Considered by many to be the best defensive shortstop in the game, Pat McGuire could make unbelievable plays look easy, whether it was throwing a runner out from deep in the hole, turning a double play or gunning down a runner with a cut off throw from the outfield. A feared hitter, she could hit for power, move a runner, hit and run, whatever the team needed. She was an original member of the powerhouse team Rose & Crown and then the Desperados. The two teams combined for close to 500 wins and only 44 defeats. These two 16″ teams won nine consecutive ASA Metro Titles (76-86) which were the “Nationals” for women, a feat that may never be equaled. She went to Chicago State University on a four year basketball scholarship where she also played four years of 12″ softball, graduating in 1976. She was inducted into the National Touch Football Hall of Fame in St. Louis in 1988, honoring her career as quarterback of a team that won four National Titles in eleven consecutive trips to the Championships. In 1992 she was an assistant coach at the United States Olympic Festival in Los Angeles in the sport of Team Handball. Also in 1992 she was an extra in the movie “A League of Their Own.” She has played 11″ and 12″ softball in Indiana, Wisconsin, California, Utah, Florida, Hawaii, Colorado and even Ireland. In 1990 organized and brought a team of eight women and one man to compete in the Irish Softball Championships which were comprised of eight men and two women. Her team beat all that they played, including the U.S. Marine guards from the United States Embassy. The women’s team gift to the Irish teams were 16″ softballs. Both her coaches, Bob Eskew and Ron Roman, will be glad to tell you that they were blessed by not only her talent, but desire and leadership. She is currently a Supervisor in the Chicago Park District.
Mary Pat McGuire
