Born in 1916, Paul Bute is one of the original members of the Windy City League. He played for Al Horan Boosters, Farmer’s Field, and Wellington and Ashland, original teams of the Windy City League. Bute’s first team was the Miami Club, managed by Johnny Mancuso where he led the league in home runs and ranked as one of the top ten hitters in the league. He later won three championships with Salerno Cookies on a team with such famous teammates as Bob Auterich and Vern Parry. After Salerno Cookies, Bute also played with Adamowski’s and won championships at Hilburn and Nortown Stadiums with Rhodie’s Tap and Petrones. Besides excelling in softball, Paul Bute was also known as a top softball umpire at the Northtown and Clarendon Park men’s senior league. A Chicago Fire Department Battalion Chief for 33 years, Bute retired in 1977. A father of 4 children with 22 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, he currently lives in McHenry with his wife of 62 years, Katherine.
