The Stompers were started in 1976 when a bunch of friends from the Gailwood neighborhood got together together to play a team from another park in the area. They were successful, so one of their players entered them in the Amundsen Park League. Unfortunately they didn’t have a team name when they registered, so the park director gave them the Stomper name. They won the Amundsen League several years in a row and also won the 30th Ward Tournament for eight consecutive years. They then moved to the more competitive leagues at Kells Park and then to the Clarendon Park League. In 1975 they played at Kelly Park, a league that many regarded as the best in Chicago at that time. They won their division and were then invited to play in Tom Bonen’s Windy City League. At this time, they were ranked as one of the top ten teams in the city. They also played in the Blue Island Softball League and qualified for the ASA Nationals.
