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New Schaumburg baseball team on its second owner

Pat Salvi, brother of former Illinois state rep. Al Salvi, has bought the new Schaumburg professional baseball team that will make its debut in 2012.

Schaumburg village officials Tuesday night approved the transfer of the operating agreement for Alexian Field from previous owner Alan Oremus to Pat Salvi.

The village and Schaumburg Park District, which co-own the stadium, had awarded the operating agreement to Oremus less than a month earlier.

Much of the plan to get the new team up and running as a competitor in the independent Frontier League next May is still on schedule, Salvi said.

But he added that there's now only a 50-50 chance that the team's name will be announced during Schaumburg's Septemberfest celebration over Labor Day weekend.

Salvi has owned the Gary Southshore Railcats in Gary, Ind., for the past four years and will still do so.

Oremus is the new owner of the Joliet Slammers baseball team, and as a new owner, decided to devote his full attention to that franchise, Salvi said.

“It was important for the Schaumburg franchise to get off to a very good start in 2012,” Salvi said. “I learned a lot in four years (as an owner.)”

Schaumburg Village Manager Ken Fritz said there's been only a six-week transition since the first indication that Oremus was thinking of selling the new team. He said there were some personal reasons behind Oremus' decision that he couldn't get into.

“The thing with Mr. Oremus was unexpected — not only by us but by him,” Fritz said.

But Fritz added that both the village and park district have equal confidence in the “significant financial resources” that Salvi brings to Schaumburg — in contrast to the now defunct Schaumburg Flyers who were evicted last winter for failure to pay their back rent.

Salvi was one of the potential owners who talked with Schaumburg officials earlier this year, Fritz said. But at that time, the village was still pushing for getting a new team up and running in 2011, which caused some parties to lose interest, he added.

Though the new team name may not be revealed as soon as was expected, the raffle prizes awarded to those who entered — such as throwing out the first pitch on opening day — will be honored, Salvi said.

Schaumburg signs lease with new baseball team