Baseball Greats to Witness Unveiling of Joliet Slammers' New Logo

Add another baseball great to the list of luminaries who will be in attendance when the new Joliet Slammers release their logo on March 10.

Maury Wills, one of the greatest base runners of all-time, and a fixture at shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1960s, will be a special guest at Joliet's Rialto Theatre for "The Grand Slammer: Identity Released".

Wills joined the Dodgers in 1959 as a 26-year-old rookie. He quickly established himself as the Dodgers' lead-off man and helped them to a World Series victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Wills is widely credited for reestablishing the stolen base as an effective offensive strategy in baseball. His first full season with the Dodgers was in 1960, when he led the league with 50 stolen bases and became the first National League player to reach that feat since Max Carey stole 51 bags in 1923.

In 1962, he set an MLB record of 104 stolen bases, besting Ty Cobb’s 1915 record of 96. At 104 stolen bases, he single-handedly stole more than any team’s collective total that year.

The legend led the league in triples in 1962 and was named National League Most Valuable Player, beating out Willie Mays by seven points.

The Grand Slammer event, during which the Slammers will reveal their team insignia for the first time, will also feature entertainment from the Blooze Brothers band and recently retired Chicago White Sox organist Nancy Faust, as well as other local and national baseball players and officials.

Additional guests will be announced as the event draws near.

Tickets for the event are complimentary but required for admission. Tickets can be obtained at the Slammers' general office at Silver Cross Field, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call the Slammers at 815-722-BATS for more information, or visit the Joliet Slammers facebook page or www.jolietslammers.com

The Joliet Slammers are part of the Frontier League of Professional Baseball. The Slammers begin play in their inaugural season on May 19th against the Washington Wild Things.

The Frontier League is the oldest continuously operating independent professional league and embarks on its 19th season in May. For more information about the Frontier League visit www.frontierleague.com