A veteran of the softball wars in parks on the North and Northwest sides, Mike Moreno began his 16″ softball career as many great players before him did – on the school grounds of Chicago. He played with the legendary running back Jim Grabowski as a member of the Rascals at Rosedale Park and with the Playboys at Jefferson Park. In 1966 he joined with Active Screw at Clarendon and went full time with them in 1967, earning Most Valuable Player honors at the Andy Frain Tournament in 1968. Mareno made his big move to the majors in 1969 when he was recruited by Eddie Zolna to play with the Bobcats. During his tenure with the Bobcats, Mareno was a major contributor to eight ASA National titles from 1969 to 1979. In 1976 he was selected MVP at the Winston Firecracker AAA tournament and earned similar honors at the 1977 ASA Nationals at St. Louis, a memorable tournament because of the defensive plays he made to help secure the championship. A left fielder with a lifetime batting average over .500, Mareno prides himself on never having worn a glove during his career. Offensively, Mike was known as a slot hitter who recorded clutch singles and doubles as a member of the Bobcats. Mike has been retired from Commonwealth Edison for seven years and lives in DesPlaines with his children, Lauren, Anthony and Mikala.
