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The Windy City ThunderBolts are a professional baseball team based in the
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
suburb of
Crestwood, Illinois Crestwood is a village about 24 miles southwest of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 10,826. The Windy City ThunderBolts of the independent baseball Frontier League play at Ozinga Fi ...
, in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The ThunderBolts are a member of the
Frontier League The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...
, which is a partner league of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
. Since 1999, the ThunderBolts have played their home games at
Ozinga Field Ozinga Field is a baseball field located in Crestwood, Illinois. The stadium was built in 1999 and holds 3,200 people. It is the home field of the 2007 and 2008 Frontier League champions, the Windy City ThunderBolts. Name The park features one of ...
.


History

The franchise known as the Windy City ThunderBolts started as the Will County Claws in 1995 and played their home games at
Lewis University Lewis University is a private Roman Catholic and Lasallian university in Romeoville, Illinois, United States. The enrollment is currently around 6,800 students. Lewis offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, 22 graduate pr ...
's Brennan Field in
Romeoville Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village is located southwest of Chicago on the Des Plaines River. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,863. It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near I ...
. The Claws played in the struggling North Central League, which started in 1994 with six teams but fielded only four in 1995. The North Central League folded 18 games into its second season with the Claws finishing at 8–10. In 1996, the Will County Cheetahs joined the new four-team Heartland League. In winter 1997, the Cheetahs and the village of Crestwood, made a deal for Crestwood to build and own a new ballpark for the Cheetahs. Despite the high hopes for baseball in Crestwood for the 1998 season, it was quickly obvious that because of construction delays, the new park would not be ready. The Cheetahs needed a home field and with Romeoville not an option, neighboring
Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...
would be the solution to the Cheetahs' home field problem as they would play their 1998 season at tiny Howie Minas Field. In Midlothian, the Cheetahs would have one of their best seasons finishing in second place with a 37–29 record in the first half and earn a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history. In the Heartland League championship, the Cheetahs swept the heavily favored Tennessee Tomahawks 2 games to 0 to gain the franchise's first title. The Heartland League started the 1998 season with six teams and finished with only four teams. The Cheetahs, now known as the Cook County Cheetahs, won the last ever Heartland League championship as the league folded after three seasons. In 1999, the Cheetahs joined the stable
Frontier League The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...
and have been members since. The team changed their name to the Windy City ThunderBolts. An ownership change instigated the name change. On August 26, 2007, the ThunderBolts won their first Central Division title. On September 17, 2007, they defeated the
Washington Wild Things The Washington Wild Things are a professional baseball team based in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Wild Things are a member of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league which, as of 2020, is an official Partner Le ...
to win the Frontier League championship, three games to two. In 2008, they repeated a division title as the West Division champions and Frontier League champions, defeating the
Kalamazoo Kings The Kalamazoo Kings were a professional baseball team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the United States between 2001-2010. The Kings were a member of the independent Frontier League. The Kings played their home games at Homer Stryker Field. A ...
three games to none in the championship series. After heavy rains flooded Homer Stryker Field, the entire 2008 championship series was played at the Thunderbolts' Standard Bank Stadium. They thus became only the second Frontier League team to win back-to-back titles, joining the 2001–02
Richmond Roosters The Richmond Roosters were a professional baseball team based in Richmond, Indiana from 1995-2005. The Roosters played in the independent Frontier League, which at that time had no affiliation with Major League Baseball. The Roosters began play ...
. The ThunderBolts currently play at Ozinga Field (which was renamed from Standard Bank Stadium in 2018) which is located in Crestwood, Illinois. Ozinga Field is easily accessible from the south suburbs, located two blocks east of Cicero Avenue on the Midlothian Turnpike (1.5 miles south of I-294). On April 23, 2019, Assistant General Manager Mike VerShave was named General Manager. Having served as Assistant General Manager since 2014, VerShave replaced former General Manager Mike Lucas. The club celebrated its 20th Anniversary on the weekend of June 1–2, 2019. The team wore Cheetahs uniforms as a part of the celebrations.


