Midlothian, Ill. – Feb. 1, 2018 – The Crestwood Panthers of the MCL have announced that Howie Minas Field will serve as their home for the 2018 season.

The field, located at Homan Avenue and 144 Street in Midlothian, Ill., holds significant historical value and allows the MCL to add yet another venue with a rich baseball tradition. The field opened in 1955 when Howie Minas constructed a baseball stadium for the Midlothian White Sox. The town named the field after him in 1982.

“Howie took excellent care of the field for years before he passed away,” Midlothian Park District Superintendent of Recreation Jennifer Yuska said. “He was very meticulous about the field, so we’ve kept up that tradition. There are fields all over the place that are nice and well-maintained, but that field is even more pristine than the standard baseball field.”

The Midlothian White Sox were a powerhouse in the National Baseball Congress in the 1980s, finishing in second twice before winning the championship in 1992.

The Cook County Cheetahs of the independent Heartland League called Howie Minas Field home in 1998. The Cheetahs eventually moved to Crestwood, joined the Frontier League and became the Thunderbolts.

The Panthers will be under the direction of manager Isaac Valdez during the 2018 season. Valdez owns over 15 years of experience leading, motivating and mentoring teams and players. The team is entering its second year as a member of the MCL.

“We always like to have the fields in use as much as we can,” Yuska said. “That’s what they’re there for, to have people play on them. We picked up Brother Rice baseball this year as well. We’re excited to continue to welcome competitive teams to our field as we partner with the Panthers and the MCL.”