Charles Miceli was known to his teammates and opponents as Mississippi, but that was too long for a nickname, so it was shortened to Missy. Over his five-decade softball career as a shortstop and pitcher, he was truly one of the great players of the Pioneer era. In the early 1940s, the Boston Red Sox twice offered Miceli a contract, but he refused them both times in order to stay with friends and family in Chicago. In the mid-40s he was a star shortstop and hitter as a member of the Angels of Broadway playing in the Windy City League. He led them to the Windy City title at Comiskey Park. In addition to Angels of Broadway, he played with Petrones, the Stompers, and Superior Lions at all of the major parks around the Chicago area. From 1968 to 1980 he pitched for the Stompers at Amundsen Park. At forty-eight he still hadn’t missed a beat, averaging two or three hits per game and pitching them to twelve titles. The Stompers also played in the 30th Ward Championships, an event that attracted thirty-two of the top softball teams in the area. The Stompers won the event for eight consecutive years. When the Stompers disbanded in 1980, Miceli played for and managed Missy’s Rags, an Amundsen Park team that won four league titles from 1981 to 1986. He was a recreational leader for thirty-three and a half years with the Chicago Park District at Amundsen Park. He passed away in June of 2002. He leaves behind his wife, Lynn, a daughter, Katie and a granddaughter. Another daughter, Kathleen, preceded him in death.
