Kennedy Park was originally created by the Calumet Park District, one of 22 independent park commissions that were eventually consolidated into the Chicago Park District. The park was named for Dennis J. Kennedy, a member of the Calumet Park District Commission who served from 1910 to his death in 1932. The Chicago Park District took …
Gary Kirch was one of three original organizers of the Playboys, a northwest side 16” softball team originally organized in 1964. Evolving from a neighborhood team playing at Chicago’s Jefferson and Chopin Parks, the team became a top- tier powerhouse competing at Clarendon, Portage, Forest Park, James and Indian Road, as well as numerous other …
Mike Kamenjarin started playing sixteen-inch softball when he was fifteen with the Tonti Playground CYO team. They won the city championship that year in their age bracket. Mike and his neighborhood friends formed the Group to play at Archer Park and at Wentworth Park. They won the Wentworth championship and won the Archer Park title …
Michael C. Kirksy Sr. was born on April 29, 1933 to Ethel and Edmon Kirksy in Homer Louisiana. They relocated to the Summit-Argo area when he was eight years old. As a youth Michael loved to play all different sports. Some days he would be playing so hard he would forget to go in for …
Since starting her 16-inch softball career in 1958, Gloria Kolbusz has played, taught, coached, managed and organized for thirty-five years. She learned the game while playing in Chicago Park District tournaments for Antoinette Maffia at Clark and Ken-Wel Playgrounds. She and her Hiawatha Park teammates played in many leagues and tournaments on the Northwest Side …
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 …
Kuppenheimer Clothing Company joined the Grant Park Industrial League in 1960. After a year of learning hard but valuable lessons about playing 16” softball in one of the top leagues in Chicago, they came fighting back the next year, capturing third place in the Continental Division. Kuppenheimer grew from a fledgling team in 1962 into …
When the final out is called on 16” softball and the rankings are made, Bill King admittedly will not rank near the top as a player or a manager, but his devotion to the game and sponsorship are legendary. Bill does, however, enjoy memories of Chicago’s game – the success of the Splinters in the …
Every softball player has a great story about being late to a game due to a traffic jam or arriving at a game and changing in the car. Well, this year’s Holan Award winner was a great player who also became one of the greatest statisticians of softball. The catch? He never drove a car …
Having brothers who play softball means that you too will probably follow in their footsteps. For Tom Kelleher that came true in 1963 when he was fourteen and started playing left field with his older brother Bob and the Strikers at Foster Park and other parks on the southside. The Strikers later joined with Mike …
