Ken Butzen began playing softball in 1978 after graduating from Forest View High School. He played baseball there four years and also played four years at Western Illinois University. After a couple of years playing with local teams, Frank Holan invited him to play with the Taggers, a team that featured a lot of guys from Forest View High School and Holan’s sons; Brian, Ken, Rick, and Jim. Ken knew Frank from playing little league baseball in Mt. Prospect, so the fit was natural. He played with the Taggers until he joined the Stray Cats for their inaugural season. After the Stray Cats, he played for Cooper’s Sporting Goods and Meadows before finishing his career with the Taggers. Over his twenty-plus year career, Ken accumulated an impressive record of team and individual accomplishments. He played with several teams that finished in the top ten of the ASA and USSSA Nationals. He also was selected to the North All-Star team and 2nd Team All- American. Additionally, he played for the Taggers when they won the 1990 and 1991 USSSA National Championships. He was selected the MVP of the 1990 USSSA National Tournament. Because of sixteen-inch softball, Ken has made many lasting friendships and feels fortunate to have played for two great managers, Frank Holan and Dick Cooper, managers who ran class operations and treated their players and the game with a great deal of respect. He also thanks his wife of thirty years, Kathy, for allowing him to pursue his passion for as long as he did. Ken and Kathy have two children, Nicole and Matt, and a grandchild, Kalyn. They live in Hudson, Wisconsin. Ken works for Marsh USA in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
