Old Joliet State Prison “Big House” Game April 30, 2026
- Eric Hasman
- May 4
- 5 min read
Updated: May 4
To celebrate the 100th year of Route 66 (which starts in Illinois and ends in Los Angeles and runs through Joliet, Illinois), the Joliet Slammers, a Frontier League Baseball team, brought baseball back to the Old Joliet State Prison for the first time since it closed in 2002. The Joliet Slammers' name and primary logo (a guard tower flanked by barbed wire-topped walls) is an homage to Old Joliet Prison. If the prison doesn’t sound familiar, it was in the scene from The Blues Brothers movie where “Joliet” Jake Blues (John Belushi) was released.
The site's history dates back to 1858, when the Joliet Correctional Center opened as a maximum‑security penitentiary. Leased convict labor built the prison. The convict labor quarried the limestone used to build the prison on-site. The first 33 inmates arrived from Alton, Illinois, in May 1858 to begin construction. Both criminals and prisoners of war were confined there during the Civil War. Some of the “famous” criminals who served time there were Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb (after their successful defense from the death penalty by Clarence Darrow). Their case was known as "the crime of the century." In addition, Lester Joseph Gillis (Baby Face Nelson) served time there.
Inside the Joliet Prison, Photo by Eric Hasman, Stadium Journey
The first prison baseball games were introduced by Warden Edmund Allen to boost morale among inmates and encourage good behavior. Prisoners would form teams and play against outside teams and other prison ball clubs. The games continued on the grounds until the prison’s closure in 2002. Warden Allen said that “Every hour of the day from 8 o’clock in the morning until 5 o’clock in the afternoon,” prisoners were playing baseball there. Noting that 1914 was the same year Wrigley Field opened, Joliet Area Historical Museum CEO Greg Peerbolte said the ball field at the old prison is one of the oldest in the country. The old backstop and chalkboard-style scoreboard still remain.
The April 30, 2026, event has been dubbed “The Big House Ballgame,” reviving a tradition that dates back to 1914. Greg Peerbolte, the CEO of the Joliet Area Historical Museum, said that in 1940, several members of the Chicago White Sox came. Ted Lyons, Hall of Fame pitcher, played against the prisoners who actually won the game.
The Big House Ballgame, Photos by Eric Hasman, Stadium Journey
The Big House Ballgame, an exhibition game against the Gateway Grizzlies, attracted 5,500 fans. The Joliet Slammers had over 25,000 requests for tickets. The game was the idea of Night Train Veeck; that is his real name. He is the son of Mike Veeck (who came up with the idea for Disco Demolition) and grandson of Bill Veeck (former Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox owner).
He is part of the Slammers' ownership group, along with his father and movie star Bill Murray, and currently serves as the team's executive vice-president of sales and marketing. Celebrities (Bill Murray and Jim Downey from 'Saturday Night Live', former big leaguer and current Cubs broadcaster Ron Coomer, and ballpark enthusiasts made special trips to Joliet to be a part of the game. As did affiliated minor league baseball writer Benjamin Hill.
Making the game happen had its difficulties as the vacant facility didn't have electricity, running water, or seating. In addition, the playing field was small. The dimensions of the ballpark were 230 feet to left field and 280 feet to center and right. The netting was approximately 25 high. It was amusing to see the outfielders stand near the fence in their regular position. It was like watching grown-ups play in a little league park.
The Slammers had to bring in bleachers, put up netting, fencing, and construct “dugouts.” Portable bleachers were placed in the left and right fields, and down the first baseline. There was a VIP section behind home plate. There was plenty of easy access parking around the facility, ranging from $10 to $35. With the facility being in a town and only one road getting in, the parking lines moved at a reasonable pace.
The Joliet Slammers organization introduced new rules to the game since the field was small. If a ball hit the netting, it was considered a ground rule double. In addition, if a ball was hit over the fence/netting in right field and hit the building behind the netting, that was also a ground rule double. A home run to right had to be hit on or over the roof of the prison building. There was no batter's eye backdrop, scoreboards, or lights, which made the game day experience interesting. It had to be difficult for the batters to see the ball. You had to keep track of the count yourself. An announcer kept everyone up to date on the innings and score.
The gates opened hours before the game, allowing fans to take a self-guided tour of the old prison. You could see some old cell block buildings and segregation buildings, the firehouse, a cafeteria, and office buildings. Note: The Joliet Area Historical Museum gives tours of the State of Illinois-owned prison. For further information about the tours, visit https://www.jolietprison.org/tours.html
The game had a festival-type atmosphere with numerous food trucks and beer tents, and everything was reasonably priced. There was also a music stage for the pre-game festivities. The “gift shop” had “Big House” game shirts, hats, pins, baseballs, lanyards, patches, keys, etc... The lines were long but moved at a decent pace. The Slammers did run out of some merchandise, but I was told it may be available at the ballpark or online. I hope that is true.
Fans dressed up in prison or Blues Brothers outfits. Both teams’ mascots (Izzy from Gateway, Spike and J.L. Bird from the Slammers) were walking around, taking pictures, and signing autographs. The only damper on the game was the colder temperature, which was about 50 degrees and steady rain that began around the 4th inning.
The Joliet Slammers wore yellow and black uniforms that were based on the uniforms inmates originally wore. Unfortunately, their opponents, the Gateway Grizzlies, wore their regular uniforms, not a “prison/guard” themed uniform.
Based on the response this game received, it is likely that some professional baseball at the prison will be back. In fact, the prison will host games for local recreational league teams. If it does come back, hopefully the Slammers can tweak the “rules” a bit, like having a ball that hits the netting be in play, like a ball hit off the “Green Monster” in Fenway, and maybe make the netting a bit higher to make it harder to hit a home run.
Overall, the experience was fantastic, and the game was fun (even with the rain). Sadly, the Gateway Grizzlies beat the Joliet Slammers 14-3. But the result did not matter to most fans, and maybe the players who had a great time being part of this event.
Comments