1993-Current

Jeff Berger

Jeff Berger’s sixteen-inch softball career began in 1986 with the Otters. The next year he moved to the Rizza Rockers. Teammates and competitors soon noticed his incredible softball skills, but more importantly, he started showing his leadership skills on and off the field. After years of honing his skills with the Peppers, Irvings, Bud Runners, …

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Anthony “Tony” Prochenski

Tony Prochenski has been playing softball for nearly half of his life. He started out in neighborhood leagues with the Magicians at Hinkley Field in Park Ridge and with the Travelers at James Park in Evanston. He played with and against some of his lifelong friends, including Frank Mustari (HOF) and Billie Nichols to his …

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Tom Duddleston

Tom grew up a gym rat. Here is where his love of sports began. Tom attended De La Salle High School where he played baseball, basketball, and football. He earned a college scholarship to St Xavier University to play baseball.   Tom started playing for the Crush in 1978 when he and a few friends …

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Albert E. Fegan

Albert Fegan was born in Chicago in 1901. When he was a young man, he was offered a job by George Young at the George Young Plant and Company. Founded in 1893, the company, located on Western Avenue in Chicago, manufactured baseball and softballs. On July 21, 1925 at twenty-four years of age, Albert was …

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Michael “Mick” Ballestri

Since starting his softball career at Armour Park in Chicago, Mick Balestri has been one of softball’s top players, managers, and tournament organizers for the past twenty years. Mick Balestri started his playing days at short stop and center field, but switched to pitcher in the late 70s, a position he would master during the …

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