Photos by Eric Hasman, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29
Duly Health and Care Field 1 Mayor Art Schultz Dr Joliet, IL 60432
Year Opened: 2002 Capacity: 6,016
A Name to Call Home in Joliet
The Joliet Slammers are members of the Frontier League and play at Duly Health and Care Field, formerly, DuPage Medical, Joliet Route 66 Field, Slammers Field and Silver Cross Field.
The stadium was built for the Joliet Jackhammers which played in the former Northern League from 2002 to 2010. In 2010 the Jackhammers changed their name to the Slammers and joined the Frontier League.
The name refers to the famous prisons of Joliet and Will County (Joliet Correctional Center and Stateville Correctional Center) as well as a common baseball term for a grand slam. The team even has a logo of a jailbird donning prison stripes as its mascot.
In 2018 the Slammers replaced the natural grass with field turf. The field dimensions are 348 feet to left field, 400 feet to center field and 327 feet to right field.
During the offseason, majority ownership of the team was acquired by Mike Veeck (son of former White Sox and Cleveland Indian owner) and Bill Murray (movie star/comedian). On most nights you can see Night Train Veeck, Mike’s son at the ballpark.
Food & Beverage 5
The food stands have names based upon Joliet and baseball: Crossroads Grill and Steel City Grill. There is the usual ballpark fare of nachos ($7), hot dogs ($5.50), hamburgers ($9), chicken strips ($9) and pizza slices ($9.50). There are tacos from a local restaurant which is a few blocks from the ballpark (Sunshine Mexican Cafe) which are excellent ($4 each though on Saturdays they are $2).
However, there are other options like the “porkando which is mac and cheese, brisket or pulled pork ($16), brisket ($12), pulled pork or pork tenderloin ($10). Cole slaw, mac & cheese and key lime pie are available as sides for $5, $4 and $7 respectively. There is also a giant soft pretzel with beer cheese ($15). I recommend any of the above. For your sweet tooth ice cream is provided by a local ice cream shop, the Creamery. They have cones and ice cream sandwiches from $6 to $10. In addition, there is cheesecake on a stick and chocolate covered bananas. New this year (2024) is a cookie stand (local cookie shop Crumbl) which has big gourmet cookies for $6. These cookies are excellent.
The barbecue pork nachos are highly recommended and tasty. The lines at the food concessions move fairly quickly. The condiment selection here is the basic: ketchup, mustard, onions, and relish and sadly they are in packets. One thing nice is that when you buy a souvenir cup of soda for $9, refills are $3.
There are many varieties of tap beer: Budweiser, Corona, Shock top, Michelob Ultra, Coors and Sam Adams. A 20-ounce draft beer is $7 (domestic) or $9 (premium), 16-ounce cans are $7, and 24-ounce beer cans are $8. The stadium has a a main bar behind home plate that provides excellent views from behind the backstop and a friendly wait staff. The area is home to at least 12 different canned craft beers (Slammers Lager, Field of Dream Honey Vienna Lager) and some tap craft beer from a local brewery. In addition, there are Moonshine based cocktails for $9 (these are excellent) and wine for $8.
Atmosphere 4
Entering the ballpark, fans must walk up a flight of stairs (there is an elevator too in the main entrance) to get to the concourse which overlooks the field. The stadium has two levels: the main concourse and a level of skyboxes above. The stadium features a 360-degree concourse that links to a very large play area behind center field. The main seating area runs from first to third base and there are approximately 20 rows of seating.
In addition, there are two lawn areas down the right and left field lines. There are no permanent outfield seats, but there is a chair rail along the left field wall. There is a concession building, which is not open this 2024 season, in the left field with rooftop seating that is open to everyone on most games but occasionally will be rented out for parties. The rooftop area is a great place to watch the game for a while. Lastly, in right field, there is a standing area complete with a rail for beverages and/or food.
The Slammers have two mascots Spike (a dog) and J.L. Bird (a crow in a prison outfit). Both are found throughout the stadium and on the field during the game. J.L. Bird was even featured on ESPN during his first season with the club.
