Bob Durst has played softball for thirty-three years and counting. He started playing softball in several parks on the north side of Chicago, most notably Mather Park. Bob has played on several Major teams in his career. He played for Thrashers, Red Dog, 45’s, Rockers, and Traffic. His longest stint on a Major team began in 2007 and continues into 2025 and beyond, with Coach Frank Stella on the Thunder. Bob has enjoyed numerous team and personal successes as the primary on-field leader with Thunder. Bob won an ASA Class “A” National Championship with Thunder in 2007. He was an All-American in 2007 and again in the 2009 ASA Major Nationals for Thunder, where the team lost in the winners’ bracket final and ultimately took third place. At the age of 52, Bob was All-American again in 2015 at ASA Nationals. In addition to those team accomplishments while with Thunder, Bob has led the team to a third place finish in the 2011 SSA Major Nationals (again losing in the winners bracket final), a Mt Prospect Classic league championship in 2012, fourth place in ASA Class “A” Nationals in 2012, and fourth place in ASA Class “A” Nationals in 2014. The Thunder team has also won several tournaments, had numerous top-10 finishes in other Major tournaments, and achieved considerable league success since Bob joined them. Primarily a short center, Bob is excellent defensively and can turn the double play with the best of them. Bob was a feared clutch hitter throughout his career, who came through time and again with game-winning hits. Bob consistently batted in the top 5 of the order on all his teams. Bob is a right- handed hitter who could hit with power to all fields and is especially adept at driving the ball to the right-center gap. Bob is employed as a teacher with the Chicago Public Schools. He and his wife, Leah, and their sons, Benjamin and Nicholas , live in Chicago, Illinois.
