In 1979, a group of friends from Chicago’s northside Edgewater neighborhood formed a softball team named “On Waivers” at Pierce Park and over their 21 years of existence won 25 league championships and league tournaments in parks along the north shore of Chicago, and Evanston. Their core players included rick Clark (captain), Jim Stoner, Dennis Connelly, Danny Hernandez, Nick Simon, Bob Dillon, Mike Jordan, John Riddoch and John Tamraz. Their main sponsor was an Edgewater tavern called the “Pumping Company”. Their team philosophy was “win the inning”. From 1979 through 1989, they won the league championships in 10 of 11 years. They expanded to other northside leagues; Mather Park, Clarendon Park, Lake Shore Park, River Park, Chase Park, Portage Park, Pottawattamie Park, Indian Boundary Park, Rogers Park, Thillens Stadium, Terminal Park (Skokie), and James Park (Evanston). They won the league championships at thillens stadium, and several times at Mather Park, James Park Summer League and Fall League. In 1989 and 1990, they won the James Park “Tournament of Champions,” a tournament pitting every night’s summer League champions against each other, thus crowning them the “ultimate” park champion.
