In the letter nominating Gail Pistello for membership in the Hall of Fame, she is described as a pitcher with a signature knuckle ball that baffled hitters with its ‘dead action’ and could paint the strike zone with pinpoint accuracy. A glance at Pistello’s statistics shows that this claim is not filled with hyperbole. With […]
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From the humble beginnings of Ponytail softball at Kelly Park to winning ASA National Championships with powerhouse Rose and Crown, the kid who shagged softballs for the men’s teams at Kelly Park went on to become a major figure in softball, basketball, rugby, and Olympic team handball. Chick Lillis’ softball career began in 1967 when
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As a young girl from 61st and Rockwell who played her first softball game as an eight year old, Mary Ann Walter became one of the of the top first sackers in the women’s leagues and was an original player on the women’s team with the most championships – Rose & Crown. With her trademark
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What do 234′-1″ and a knee length cast say about Mary DiFiglia? They testify to her athletic skills and her competitiveness. The 234′ – 1″ represents the distance Mary threw softball for a women’s 16″ record that still stands (an honor bestowed on her by Jesse Owens.) The knee length cast refers to the time
Mary Kay attributes her success in 16” to having three brothers and a bunch of neighborhood boys who allowed her to play in their “pick up” games. Growing up on the Northwest side, Mary Kay spent most of her time at the park district field house playing sports and shattering the myth that girls could
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Considered by many to be the best defensive shortstop in the game, Pat McGuire could make unbelievable plays look easy, whether it was throwing a runner out from deep in the hole, turning a double play or gunning down a runner with a cut off throw from the outfield. A feared hitter, she could hit
