Greg’s 50 year softball career started when he was only 8 years old on the Southside. His father signed up he and his brothers for a startup softball league in Donovan Park…Wallace Softball. He really started to pick up the game in high school playing every opportunity in the Bridgeport/Canaryville area. He eventually joined Mickey Balestri’s
Francisco is one of the most culture and community driven people in our sport’s history. He grew up in Chicago’s Little Village and started playing in Piotrowski Park in 1992, where he found a sense of belonging and camaraderie. In 1992, he joined Cook County Juvenile Probation, dedicating over 31 years to helping young people
51 YEARS AND COUNTING! In 1969, students at St. Benedict High School officially formed the “ACES” to join the newly created 16-inch softball league at Paul Revere Park. It was fitting because many of the original ACES started playing at the Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club (NBGC) at Revere. In 1971, the Aces added friends
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Kathy started playing 16-inch softball in the summer of 1984 in Bellwood / Hillside, Illinois with high school friends on the Jynx team. After moving to Berwyn, she played with the Tappers, Banshees and Phillies, which helped her sharpen her skills. Eventually, she helped organize and play on Break-A-Ways, which became one of the top
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The Alley Softball Team was formed in 1973 and consistently played at a high level of competition for more than 25 years. The team’s roots however date back even further to 1965. The team was formed as an outgrowth of Our Lady of Victory Parish’s youth sponsored softball program. Many of the original players started
Ron Amazzalorso grew up at 96th and Avenue N, a street referred to as “Goat Street” because goats were once raised there. Avenue M was referred to as “Cow Street” for the same reason. Many discussions at local bars debated which of these nicknamed streets produced the better athletes. Ron and his friends were gym
Michael Anast grew up in Garfield Ridge and attended St. Rita High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete. His love of softball began in 1963 when he played his first game in the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). He would end his softball career nearly forty years later in 2001 while playing with Out of
Willie Abbatacola grew up on the West side of Chicago. He attended St. Mel High School where he played basketball and was the quarterback of the football team. Willie and Hall of Fame manager Moose Camillo knew each other from Spencer Elementary School so Willie began his forty-four year playing career when he signed up
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Dennis Andritsis started playing lineball on the streets of Chicago when he was eleven. He played baseball and football at Morton West High School. In 1963 when Dennis was nineteen, legendary coach Gene Pingatore recruited him to play sixteen-inch softball for Triners Lounge in Cicero. In 1966, Triners became Sobies Sports Tap and later the
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Women softball players of the 70″s and 80″s will always remember the red, white and blue uniforms of the Burr Oak Angels, as the colors of one of women’s softball’s legendary teams. With Bill Broukal at the helm and some of the top women players of the time on the field, the Angels dominated parks