Players

The
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
bought the rights to Cheetahs pitcher
Chris Oxspring Chris Andrew Oxspring (born 13 May 1977) is a former Australian professional baseball pitcher who played for a number of teams around the world. Career Oxspring joined the Hanshin Tigers in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the 2006 seaso ...
in 2000. He became the first player in franchise history to play in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). He played in five games for the Padres in 2005. In 2011,
Dylan Axelrod Dylan Davis Haines Axelrod (born July 30, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. At Santa Barbara High School Axelrod was the 2003 ...
became the first former ThunderBolt and second player in franchise history to play in MLB, having been called up by the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
. On August 5, 2008, Isaac Hess threw the first
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
in ThunderBolts history. Tyson Corley threw the second on August 28, 2012. Pitcher
Andrew Werner Andrew Steven Werner (born February 25, 1987) is an American college baseball coach former professional baseball pitcher. He is the pitching coach at Bradley University. He played college baseball at Illinois Central College in 2006 and 2007 befor ...
became the third player in club history to make it to the majors when he started for the San Diego Padres in 2012. Former major leaguer
Josh Spence Joshua Patrick William Spence (born 22 January 1988) is an Australian former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres. Career Spence enrolled at Central Arizona College, and played for th ...
played with the ThunderBolts in 2014.
Tommy Nance Thomas Andrew Nance (born March 19, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs. Early life and amateur career Nance attended Wood ...
played with Windy City in 2015. He later went on to be the 4th ThunderBolt alumni to reach the major leagues when he debuted with the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
in 2021. All 30 Major League Baseball teams have signed players out of the Frontier League. The Cubs, Mariners, Royals, and White Sox currently have former ThunderBolts' players or coaches in their organizations. There is a total of 32 players who have reached the major leagues after playing in the Frontier League.


Seasons


Current Roster


Notable alumni

*
Chris Oxspring Chris Andrew Oxspring (born 13 May 1977) is a former Australian professional baseball pitcher who played for a number of teams around the world. Career Oxspring joined the Hanshin Tigers in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the 2006 seaso ...
(2000) *
Ben Diggins Benjamin Howard Diggins (born June 13, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers. Amateur career Diggins was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first roun ...
(2006) * Josh Lowey (2008) *
Billy Petrick William John Petrick III (born April 29, 1984) is an American Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently playing for Carson’s tap slow pitch softball team in Ransom, Illinois. Petrick made his major league debut on June 27, for the Chicag ...
(2009) *
Dylan Axelrod Dylan Davis Haines Axelrod (born July 30, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. At Santa Barbara High School Axelrod was the 2003 ...
(2009) *
Ryan Bollinger Ryan Michael Bollinger (born February 4, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played in the CPBL for the Fubon Guardians and Rakuten Monkeys. In 2018, he was promoted to the major leagues by the Ne ...
(2010) *
Andrew Werner Andrew Steven Werner (born February 25, 1987) is an American college baseball coach former professional baseball pitcher. He is the pitching coach at Bradley University. He played college baseball at Illinois Central College in 2006 and 2007 befor ...
(2010) * Markus Solbach (2013–2014) *
Josh Spence Joshua Patrick William Spence (born 22 January 1988) is an Australian former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres. Career Spence enrolled at Central Arizona College, and played for th ...
(2014) *
Tommy Nance Thomas Andrew Nance (born March 19, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs. Early life and amateur career Nance attended Wood ...
(2015) * Adam Oller (2019) *
Bren Spillane Brenden Patrick Spillane (born September 21, 1996) is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Windy City ThunderBolts of the Frontier League. Amateur career Spillane attended Wheeling High School in Wheeling, Ill ...
(2022–present)


References


External links

*
ThunderBolts page at OurSports Central
{{Illinois Sports 1995 establishments in Illinois Baseball teams in Chicago Sports in Cook County, Illinois Frontier League teams Professional baseball teams in Illinois Baseball teams established in 1995