Pelletier grew-up in Glendale Heights, Illinois and still resides there. He graduated from Glenbard North High School in 1974. He played sixteen-inch softball in the park district with the Pirates and later with the Stray Cats. He worked in various park districts for six years as a scheduler and umpire before staring his career […]
Born and raised on the West side of Chicago, Sherman began playing softball in the alleys and schoolyards of K-Town. He started playing sixteeninch softball at LaFollette Park with the Pirates, a team of high school buddies. After he graduated from Prosser Vocational High School, he played for the Cougars, Wild Bunch, T. Birds,
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Having played softball for ten years, Joe Manza knew the game, players, and the rules. This knowledge helped him officiate games at the highest levels of competition. He played in six national tournaments with the Condors, Jays, and Eastsiders. In 1985 he became an ASA umpire and officiated a majority of his softball games in
Mike Zizzi started umpiring in 1982. Since then he has officiated over four thousand games, mainly in the North and Northwest sides of Chicago and suburbs. In 1998 he began umpiring ASA tournaments beyond the local level. He has officiated two Grant Park and Forest Park tournaments, five North / South competitions, eleven State and
Joel Zimberoff played softball for six decades – from the 1940s through the 1990s. He started playing ball at overnight camp when he was just six years old. He attended this camp for nine years and was voted the best player and athlete from ten to fourteen years of age. He played for the Dwarfs
Bob Eskew started playing 16-inch softball for the Calumet City Park District while in high school. After graduating, he went into the Army. Once he returned to civilian life, he enrolled at Chicago State University and quickly became friends with many of the members of the women’s softball team. After graduation, they asked him to
Joe Hoffmann started umpiring in the late 1970s at Mt. Greenwood Park, but the lure of playing was too great, so he returned to playing softball. In 1984, however, he returned to umpiring for the A.S.A. During his seventeen-year career, he called balls and strikes for the Blue Island Major League for six years, the
Rich Melman has been a baseball player all of his life and retired at the age of 55. He and Joel Zimberoff have managed Lettuce to two runners-up finishes and to three ASA National titles. Lettuce has won every major championship in the game and is considered by many to be the “Yankees” of sixteen-inch
Bob Peterson grew up in Calumet Park and attended Eisenhower High School where he played baseball, and football. He also played football at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He played softball for the Hot Dogs at parks on Chicago’s Southwest side and in Oak Park. He began his umpiring career in 1983 when he attended
Bob grew up in the Galewood neighborhood at North Avenue and Harlem. He attended Holy Cross High School where he earned varsity letters in football, baseball, and track. He is a member of the Holy Cross Hall of Fame for football and track. He also played hockey with the Oak Park Park District at Ridgewood
