A graduate of St. Sabina Grace School and Leo High School, Jim Brennan was a member of the 1938 Leo Heavyweight Catholic champions. He continued playing basketball after graduation with the Sabina and Hamburg A.C. teams. Brennan’s softball career began in 1937 with Widen’s Bakery, the champions of the Pete Burke League, which played under …
ike many of the top players of the 1900-1949 era and players of today, Marty played both with local teams and with teams in some of the top leagues in Chicago The local team, however, was the place here these players often felt the most comfortable and showed the most loyalty From 1934 to 1941 …
A former Farragut football star, “Eggs” Bromley played first base for the Capital Dairy Softball team and with the Bill Parillo team. Known for his excellent defense at first base and clutch hitting, Bill Bromley and his teams qualified for many Herald – American Tournament elimination rounds. He was the leader of the top ranked …
Ben was one of the best power hitters in the game according to the Chicago American. One of the first of five inducted and one of only three living members of all the members selected by the Chicago American 16″ Hall of Fame, which dissolved when the paper folded. Nicky was a tremendous 1eft power …
Born in 1916, Paul Bute is one of the original members of the Windy City League. He played for Al Horan Boosters, Farmer’s Field, and Wellington and Ashland, original teams of the Windy City League. Bute’s first team was the Miami Club, managed by Johnny Mancuso where he led the league in home runs and …
Born in 1921, Santo “Sam” Bruno made his softball debut with the Mel-Oaks, a team from Melrose St. and Oakley Ave. On Sundays, the best players in the Bell School League would play marathon games for ten cents a man, with the bets doubling with each win. Some Sundays, Bruno and his teammates were joined …
Growing up in the 18th and Halsted area of Chicago, Joe Brankis played at many of the top parks, and in many of the top tournaments. Those events would draw 500 fans for regular games and 700 fans for playoff or money games. In 1941, while playing with the Ruppert Knickerbockers, Brankis won the Windy …
Born in 1917, Peter Bondi is one of the players who form the backbone and history of 16″ softball in the Pioneer Division. Bondi played with some of the top teams from the early 30s until his retirement in 1953. Along with his five brothers, Peter Bondi played with Nielson Steel, Lombardi Kids, and Mel …
With an amazing lifetime record of 193 wins and 6 losses, Ladislaus “Bingy” Boblak forged a reputation as one of the top pitchers of his era while throwing against some of the finest teams in the Pioneer Era of 16″ softball. Pitching for J.J. Zientek Post, Boblak once defeated the legendary Brown Bombers by a …
The standard of excellence, according to many baseball experts, is a player who has mastered the combined ability to hit, field and run the bases. They may have had John Backshis in mind when they created these standards. At 6′ 1″, 195 lbs. and a batting average of over 500, John Backshis was one of …
