John Stock played softball for twenty- five years with some of the top
teams of his time. He started playing neighborhood softball when he was fifteen in the schoolyard at Chopin Grammar School. He later played in the league at Smith Park.
As his skills grew, better teams
noticed him and he soon found
himself playing “Major” softball with
the Playboys. In 1978, the Playboys were an exceptional team. They won league championships at Portage, Indian Road, Clarendon, and Kelly Parks. They also won the championships of the Windy City League and the Blue Island League. The highlight of that year was winning the Andy Frain Tournament.
In 1984 he played for the Lords, but was told by their coach that he wouldn’t pitch for them in 1985 because they were going to play with their neighborhood guys. He gave John
his blessing to look for another team. John did and joined the Hometown Touch. That year he pitched the Hometown Touch to the ASA Major National Title, beating the Safari Tigers. After the championship game, that coach told John that letting him go was the biggest mistake he made.
John credits the high honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame to his great teammates and all of the people who believed in him along the way.
John lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.