The post-All-Star break schedule could benefit the Slammers in the standings as well as in the seats.
Starting with Friday’s series opener against Florence, Joliet plays 15 of its next 18 games at Silver Cross Field, where the Slammers are 12-5 since June 3.
“There’s a reason why we got to first place,” Joliet manager Jeff Isom said. “We have the right personnel here and there’s no reason why we can’t get it going again.”
Meanwhile, general manager Heather Mills sees the three-week stretch of home games as an opportunity to expand the team’s popularity and increase attendance.
“Absolutely,” Mills said. “I’d rather have a lot of games in July than have a May- or August-heavy schedule, when kids go back to school. It’s good for us from that aspect.
“If somebody comes to their first game (Friday), and they’re looking for another game to go to, there’s quite a few in the next few weeks. So it’s helpful from that standpoint, absolutely.”
Joliet ranks sixth in the 12-team Frontier League in attendance with an average of 1,993 fans in 22 home games.
Mills said staff members have been visiting local communities and distributing fliers that list the upcoming games.
The Slammers will have a “Turn The Ballpark Blue Night” for Wednesday’s home game against Southern Illinois.
“All law enforcement will get in free,” Mills said. “And anybody who uses the promo code ‘blue’ when buying tickets, five dollars of the $10 ticket will go to the charity that’s helping the families of the officers who were killed in Dallas.
“It’s a chance for us to give back. There’s a large police presence in our area.”
In the standings, Joliet is among the top four teams in the league entering the second half. If the Slammers are in the same position on Sept. 6, they’ll be in the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Florence is at the bottom of the league, but six games in 10 days against the Freedom won’t be easy for the Slammers. Florence is 14-7 since June 18 and has a five-game win streak.
Joliet was 28-23 going into the series opener, a 1/2-game ahead of Washington in the East Division.
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The Slammers’ offense hasn’t been as potent since power hitter Boo Vazquez was signed June 27 by the Royals. Vazquez is hitting .286 with 11 RBIs in 12 games with Burlington (N.C.), Kansas City’s rookie league team.
“That’s moved some things around, put some pressure on guys,” Isom said. “It really shouldn’t put pressure on guys, but it does.”
Isom should have a lighter workload now that he’s added Chris Mongiardo to the coaching staff. Mongiardo was fired June 27 as Lake Erie manager.
“He and I were together in 2013 in Lake Erie,” Isom said. “I was the manager and he was my bench coach, hitting coach, pitching coach. He did everything for me, made my job easy. We got to the championship, and he was a big part of the reason for our success.
“When he became available, it was a no-brainer for me to bring him on.”
Tim Tierney is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.