Current readers of the Chicago Tribune can find Mike Conkin as one of the co-authors of the INC column, but softball fans will remember Mike as the founder and author of “On Softball”, a weekly column in the Tribune during the 1970’s that many experts say revitalized 16″ softball in Chicago and the Midwest. As author of this column, Conklin had a front row seat to many classic softball games, local tournaments, and world championships. Mike also edited and was a columnist for Windy City Softball magazine produced in the 70’s by Tom Bonen, Bob Campbell and Al Maag. Additionally, he wrote feature articles on softball for national publications, and co-authored with Ed Zolna Inside Softball, one of the first books to cover the finer points of “Chicago’s game.” Mike Conklin is married to Diane and has two high school aged children, Andy and Sydney. He resides in the northern suburbs.