The team store cleverly called the “Clink,” is large, but lacks a healthy selection of team products (shirts, hats, etc).
The between inning entertainment is the usual minor league stuff: throwing t-shirts, high low, and a few kid races.
The Slammers brought back a cool a sculpture of construction guys sitting on an I-beam eating and watching the game over a third base concession stand.
Recently, the Slammers instituted a “Metra train” race. It is three cutouts of different colored trains and people run from the scoreboard to the a point in right field to determine the winner.
Neighborhood 4
The ballpark is located in downtown Joliet. Several businesses are located to the north and west of the park, along with a high school to the east of the park. Some residential housing is to the south of the park.
There are a lot of small independent restaurants and bars within the vicinity, The Blue Taco is an excellent place with really good food. Also, the Chicago Street Pub has the best Reuben and juicy burgers. The Shoebox is piled with BBQ ham, American cheese, tomato and red onion on a Milano bun. If you want a higher end restaurant, go to Cut 158 for steaks.
Beer lovers should head to Richardson’s Sports Bar which is about 1 block from the park. After the game, if you want, there is good Live music at The Forge, which is a few blocks from the ballpark. Right outside the right field side of the park, there was a gay bar Maneuvers (it is closed now but according to neighbors it should be opening again), but I have my doubts since it has been vacant for a while now.
In addition, Harrah’s Casino and the historic Rialto Theater are within a couple of blocks of downtown. The Rialto books mid-level acts, plays, and various musicals during the season. In addition, the Forge, another bar / music venue, is located a few blocks from the stadium. The Forge does book some nationally known bands.
Other things to do in the area are the Joliet Area Historical Museum (for the history of the city and region) and Route 66. The Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Rt. 66 (open 2022) located at 9 E. Cass is about a mile from the park and offers a history of musicians and bands with ties to Illinois. For you record buffs there is Audiophile Records which has albums and more. Lastly, about 3 miles from the park at 1125 Collins St, Joliet, is the world-famous Old Joliet Prison (featured in the Blues Brothers movie). It was built in 1858, and offers tours.
Fans 3
The fans in attendance are very friendly. The Slammers attendance is usually anywhere between 1,800 to 2,500 per game. The mix of fans is the same as any other ballpark, lots of families, people who are really into baseball and people who just like to hang out and catch up.
Access 5
The park is located in downtown Joliet. It is not hard to get to since it is about one mile north of I-80. There are many ways to get to the ballpark. The Joliet Transportation Center, serving two Metra lines, is right outside the stadium. There are also bus lines near the stadium.
There is plenty of parking surrounding the stadium and it is free. We do not recommend parking on the adjoining street on the south side of the stadium because there are many foul balls hit into car windows.
Bags and purses are allowed into the stadium but may be subject to search.
Return on Investment 5
The price of a regular ticket ranges $9 for lawn seats to $15 for reserved seating (tickets are $2 more on game day at the gate). On Tuesdays, the tickets are cheaper. The suites can be rented for $23 to $30 per person (food and soda are extra).
Extras 4
There is a firehouse across the street in left field which has 560’ painted on it. Yes, if a home run hits the firehouse, it would have traveled 560’.
Also, there is a small field for physically challenged people. Occasionally, I have seen kids using the field.
There is a guy who dresses in a tuxedo who entertains the crowd by juggling and interacting with the fans at most games. In addition, he comes around with a garbage bag and picks up garbage with a pair of tongs.
And in the last row of Section 110, there is a Joliet Slammers superfan/historian, Craig, who is known by the name of “Mr. Downtown Joliet.” If you need to know something about downtown Joliet, this is the man to go to.
Final Thoughts
Duly Health and Care Field has a surprisingly lot of pros to make it one of the best ballparks in the Chicagoland area. It offers a wraparound concourse, creative food options, cheap prices, a healthy selection of craft beers, and an active surrounding neighborhood to make it well worth your while to visit.