Slippery Rock Sliders
- Location: Slippery Rock, PA
- League: Frontier League 2007
- Stadium: Jack Critchfield Park
Team History[edit]
The Slippery Rock Sliders were former member of the Frontier League. The team were based in Slippery Rock, PA in rural Butler County, roughly an hour north of Pittsburgh, PA. The Sliders had a single season in professional baseball.
Founded as an expansion team to the independent Frontier League for the 2007 season, the Slippery Rock Sliders made their home in Jack Critchfield Park on the campus of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. The first professional baseball team to call Butler County home since the departure fo the Butler Tigers of the Middle Atlantic League in 1951, the Slippery Rock Sliders were unique from many other Minor League baseball teams in that their entire business model is dependent on a symbiotic relationship with Slippery Rock University.
On November 29, 2007 the Frontier League announced that the Slippery Rock Sliders had been purchased by a Waterford, MI investment group and would no longer be making their home at Jack Critchfield Park. The Sliders announced that they would begin the 2008 season in Traverse City, MI as a travel team operating as the Midwest Sliders. The Sliders will eventually become the Oakland County Cruisers when their Waterford facilities are completed.
In 2009 the new Slippery Rock Sliders returned to Jack Critchfield Park but the team instead played in the Summer Collegiate Prospect League. Along with another former Frontier League team, the Chillicothe Paints, these two teams both left professional baseball to join the Prospect League.
Sliders and Slippery Rock University[edit]
The Slippery Rock Sliders had a unique agreement with Slippery Rock University which allows students the opportunity to become involved in the day-to-day operations of the team. The University's partnership with the Sliders was the first case of a professional sports team being so closely integrated with the academic programs of a college. This innovative arrangement allowed students to gain professional experience outside of the classroom as well as the opportunity to participate in starting an organization from the ground up. Both the University and the Frontier League had made public their belief that this opportunity will set itself apart and become a model to many others.
The Sliders kept ten student interns on staff during the spring semester at the University. Additional interns and student involvement filled out the administrative and operational staff for the summer season itself.
2007 Inaugural Season[edit]
The Sliders' inaugural game was played on May 23, 2007 at Consol Energy Park in Washington, PA against the Washington Wild Things.
The Slippery Rock Sliders began their inaugural season visiting Pennsylvania rivals the Washington Wild Things at Consol Energy Park. The Sliders managed only 1 run on 6 hits over nine innings while committing 4 errors. The Sliders gave up 4 runs on 5 hits to the Wild Things who committed only 2 errors during the Game. The Sliders completed their first ever win the following night, defeating the Wild Things 6-2 in Washington.
The Sliders struggled throughout their inaugural season, entering the Frontier League All-Star break with a .222 record of 10-35, putting them 18 games back from the division-leading Wild Things.
The Sliders were poorly received by fans in the Pittsburgh area. By the All-Star break the Sliders were drawing an average of only 752 fans per game and had only drawn a total of 9,775 fans through the gates. The poor attendance was especially low considering the next lowest Frontier League total attendance at that point was the Kalamazoo Kings who had brought 34,029 through the gates. Their Pittsburgh area rivals, the Washington Wild Things, had drawn over 82,000 fans.
Despite defeating Washington 2-0 in their final game, at season's end the Sliders had slid to last place in the Frontier League, 26 games back in their division, with an overall record of 29-66. The Slippery Rock Sliders entertained only 19,253 fans at home during the season, bringing only, an average of 713 fans through the gate per night. Due to these dismal statistics, the future of professsional baseball in Slippery Rock was poor.
Year by Year Record[edit]
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 29-66 | 12th | Greg Jelks | Frontier League |
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