The Frontier League’s Joliet Slammers are leaning into their nickname after announcing that they will play an exhibition game at a local prison next season.

Old Joliet Prison, which was open from 1858-2002 and featured in the 1980 movie “The Blues Brothers,” will host “The Big House Ballgame” on April 30 featuring the Slammers and the Gateway Grizzlies.

“The Slammers are proud to be a part of a once in a lifetime celebration of the famous Route 66 and excited to help usher in a new era of baseball and community connections in Joliet,” said the Slammers in a statement. ‘The Big House Ballgame’ will serve as the kickoff to a full slate of programs and community-wide activities throughout the city.”

It will come as no surprise that a member of the Veeck family is involved in this idea.

William “Night Train” Veeck, whose grandfather Bill came up with ideas including “Disco Demolition Night” and many others, joined the Slammers as executive vice president of sales and marketing and part-owner in Jan. 2024. 

Veeck’s father, Mike, and actor Bill Murray are also part of the ownership group.

It didn’t take long for Veeck to deliver an out-of-the-box idea to bring attention to the Slammers.

Last July, the Slammers dropped 2,600 hot dogs from a helicopter above their stadium in an attempt to set a Guinness world record.

According to the Slammers, Warden Edmund Allen introduced baseball to the prison’s inmates to improve morale and help with good behavior. Baseball games took place there until facility closed in 2002.

No words yet on how the Slammers will configure the field or how many fans will be able to attend the prison game.