Chances are, if you are in a room of former Northside softball players talking about the teams they were on, the guys they had played with, and the leagues and tournaments they played in, Portage Park would surely be mentioned. Portage Park is well represented in the 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame with numerous players, …
Dean Pritt began his softball career at the age of 18 when he and sev-en of his friends started playing on a team run by neighborhood legend Joe D’Argenio. After several successful seasons at Blackhawk Park, the younger players started their own team and kept the Traffic name. From 1986-2003, Dean managed the Traffic team …
For many years, the Doran brothers, Rich, Jerry and John, and Vito Povilaitis of Mt. Greenwood were the nucleus of many youth baseball teams until they began their softball careers by assembling a softball team called the Trumbullies. They played at Mt. Greenwood in 1972 and 1973. Like many young teams, they weren’t as competitive …
As a first baseman for Sulky Inn, Beth performed flawlessly for many years and was named by the Sun-Standard Newspaper as one of the best “first-sackers” in the league who is “wiry and can dig’em out of the dirt with the best of them. As a batter, she was known for her timely hitting and …
Tony Prochenski has been playing softball for nearly half of his life. He started out in neighborhood leagues with the Magicians at Hinkley Field in Park Ridge and with the Travelers at James Park in Evanston. He played with and against some of his lifelong friends, including Frank Mustari (HOF) and Billie Nichols to his …
Created in 1975 by a group of young men in the Englewood section of Chicago, LA Posse began their rise by playing in the tournaments around their neighborhood such Ogden, Hamilton and Washington Parks. The team consisted of the following players: Rufus Wright, Micheal Booker, Micheal Martin, Sam Woodson ( RIP), Marvin Bonds, Donald Woodson, …
Vada Primous grew up on the South Side of Chicago at 59th and Prairie and 73rd and South Shore. He attended Senn High School on the North Side of Chicago where he played football and baseball. He was named Most Athletic his senior year. After high school, he attended Triton Junior College, leaving after one …
Stan Patek started managing sixteen-inch softball at the Major level in 1996 when he started as assistant manager with Sportschannel. He managed the Gamblers in 1997 and then moved to Puglise from 1998 to 2002. He then managed Bucks (2002), Bucketheads (2003 and 2004), Impact (2005 through 2007 and 2010 to 2014). He was assistant …
Lisa Pugh grew up at Cabrini Green, an inner city housing project on Chicago’s North Side. She was the seventh child of nine (one brother and eight sisters). When she was ten, she began playing baseball with the neighborhood boys. They called her a tomboy but they changed their tune when she struck out some …
In 1946, Mr. William Ahern Sr. established the Peppers as a South Side neighborhood team. They were a powerhouse from the beginning, winning money and beer games that were prevalent at the time. In 1965, William Ahern Jr. (Bill), the oldest son of the founder, took over the reins of the team and began …
