Growing up, they were just a group of Forest Park kids who spent their childhood playing pick-up games in the neighborhood. Their dream was to form their own team and to play in the Forest Park league and ultimately in the 16 Inch No Glove Nationals. Their journey to fulfill that dream started in the early 1980s when they won the league for the first time in their first year. A local Screw and Fastener company was their sponsor which led to their legendary team name the “Screwballs”. They immediately became Forest Parks Team and arguably would go on to become the most successful and accomplished team to ever originate in Forest Park playing 12, 14, and 16 inch, with or without gloves. They played in all of the major tournaments as well as the coveted “Super Sixteen Inch Pro League”. They won the Hawthorne Tournament and the Clyde Park Tournament in the 90s, two of their biggest accomplishments. Although their playing days are over after 20 years the bond these players share and the friendship they have developed through the game of 16-inch softball continues to live on.
