Schaumburg Boomers players, coaches and fans just happy to be back on the field
The boys of summer are back in Schaumburg.
After taking a more than a year off after COVID canceled the Frontier League baseball season, the Schaumburg Boomers were back on the field Thursday night.
After 633 days without a game, it was a rough return to the diamond for the Boomers. They lost to the Evansville Otters 15-2. The only bonus for the 2,092 fans, who hung around on a very cool and windy night, was the fireworks display that was set off in the bottom of the seventh instead of at the end of the game.
Boomers manager Jamie Bennett, who has been at the helm for the team since its inaugural season in 2012, said it was difficult for him not to be able to come to ballpark each day.
"It is 18 months since we have been playing baseball," Bennett said. "It feels every bit of it. A little disappointed about the weather, but I am excited to get things going again."
Bennett said he knows that layoff may affect his players, but he is extremely optimistic.
"Even the guys we had before, I had not see them play in a year and half," Bennett said "That was a concern. But I can tell the guys put in the work. Hitting is always a challenge coming in, much less after this kind of time."
Catcher Nick Oddo is in his fourth season with the Boomers. He got a chance to play last season when he signed with the Winnipeg Goldeneyes in the American Association.
"I had a season last year," said Oddo, who hit .274 with 5 homers and 34 RBI in 2019 for the Boomers. "I didn't play that much and went in as a backup catcher. It was good baseball and the only baseball playing except for the Major League.
Infielder Quincy Nieporte led the Frontier League in hitting in 2019 with an average of .315. He also hit 13 homers and was third in the league with 71 RBI.
Nieporte, who is back in a Boomers uniform for his second season with Schaumburg, said he used his COVID time off the to get his body healed.
"Having that long period off was definitely different," Nieporte said. "I had a real good plan in my mind. I was going to use that time as a blessing in disguise to give my body a chance to heal.
Nieporte, who had 2 hits on Thursday, said despite all the time away from the game, he never thought about retiring from it.
"It was weird to be away for a long time," Nieporte said. "But the idea of retiring never came into my mind. I feel I still have a lot to prove. You have to ride the wave of baseball."
Rich and Marty Del Boccio who have had season tickets at Schaumburg dating back to when the Flyers played there, were overjoyed to be back watching baseball at their favorite stadium.
"We were the first two fans to pick our seats when the stadium opened," Rich Del Boccio said. "And we were the first two season ticket holders for the Boomers. It is great to be, and about time."