Unlike any other “Friend of Softball” winner before him, Butch McGuire actually was a friendly acquaintance of Richard J Daley. One of his customers described the social and gregarious McGuire in a 1986 Tribune magazine profile saying, “Butch is 30% businessman and 70% humanitarian.” Back in 1962, McGuire’s prototypical singles bar-considered to be the first […]
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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
Lots of bars sponsor softball teams, but not many have supported as many as J.P. “Pat” Malone of McGaffer’s Saloon in Forest Park. Over 35 years, Malone has spread it around generously to teams competitive and not so competitive. In that time, Pat has become as much a part of the Forest Park softball
One of 16” softballs most devoted fans; Sy Warchol was born in 1929 in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. He attended St. Adalbert Grammar School and Harrison High School. He played softball at Cooper School and Harrison Park until he left to serve with the 25th Infantry Division in Korea. Warchol quit playing softball in 1969 to
Born into a family of six on December 18, 1923, Phil Sutera attended Mark Twain Grammar School and Thomas Kelly High School at 42nd and California. Phil Sutera’s softball career began early at the age of sixteen when he played 14″ ball against Ted Klusinki, a future White Sox player. In 1942 he played softball
Doc Papierz was born on November 14, 1917 in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood on 43rd Street across from Davis Square. One of ten children, Doc attended Sacred Heart Grammar School and Tilden Branch High School. At that time he started working for the Wilson Stock Yards, a job that lasted from 1941 to
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Perched on the bleachers with his trademark cigar clenched between his teeth, “Uncle Pete” Crnjak mumbles tips and advice to the players from The Men from Uncle, the 1988 16 inch National Class A Champions who selected their team name to honor him. Pete Crnjak developed his love of softball as a young man. After
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Larry Sowa grew up on the Northwest side of Chicago where he started playing 16” softball in the alleys and playgrounds around Kosciusko Park He played C.Y.0 ball for Our Lady of Grace elementary School and played on a number of neighborhood teams during his high school days at Notre Dame in Niles. In the
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
