Bobby started playing softball in high school and would continue for 25 years on the Northwest side and suburbs. He was an outstanding center fielder and batted in most lineups 1st to 3rd because he hit to all fields. He played for the Scorpions, Wedge, Taggers, Youngbloods, March, Inmates, Dogs, Storm and Fusion. His teams …
Bob O’Malley grew up in Oak Lawn and graduated from Harold L. Richards High School in 1971. He got his first taste of organized softball playing for Andy Frain in the Grant Park League from 1969 to ’72. After that, he joined a group of friends from high school and college and played several seasons …
In1976 little was going on in the history of Black folk, but we know that at least three things happened. 1. Negro History week became Black History Month. 2. While accepting the Grammy for Album of the year, Paul Simon thanked Stevie Wonder for not releasing an album that year…Stevie had won it 1974, 1975 …
Growing up on the north side of Cicero, Sharen’s interest in sports began at a young age as she was always playing basketball, softball, hockey, football, and swimming. When she was nine years old, she asked her parents if she could join the boys little league – her mother, Camille Olmstead, said, “no, if they …
It was the summer of ’84 when Ron and Rich Onesti opened a custom athletic uniform shop on West Irving Park Road inChicago. Thesilkscreenoperationthat started with simple t-shirts quickly grew into one of the largest sports specialty shopsintheMidwest. Astheybeganthe operation, schools, businesses and local teams purchased their athletic wear from thenewlyfoundedenterprise. Then,the 1985 Superbowl …
What started out as fun nights with softball friends and die-hard veteran players, all came together to form the Smooth Over softball team. They immediately established themselves as a team to be reckoned with. In the early-’90s, they emerged as one of the most competitive teams on the South side. They started out playing in …
The OJ’s , a team that will go down as one of the top women’s teams in 16” softball history, began its ten year run in 1973 when player/coach Linda “Boom Boom” Parker-Trapp and manager Joe Gerage combined their top teams from the Wells Park League. The team derived it’s name from the initials of …
A native of Chicago, Terry O’Brien grew up playing softball for many teams, including the Scorpions and Muskrats from 1972 to 1988 in leagues and tournaments at parks throughout Chicago and the suburbs, including Clarendon, Wells, Mather, and Pottawatomie in Chicago, James in Evanston, Majewski in Mt. Prospect and at Forest Park. As president of …
Growing up in Chicago, Patrick O’Connor learned the game of 16″ softball in the schoolyards and parks of the city. He played in many Chicago Park District tournaments with a number of different teams during his school years. Since 1983, Alderman O’Connor has hosted his annual softball tournament to help keep alive the rich tradition …
