Jim was a player, manager, and organizer for 16-inch softball on the Southwest side for over 25 years. “Schus” was a pitcher and manager for the ACES from 1974-2000 loaded with St Rita players and future Hall of Famers. The ACES evolved into a powerhouse team in the 70’s and 80’s capturing championships in 11 …
A staple in the game, Colleen grew up on the Southwest side. She attended Grimes Elementary School and graduated from Lourdes High School. She began playing softball at 7 years of age in the Clearing neighborhood. At the age of 17, she began coaching. She formed a neighborhood team of close friends in the Lawler …
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 …
“Cav” began playing 16-inch softball in the mid 50’s when he was 7 years old in the alleys of Chicago at 71st & Racine. Like most kids, he progressed to playing on the street corners at 72nd & Ada using the 4 cornered manhole covers as bases. They played from early morning to late at …
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 …
Carey Goins was born on the South Side of Chicago. Like so many young people before him, he started playing 16-inch softball in the vacant lots, alleys, and schoolyards of his neighborhood. He graduated from Calumet High School in 1971 (where he was a drummer in the band and played football) and then attended Eastern …
Todd Mirrabelli loves softball the way it was meant to be played – Chicago-style with no gloves in park leagues and tournaments throughout Chicago. That’s where he loved to play and where he managed his teams. In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Todd’s big brother John used to take him and his brother Garth …
Thornton Lee was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. He graduated from Chicago Vocational High School, served in the Army during the Vietnam Era, and attended Kennedy-King College and Chicago State University. He began paying organized sixteen-inch softball with the Challengers at Washington Park. He later played for the Bandits, Bad Company, …
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 …
Tony Valosek grew up in Cicero, so he was in familiar territory when he started running a neighborhood team in the Cicero Men’s League. Like most teams of that era, his team was sponsored by local taverns. They were first sponsored by Triners Lounge in Cicero and then later by S & S Lounge, Cabin, …
