These Boomers are more than okay

Searching for prairie chickens...in Schaumburg.

The view from behind home plate at Wintrust Field.

I found myself recently in Schaumburg, on the hunt for the Greater Prairie Chicken. Let me explain, the Greater Prairie Chicken, or Pinnated Grouse, has long been nearly extinct in Illinois. It’s a species and a topic I’ve written about previously. In fact, check out my teaser for the short documentary that’s playing right now.

This prairie grouse was one of the most numerous birds on Midwestern grasslands in the 1800s. European visitors remarked upon their thousands and the constant “booming” sounds that they heard. (Booming sounds a bit like a cow’s lowing if it was filtered through sheet metal.) The last Greater Prairie Chicken was seen in Chicagoland in the mid-20th century. The species has mostly faded from memory.

But about a decade ago, something surprising happened—and in an unlikely location. A minor-league baseball team in Schaumburg announced that they’d be named the “Boomers” in an ode to the ol’ chicken. Schaumburg is a sprawling suburb on the northwest outskirts of Chicagoland known mostly for having an Ikea and a very large mall. It’s safe to say that all that development likely displaced many a species, including the prairie chicken. But the name is a wonderful paean to our local avifauna.

So when I went to Wintrust Field in Schaumburg for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would there be tributes to grouse? Praise for chickens? Moments of silence for endangered species?

The temperature was hovering around 90, with fierce southwest winds when I entered the ballpark for a matinee. Ah, minor league baseball, it has been a while.¹ The stands were mostly empty and positioned very close to the action. I took a seat in the shade and absorbed the surroundings. The lower deck was just low enough that the air was completely still and out of the wind. It became hot very fast. The first song out of the PA system: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird.”

The Boomers compete in the Frontier League, which is one of the top independent leagues and on-par with high Class A baseball. The players play hard and some may still harbor designs on a promotion to affiliated ball. Others are a few years out of college and likely just enjoying their time as professionals.

The lower deck filled in a bit by first pitch, but most folks stayed on the concourse and in the shade. There was a nice breeze coming in right under the press box. The guy next to me was exhorting the Boomers’ pitcher, a lanky righty named Quinlan Wiley. “Come on, Q! Alright, Q!” It occurred to me that the players and fans had a more intimate relationship at this level. The players are much more accessible and laid back, and many room with local families throughout the season. It’s very possible that this noisy fan was a friend or family member.

There weren’t any signs of prairie chickens at this point, other than the introduction of the Boomers’ mascot Coop.² I did see a few birds around the stadium, though, House Sparrow, Mourning Dove, European Starling, and Common Grackle. There also was a Red-tailed Hawk circling lazily way behind the left field fence.

Meeting the Boomers’ mascot, Coop.

Today’s opponents were the Windy City Thunderbolts, who play their home games in Crestwood, Illinois. Perhaps the most notable thing about the Bolts is that their former manager was the late major league all-star Bobby Jenks.³ They got out to an 8-1 lead, and Wiley was quickly knocked out of the game. I still had music on my mind as I watched each member of the Thunderbolts approach the plate. There’s a thing in pro baseball about walk-up music, the song that’s chosen by the player when they’re introduced. It’s a little thing but something that gets attention from time to time.⁴ So I was surprised when a Thunderbolt named Dunlap had the “Steve” song from Minecraft the Movie as his song. Then there was another guy who chose the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun, a sophisticated choice, I thought. But then there was a Rick Astley song accompanying another batter, and finally “In a Barbie World” serenading another. Okay, I thought, this is the home team having some fun with the visitors.

Other than Coop and all the prairie chicken merchandise, I still hadn’t found anything about the Boomers that really related to the species. That was until the bottom of the fourth inning. An RBI double by Banks Tulley was the start of a Boomers comeback (they’d go on to win the game). When Tulley got to second base, he looked back at the dugout and flapped his arms like a bird. It was a gesture that was a clear nod to the team’s avian roots.

While the existence of the Boomers is fun and all, there is a benefit to anything that draws the attention of the non-birding public. Just think about the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Cardinals and the positive associations people have with those species. Or go back to my proposal to change the Chicago Blackhawks’ logo to a Rough-legged Hawk. These are win-wins for sports fans and birders alike. Most anything that heightens awareness of birds is a good thing, even when it is a tiny minor-league franchise in a nondescript suburb. That it has something to do with baseball is even better.

1. One of the previous times I was in a minor-league stadium was two decades ago.

I was dispatched to cover a doubleheader between the Richmond Braves and Louisville River Bats on a sweltering summer day in central Virginia.

The only thing notable about the assignment was that Bob Scanlan, who’d previously been the closer for the Milwaukee Brewers, saved both ends of the doubleheader. But the save in the nightcap was interesting. Scanlan came in with the bases loaded and two outs, with the Bats hanging on to a tight lead. Not only that, he came in facing a 2-0 count, as the previous hurler had thrown two balls. Somehow, Scanlan got out of it and preserved the win.

After the game, I entered the tiny manager’s office on the visitors’ side to talk to Louisville Manager Dave Miley. Miley, who later managed the Cincinnati Reds, was fuming about something even though they’d just taken both games. So I asked him why he put in Scanlan halfway through an at-bat. He glared at me and all he said was “Ball 1 and Ball 2.” End of interview. I later heard through a co-worker that Miley said he wouldn’t talk to out-of-town reporters, whatever that means.

2. Just a reminder that Prairie Chickens aren’t chickens at all, they’re grouse. They can fly, they can migrate, and they can’t be domesticated. When people tried to domesticate them, they’d just wander away from the farm. Or worse, they’d meet their end in the jaws of a barnyard dog or cat.

3. Jenks, who had been in ill health for some time, sadly passed away earlier this month. There was a beer tribute to him at the White Sox game on July 12, honoring the 2005 champs.

4. Onetime Guardians slugger Oscar Gonzalez famously used the SpongeBob Squarepants song for his walk-up music in 2022.