try to teach baseball here as well as life lessons. There's a lot of failure in baseball," Bennett said.

The kids have to learn they'll fail and they have to pick themselves back up again, Bennett said.

Memberships are available while individual lessons are $50 for a 30-minute session. Camps and clinics start at $160 for four, 1-hour sessions.

The groundwork has been developed.

Fine, a Deerfield High School graduate and scout for the Houston Astros, and his former staff has sent more than 100 of their athletes to play Division I ball and at least 25 have been drafted by pro teams.

Bennett said he and the coaches at Slammers will try to produce quality players to compete for college scholarships.

Townsend, a Libertyville resident, brings in a great deal of coaching experience. He retired from coaching after 28 years at Warren High School where he continues to teach. He played ball at Illinois State where he was a two-time team MVP.

And Knauss, a Hersey High School graduate and resident of Arlington Heights, played pro baseball for six seasons.

"Our ultimate goal is to produce high-level players," Fine said. The facility provides scouting services. They have their own video equipment to produce images to send to colleges. Sean Duntan, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Prep Baseball Report is also involved with Slammers.

Bennett says: "It's a neat mix, everyone brings something to the table. We have four or five guys who have played professionally and a ton of coaches of all levels."

Name recognition also helps. Bennett recently held a clinic at Slammers with Ryan Theriot of the Chicago Cubs. Similar camps are planned with professional players in the near future.

"We offer a full encompassing program," Fine added.

When he started the facility about seven years ago, he never imagined it would grow to this capacity. "Parents are definitely energetic about their kids future."

For more information, call (847) 549-1687 or chick out www.slammersillinois.com.