Slammers manager Bart Zeller is a native of Chicago Heights, IL and attended Rich Township High School. After attending the University of Arizona for his freshman year, playing both basketball and baseball, Zeller transferred to Eastern Illinois University to play football and baseball, earning All-Conference status in both sports. At EIU, he was name NAIA All-American (3rd team) in baseball and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals following graduation. He played at all levels of professional baseball in the Cardinals’ system, making the major league roster in 1970. Zeller spent the 1970 season with the Major League Club as both a player and a coach. In addition to being the everyday catcher, Bart also filled the role of player coach for Cardinal farm clubs in Lewiston, ID (class A) and Little Rock, AR (class AA). Zeller was the bench and hitting coach in Sioux Falls of the Northern League (2005) and American Association (2006). He then moved to Southern Illinois in the Frontier League, as their hitting coach and bench coach. He served as pitching coach in 2010. In 2010, Zeller’s pitching staff posted a league-best 3.50 ERA as the Miners posted the best won-lost record in the FL.