Jim Martin grew up on the North side of Chicago in the Hamlin Park neighborhood where he was introduced into the realm of sports by Chicago Park District icons Harold Joe Gaffney, aka “The Count,” DePaul University’s only All-American football player, and Carl Newey. Jim attended Carl Schurz High School where he played basketball and […]
Tony Valosek grew up in Cicero, so he was in familiar territory when he started running a neighborhood team in the Cicero Men’s League. Like most teams of that era, his team was sponsored by local taverns. They were first sponsored by Triners Lounge in Cicero and then later by S & S Lounge, Cabin,
Craig “Duck” Wente played, managed, and sponsored sixteen-inch softball teams for forty-two years. He started playing at eighteen with Durty Nellies and Runyon’s. He was an excellent second baseman and always betted over .500. As he matured, he became one of the top defensive pitchers in the game. He managed and sponsored Wente Trucking, later
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It was the fall of 1991. Another softball season had just come to an end. While most people were taking a few months to get reacquainted with family and settle back into a more “normal” life without softball, Tim Walker was restless. His Philly Bar and Grill team had just completed a disappointing finish to
Up until 1983, the Northern Trust Bank’s corporate softball team had limited success. About every other year, the team finished second in their Grant Park league, which qualified them to play in the GP Industrial Tournament. Once in the tournament, however, success was fleeting. They would maybe win their first game, but rarely would go
Michael Anast grew up in Garfield Ridge and attended St. Rita High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete. His love of softball began in 1963 when he played his first game in the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). He would end his softball career nearly forty years later in 2001 while playing with Out of
Willie Abbatacola grew up on the West side of Chicago. He attended St. Mel High School where he played basketball and was the quarterback of the football team. Willie and Hall of Fame manager Moose Camillo knew each other from Spencer Elementary School so Willie began his forty-four year playing career when he signed up
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Bill Wadington grew up in the Jefferson Park neighborhood on the Northwest side of Chicago at a time when you went outside and played sports – pinners on the front step until your dad told you to cut it out, running bases, hockey on the North Branch of the Chicago River (when it still froze
Charles Martinkus grew up in Chicago’s West Lawn area and attended Bogan High School. He graduated in 1963 and was awarded “Most Physically Fit Senior”. While at Bogan, Charles won an intramural softball championship, which ignited his love for sixteen-inch softball and led to his playing in various Southwest side park leagues the next two
Larry Danley was known as one of the best defensive shortstops of his era (1970 to the early-1990s). He played in twelve national tournaments with the Senators, the Flashes, the Flamingoes, the Bandits, the Wild Bunch, and the Demons. Larry played with three of the greatest teams ever – the Senators, Flashes, and the Flamingoes.
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