Costner becomes part owner of ball team

ZION, Ill., Feb. 3 (UPI) -- A minor league baseball team, partly owned by actor-director Kevin Costner, is set to move into a new stadium in Lake County, Ill., in the summer of 2010.

Costner, who is known for his roles in the baseball-themed movies "Field of Dreams" and "Bull Durham," is part of a baseball team ownership group that has been working with Zion, Ill., and one of the largest real estate developers in the world to bring a Northern League team to a new stadium, near Gurnee's Six Flags Great America and the Gurnee Mills Mall.

"I've seen many opportunities over the years to be involved in baseball projects, but this one is really special," Costner said in a statement. "The location, the people involved, and the chance to offer families in Zion and the surrounding communities a quaint and affordable setting for minor league baseball means everything. Like that unforgettable movie line says: 'This field, this game, is a part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good, and what could be again.' Play ball!"

"This project is shovel ready, will provide 300 permanent jobs, and will be a catalyst to attract and maintain even more jobs in this part of Illinois," added state Sen. Michael Bond, D-Grayslake.

The Lake County stadium project will be managed and developed by Panattoni Development Company, while the baseball team will be owned and operated by Grand Slam Sports & Entertainment LLC of Deerfield, Ill.