When the final out is called on 16” softball and the rankings are made, Bill King admittedly will not rank near the top as a player or a manager, but his devotion to the game and sponsorship are legendary. Bill does, however, enjoy memories of Chicago’s game – the success of the Splinters in the 1997 Nationals, the Straycats, a tough team out of the West Side of Chicago in the 1980’s, and the time his 1968 Hustlers beat Big Herms for the Illinois State Championship at Rand Park in Des Plaines. Besides successful teams, King also ranks his bionic right knee as his trophy of his many softball wars. Bill King has passed his love of the game on to his children Steve and Keeley, both of who are marrying softball fanatics in the next year. He credits his wife Chris with helping him through the many hours of entry fees, postponements, and swollen fingers.
