A graduate of St. Rita High School and Lewis University where he played basketball, Ken Hansen began his 16″ softball career with the Lazy 10 and the Sabers at Lindbloom, Pasteur, and Lawler Parks where they won numerous championships. As a centerfielder and shortstop, Hansen was known as a long ball hitter who maintained a .550 plus batting average from most of his career. When Hansen reached his 30s, however, he realized that his talents were better found behind the plate rather than in front of it, so he switched to umpiring. Hansen first began umpiring in the Industrial Leagues at Marquette and Lindbloom Parks. In the early 70s he joined Tom Bonen’s Windy City Softball as assignment chairman for the A,B, and C Leagues at Kelly Park. Hansen also umpired the World Series of Softball Championships at Soldier Field. When asked for his favorite memories of umpiring, Hansen remembers classic matches between the Bobcats and Sobies and the many championships won by Eddie Vrdolyak’s Strikers with Mike Tallo. Ken Hansen and his wife, Mary, have ten children and sixteen grandchildren. He and Mary live in Palos Park, Illinois.
