Craig “Duck” Wente played, managed, and sponsored sixteen-inch softball teams for forty-two years. He started playing at eighteen with Durty Nellies and Runyon’s. He was an excellent second baseman and always betted over .500. As he matured, he became one of the top defensive pitchers in the game. He managed and sponsored Wente Trucking, later changed to the Wheelers. They played in Palatine, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Mt. Prospect, Barrington, Crystal Lake, West Dundee, and Wheeling. The Wheelers still play in fifty and sixty-and-over- leagues.
The Wheelers were perennial league champions at all the parks they played in. Playing as Splinters / Wheelers, they captured the 1997 ASA “A” Nationals, defeating Crush for the title. Craig was named to the All-Tournament team as their pitcher. He continued as player / manager when Al MacFarlane became the sponsor of the Splinters.