Cruisin' into the FL

The Midwest Sliders are playing their final week with Ypsilanti, Mich., as their home. WJPA Radio's Randy Gore conducted a two-part interview with Sliders president Rob Hilliard that was aired Saturday prior to the Wild Things' doubleheader games against Midwest, and Hilliard said the team will be moving to Waterford Township, Mich., for the 2010 season.

The plan all along was for a new ballpark to be built for in Waterford Township for the Oakland County Cruisers of the Frontier League. Some problems with financing caused team to play as the Midwest Sliders and as a traveling team in 2008. This year, the Sliders were based out of Ypsilanti.

"Sept. 6 is the last day of the regular season. Sept. 7 we'll be the Oakland County Cruisers," Hilliard said proudly.

The Cruisers will hold the groundbreaking for their new ballpark Oct. 29. It won't be completed until after the 2010 season, but there will be enough done for the Cruisers play there next May.

"We'll put in the seating bowl and playing field in the early spring and finish out the ballpark at the end of next season," Hilliard said.

The ballpark should be a good one for hitters. The outfield walls will be only 310 feet down the lines and the alleys will be 360. It will be 400 to straightaway center field.

"We'll have 2,800 stadium seats, 14 rows, and some benches with backs," Hilliard said. "We'll have bleacher sections down the left- and right-field lines, seven skyboxes and a media center behind home plate. The permanent clubhouses will be behind home plate and the players will enter right through the stands. You wouldn't want to do that in New York, but here in the Midwest we can do it."

The two seasons as the Sliders have been difficult for Hilliard and field manager Eric Coleman. Obviously, they are excited about the team finally becoming the Oakland County Cruisers and moving into a new ballpark.

"I think we'll be able to recruit better," Hilliard said. "We've been in a difficult situation being in the center of the economic situation morass here in Ypsilanti and being a lame-duck franchise. We've had some double-figure evenings in terms of fans. Our players like to play in front of a lot of fans, whether they're friendly or hostile. We've played some of our better games on the road."

Hilliard said the Cruisers' ability to start building their ballpark was hindered by the economic situation in Waterford Township (about 10 miles from Auburn Hills, Mich., where the Detroit Pistons play their home games). The team is currently conducting a public stock offering.

"Two of our principal owners, in terms of shares, are in retail, and the Summit Place Mall is clearly hurting," Hilliard said. "Another owner lost the equivalent of $3.5 million with two chain stores going out of business."