Schaumburg-you hear that city and you think Woodfield Mall and…well, that might be it.  In actuality, that might be all that one knows about the suburb of Schaumburg.  After all, it is the third largest mall in America.  Schaumburg is a nice-sized town with a population hovering around 76,000.  Much like the city of Chicago, the town has baseball fans.  It also is located about 30-35 miles outside of Chicago.  Those thirty miles or so could turn into quite the commute thanks to the wonderful construction season that seems to overtake every expressway, sidestreet, and back alley in the city itself.  Pair that with the steep prices of taking a family of four to see the hapless Cubs or first-place White Sox and you are in for quite the financial commitment. 

So that poses the question of what to do.  There’s the aforementioned mall, the furniture conglomerate Ikea, or you take the chance of watching a ballgame on the television with your little ones and hoping they grasp onto the crack of the bat, the hustle of some of the players, and the cut of the grass.  That’s a big chance to take when there are things such as Wii, the internet, text messaging, social networking, and Blu-Ray players.

Here’s an option: why not venture down Springinsguth Road a bit and take the family out for a night of baseball.  You may not know it, but there’s a stadium behind that train station called Alexian Field and the Northern League’s own Schaumburg Flyers play their home games there.  From Christmas in July to Dollar Hot Dog Mondays to Fireworks Fridays, the Flyers and Alexian Field do everything they can to accommodate the everyday baseball fan.  Perhaps the most intriguing part is the price.  A family of four can get tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas, and four tokens for the Kidz Zone for under fifty dollars.  The beauty of it all is you get the feel of a baseball game in a more intimate setting.  Kids can get up close to the field and you are most likely going to go home with a foul ball or a home run ball, which is more than most Sox and Cubs fans can say.  I’ve been to well over two hundred Chicago baseball games and I’ve been no closer than twenty feet to a ball.  On a summer night, you and the kids can go to the game, sit on the lawn, and give them the ins and outs of baseball.  Sure, you may want to show them what a major league game looks and sounds like, but the smaller and more personal the setting, the more likely it is the memory will stick with your little one or ones.

 If the game gets out of hand or the family gets restless, bring your mitts and play a game of catch on the grassy area off to the side of the playing field.  You can pretend like you’re part of the game because you sure are close enough to be in the action.  Too dark to play catch?  No problem.  Run around in the playground next to the concessions area.  It comes complete with slides and swings.

In essence, the game is the same just not with Sportscenter quality attendance or notoriety.  Everyone can’t be a major league ballplayer, but that doesn’t mean they can’t put forth a major league effort.  The Flyers play Northern League ball without the major league ego.  I would be silly not to assume some of these guys want a shot in the big leagues, but they still play as if they were in the major leagues.  If there are six hundred or six thousand people in the stands, they still dive, they still steal bases, and they still go from first to third.  That may be the most important lesson to take away from a Northern League game.  If you’re doing something you love, in this case playing baseball, the smile on your face should remain the same whether it is Major League or Northern League.