Schaumburg Boomers ready for home opener Thursday night
The excitement and anticipation that are part of every home opener in baseball are likely to be enhanced Thursday night when the Schaumburg Boomers return to the recently renamed Wintrust Field after a yearlong hiatus.
Vice President and General Manager Michael Larson said almost every aspect of the preparations in recent weeks has come with a sense of two-sided balance.
But Larson is confident the moment has come for people to again pursue the pastimes they enjoyed before COVID-19 forced them into 14 months of at-home alternatives.
“It's time to get out and enjoy a ballgame and go out to a good restaurant,” he said. “We hope we can deliver that on the baseball side.”
Nearly all the pandemic-related news in Illinois has been positive since February, when the Frontier League announced its 2021 season. While only a 25% capacity at Wintrust Field was anticipated at that time, the Boomers currently are aiming for 40% to 45%. This would allow 3,000 to 3,300 fans per game, depending on how the spacing between groups works out, Larson said.
Even if Illinois reaches Phase 5 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's reopening plan during the season, the Boomers likely will limit capacity to about 75% by maintaining distancing between rows.
“I don't think we want to go to 100%, elbow to elbow, at least not in 2021,” Larson said.
Though the season will begin with a mask-wearing requirement for fans not seated, there may be changes to protocols at the ballpark over the course of the summer, if appropriate. More concession stand windows and variations of menu items — such as nacho toppings — may also become available as the need for streamlining of operations lessens.
Probably the greatest logistical challenge of reopening after the pandemic is the inability to use old indicators to anticipate walk-up ticket sales or the amount of food and beverages to stock, Larson said. But he expects to have more up-to-date indicators for the rest of the season by the time this weekend's homestand is over.
Another new aspect to this season is the Frontier League's online streaming package for every game. The Boomers have installed five cameras with 4K resolution, though Larson asked fans to allow them a few games before passing judgment on the live webcasts.
The roster this year will boast some experienced talent, including former White Sox outfielder Willy Garcia. Even though he's only 28, his time in the MLB and other high-level leagues will be an inspiration to younger teammates, Larson said.
“And he's kind of a funny guy,” he added. “He's very entertaining and popular in the clubhouse.”
With graduations and other events at Wintrust Field having already begun and alternating with the home games over the coming months, this summer is shaping up to be one of the busiest in the stadium's 23 years, Larson said.