When it was completed in 1916, many considered north side Clarendon Park to be the largest and most practical bathing beaches in the country it lost this status in the 1930s when the Chicago Park District expanded Lincoln Park north to Foster Avenue, eliminating Clarendon’s lake frontage. While it was a great swimming beach and
Mt. Prospect Park District’s first involvement with major 16-inch softball came in the late 1970s when the district’s Meadows softball fields hosted a Winston Cup tourney. In 1982 they expanded its summer softball leagues from four to fifteen, then Rick Pyle and Bob Ancona started a softball league that attracted most of the major Chicago
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Grant Park has been the host site for sixteen-inch softball in Chicago since the 1920’s and grew popular in the 1933…when the World’s Fair showcased the game. The game fosters camaraderie amongst downtown co-workers in leagues from lawyers to media people and the site for tourneys on weekends. Including the largest in the history of
Ray Linz Sr., owner of Ray’s Tavern in Calumet City, IL was the proud sponsor of RAY’S Women’s 16″ Softball Team from 1972-1980. The team was formed in 1972 from a recreational group of women’s power volleyball players. Although the members came from various teams, they shared a common bond — a competitive nature. Of
Percy V. Coleman began his softball career with the Flamingos in 1964 when he was twenty-three years old. His competitive spirit and love of softball and basketball drove him to play these sports at top levels. Percy turned this passion into a championship basketball career at Crane Junior College and Chicago State University where he
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The Legends of the Game (legends-softball.com) is a group of men who play 16-inch softball. Although the statement is simple, concise, and true, it does not fully identify who we are. It does not fully represent the spirit, pride, and friendship that bind this team. The team’s roots were planted in the summer of 1968
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Ernest Millsap began playing sixteen-inch softball when he was just sixteen. He played with his older brothers R.V. and Vern, and friends Rob Kubicki (HOF) and Tim Kovel at Hodgkins Park District. He was hooked after his first season of play. As a younger kid, he had dreamed of playing in the major leagues, so
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THE BEGINNING My love for softball started in the early 70’s by going from park to ark with my dad to watch my brother Tom “Eggs” Czarnik play this great game of sixteen-inch softball. I remember my first time watching him play at Clarendon Park and was intrigued by the number of people surrounding the
Thunder is a long time group of neighborhood friends that evolved into a consistent top-ten team, and for several years were much better than that. Frank Stella started the team in the Glenview Park District and Morton Grove Park District High School leagues in 1983. Thunder is still running in 2016 with no signs of
Grace Kenney has been playing sixteen-inch softball in women’s leagues around Chicago for most of her adult life. She played for the team Beer Nuts for over thirty years in leagues at Monroe and Kennedy Park. They won the championship in both leagues. Grace started at the Park District of Forest Park as a
