Growing up in Canaryville, Jim McCardle started out playing softball the way generations of kids in Chicago did – on the street corner using the sewers as bases and dodging cars while chasing a fly ball. When he and his friends got too big for the street corner (and started threatening the windows of their neighbors with their line drives) they moved to the local park, specifically Boyce Park at Root and Union (now named Taylor-Lauridsen Park). Jim played with Knights of Columbus for over a decade at Kelly Park, Clarendon and Ridge Parks. He was named to the all-star team in 1965 with Madonna Knights of Columbus. He then met Hall of Famer Les Messinger and played with Moore Business Forms for twelve years until his retirement from softball in 1976. Primarily a left fielder throughout his career, Jim was known for his quickness to the ball and a strong arm that was capable of challenging runners at every base. Offensively, he was a leadoff hitter whose ability to get on base consistently set the table for the hitters behind him. He worked for thirty-five years for Campbell-66 Freight Company. He and his wife, Marilyn, have three children, Jim Jr., Tom (deceased), and Dennis. They live in Bangor, Michigan.
