16 INCH SOFTBALL


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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Date: July 27, 2015 08:46PM

[b]In the 50's cornell square was fillid with fans. There were four fields an sometimes a game at each one. I served hot dogs at the NW corner of 51st & wolcott.[/b]

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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Posted by: SWEDE ()
Date: August 01, 2015 02:00PM

Rich,

Did you know Eddie Surma also called Champ? He worked at American Can Co., lived in the Back of the Yards and played softball everyday of the week and several games over the weekend at Cornell Park, Gage Park, Kelly Park.

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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Posted by: SWEDE ()
Date: September 08, 2015 11:33PM

Back of the Yards 47TH and Damen Ave had several fields and all of them would be filled at any given time during the 50's and 60's. Went to grammer school at St Michaels in the 50's and St Rita High School in the early 60's. Kelly Park, Gage Park Sherman Park, Pastuer Park and Cornell Park were many of our favorite fields to play.

Tim,
Any luck getting your friends to play in San Diego?

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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Posted by: SWEDE ()
Date: September 29, 2015 12:51AM

Hey Tim of San Deigo. What happen with your teamates? Did you try getting to play 16in.?

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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Posted by: Bob Knack ()
Date: October 12, 2015 12:59PM

I played in an industrial league at Welles Park at Lincoln and Montrose. They had teams like The Gas Company and Electric Company. We were the WGN 720'9er's from the radio + TV station a short distance away at 2501 Bradley Place. We usually got killed but had one good team that went to the Grant Park playoffs. We had some celebs on the team like Phil Donahue, newsman Don Harris and others and would play charity games at Thillens Stadium on Devon and all over the area. Even Jack Brickhouse (a really nice guy) would come out and announce the games sometimes. Maybe some of you saw us. I miss those days and all the guys.

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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Posted by: SWEDE ()
Date: October 12, 2015 11:14PM

Bob,
Did you have a relative that worked for American Can Co (CANCO)? We had a Richard Knack who played in our Industrial League at one time back in the 60's.

Just alittle background (beloe) where I come from and the good old days of playing softball:

Anyone remember the good old windy city 16 in softball games and parks? I started playing in the 50's at Oakley Playground league. We traveled to different playground parks every week. Hermitage, Kostner then Strawhacker,Lawler, Murray,Hale. In 1956 Oakley Playground we took third in the city. Our St Michaels League we usually played at Cornell 58 & 59 we took first place. As we got older we played all over. Kelly,Davis,Pasteur, West Lawn, Gage , Ogden, Humboldt. Our Industrial League from American Can we played at Gage Park in the 70's Champs in 72,73,74,and then onto Grant park for the City Champs third place in 72. My brother Roger played everywhere and every park with many good players.

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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Posted by: SWEDE ()
Date: January 02, 2016 12:24AM

My brother and I played for Oakley Playground in the 50's and another park we would travel to was Murray Park amongest many in the Chicago area.

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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Posted by: SWEDE ()
Date: January 14, 2016 12:37AM

btt

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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Posted by: SouthSide41 ()
Date: January 22, 2016 05:46PM

I bought a 16-inch ball for my boys when they were little. In 2002 we had a family reunion in Ohio--and played ball with a 16-incher, "Chicago Softball." What a hoot, and what fun.

The O'Neil clan used to have the annual picnic at Pottawatomie Park, then Phillips Park. ALWAYS we played softball. I never used a glove until I went to school in Saint Louis. No 16-inch balls there.

Jim O'Neil QPS '60
DePaul '64, '66

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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Posted by: SWEDE ()
Date: January 25, 2016 12:17AM

Any of the O'Neil clan from St Rita High School Chicago Southside?

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Re: 16 INCH SOFTBALL
Posted by: SWEDE ()
Date: January 28, 2016 01:52AM

Where are all the softball players?

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