Jim Lang, Jr. played softball for twenty-one years, the majority of the time with the Whips. They played at Lou Boudreau Stadium in Harvey and at Kelly Park, Centennial Park (Blue Island), Bedford Park, and Komensky Park, to name just a few. Jim played right field and was an extra hitter. He had a career […]
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Lowell Junior played softball for sixty-one years. He grew up in the Altgeld Gardens and is one of the greatest baseball players to emerge from there. He began playing softball at Carver Park. His friend Maurice gave him the nickname “Yogi” because he said he reminded him of Yogi Berra of the Yankees. He played
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A fierce competitor, Warren Johnson always played to win. He was an inspiration to his teammates because of the way he played the game. He earned citywide respect for his play and was a major force on the teams he played for, but his loyalty dictated that he would always play with his friends. He
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Marshall Waldo began playing softball when he was eleven. He credits his mentor, the late school instructor / supervisor, Dick Lubera, for his success. Lubera spent hours on end teaching Marshall and other neighborhood kids the fundamental parts of the game. He played baseball at Amundsen / Mayfair Junior College and at the Navy
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Rich “Chopper” Knorowski began his thirty-five year softball career at St. Pascals where he played second base for his grade school CYO team. He continued playing softball during high school. In 1963 he formed the Chantels and played third base. They competed in the Shabona Park League for three seasons from 1963 to 1965. In
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Ray Prost started playing 16-inch softball in 1953 at Riis Park on Chicago’s Northwest side. Ray and his brother started a team called the Ball Busters that played in the Forest Park Tournament in 1960. Although he doesn’t play there anymore, Ray still has a permanent place outside the right field fence for every No
Greg Burzynski grew up playing softball on the fields of Kosciusko Park. He attended St. Patrick High School and earned a degree in Physical Education from Lewis College. After being discharged from the Navy, he played right field for the Lyons 45s. They played league play at Portage, Clarendon, and James Parks and participated in
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Bob Russ, Sr. started his softball career on the North side of Chicago at Hermosa, Mozart, and Blackhawk Parks with the Trolls and DE Rogues. He attended Lane Tech for two years and then transferred to Kelvyn Park. He was elected captain of the Kelvyn Park baseball team for the final two years and was
Willie Kemp aka Wicked Willie Pool, was born in Marigold, Mississippi and raised on Chicago’s South side. He attended both elementary and high school at Francis Parker where he excelled in football, basketball, wrestling, and softball. After graduation in the early 1960s, he attended Wilson Junior College and Chicago Teacher’s College South (now Chicago State).
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Ronnie “Mouse” Maurer started playing 16-inch softball after concluding other notable sports accomplishments. In 1961, he won All-City baseball honors while playing for Amundsen High School on Chicago’s North side. Later, as the only sophomore on the starting line-up, he captained the University of Illinois baseball team to the Big Ten championship in 1963. He
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