Better known as “Hero” or “Thrash,” #21 Antone Thrash excelled in 16” Softball for two decades. Small in stature, he played the game with sheer heart, leadership and determination, and all out hustle, grit and desire that few could match. Starting as an outfielder with Jack’s Family / Dunbar Park, he moved into the infield as a defensive specialist at second base wth Poison / Washington Park, Big Dogs / Harrison Park, Solutions / Blue Island, Solutions / Oak Lawn, and Grand Theft / Garfield Park, respectively. However, it was as a Pitcher with Solutions that Thrash made his mark as they captured over 20 championships under his reign: 3 ASA Nationals, 5 Heritage Classics, 4 Washington Park Sunday, 1 Oak Lawn title, ASA and SSA Qualifiers and a host of other titles. In 2011, ASA Nationals at Cedar Rapids, Solutions captured it’s first of 3 Na-tional titles and Thrash was named MVP for his outstanding play. When his team wasn’t playing, Thrash could usually be found studying team tendencies and doing everything possible to gain an advantage or prepare to compete at the highest level. Thrash had a reputation as a true extension of a coach on the field, holding him-self, players and coaches responsible for doing the right thing. Considered among his peers as one of the best pitchers of his generation, Thrash was al-ways quick to mentor his own teammates and the opposition, giving encour-agement and sharing pitching tips and positive suggestions. Before taking the field, Thrash reminded the team about playing with PHD: Pride Hustle and De-sire, his personal motto for every game.
