For four decades, Frank Stella has been the driving force behind Thunder Softball, a team that began as a close-knit group of neighborhood friends from Glenbrook South High School in 1983 and evolved into one of the most respected and successful teams in 16inch softball. Thunder achieved milestones that few teams can claim: Hall of
Frank is a perfect example of a Daley winner supporting this game. He desired becoming an umpire at a very young age wanting to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He played the game but really enjoyed watching his brother’s style as an umpire and his impact on the game. That’s when he got the urge.
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
There are no better examples of a Holan Award winner on and off the field. Jerry has been a passionate sixteen-inch player, organizer, ambassador and fan for 50 years. His elite outfield defense, speed, and intensity soon made him a player that was in demand by several top teams, including the defending Iowa State 16”
Martin started to play 16 inch in 1980 with a team his father because they were short on players, so that started the love for 16 inch. From there, he went on to play for some better teams to become one of the best teams in the state of Iowa. In 1984 he started playing
St. Christina Fields is located at 111th & Central Park in Chicago’s Mt. Greenwood neighborhood , but the address falls under the St. Christina parish ofce address of 11005 S. Homan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The elds housed St. Christina School from 1938 until 1979, when the school was torn down and the property would
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Lee grew up on Chicago’s South Side neighborhood of Auburn Gresham. He excelled as a sprinter on the track team at Brother Rice High School and earned a full athletic scholarship at Loyola, with numerous Division 1 titles during his career. After college, softball became his passion and his athletic talent helped him excel at
Keith Filkins started playing sixteen-inch softball in 1986 with the Cougars. For the next thirty years, he played for some of the greatest softball teams of all time – Sports Station, the Whips, Lettuce, Team 714, Splinters, Puglise / Bucks, Flashback, Windy City, and the Millers 45s. He has played every infield position and has
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Joe Firneno has been playing sixteen-inch softball for more than fifty-five years (and he just recently turned sixty-five). Some players say he still plays with the enthusiasm and passion of a twenty-five year old. Joe began playing softball in the alleys and streets around 80th and Peoria on the South Side of Chicago. In 1964,
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For over twenty – years, the Forest Park Review has published a special pull out section for the No-Gloves National 16 – Inch Softball Tournament. This pullout allows softball fans from the city, suburbs, and surrounding states to get information on the No-Glove Nationals. It also helps fans understand the excitement of 16 – inch
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