Greg Burzynski grew up playing softball on the fields of Kosciusko Park. He attended St. Patrick High School and earned a degree in Physical Education from Lewis College. After being discharged from the Navy, he played right field for the Lyons 45s. They played league play at Portage, Clarendon, and James Parks and participated in all the major tournaments, including the Midwest, the Andy Frain, and James Park. He won the batting title at the Mission Bell Classic at Santa Clara, California in 1972 and was named the MVP of the Racine Tournament in 1976. He was also selected to many all-star teams. Beside the 45s, he also played with the Second City for more than fifteen years at Oriole and Hiawatha Parks. Once his softball days ended, he played in senior-level basketball in the Sweet Charlie Brown League at Washington Park. He now participates in the Senior Olympic games. In 1997 when he was fifty, he set a state district record in the 50 meter dash with a time of 6.8 seconds and a district meet record in the 100 meter dash at 11.3 seconds. He now runs in 5K races and occasional half-marathons and recently completed a 50 mile relay race. Greg has worked at Lawrence Screw for sixteen years. He and his wife, Jan, have two children – Matthew and Colleen. Matthew also graduated from St. Patrick High School where he was team manger for the football and basketball teams. He also works at Lawrence Screw. Colleen graduated from Trinity High School. She is now a senior at North Central, studying Elementary Education. She runs cross-country and track at North Central. Greg and Jan live in Elmwood Park, Illinois.
Greg “Speedy” Burzynski
