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, …
Larry Danley was known as one of the best defensive shortstops of his era (1970 to the early-1990s). He played in twelve national tournaments with the Senators, the Flashes, the Flamingoes, the Bandits, the Wild Bunch, and the Demons. Larry played with three of the greatest teams ever – the Senators, Flashes, and the Flamingoes. …
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 …
