Chicago 16-Inch Softball Hall of Fame Honors 2025 Class
- Don DeBat
- Oct 25
- 5 min read
By Don DeBat
The Chicago 16-Inch Softball Hall of Fame will recognize the Class of 2025 Inductees and Honorees at its 29th annual dinner on October 25th.
The HOF includes more than 700 of the best male and female athletes in the sport since the 1920s, when softball began to take off in Chicago parks and gravel school yards. This year’s event, held at Drury Lane in Oak Brook Terrace, IL, will be attended by more than 500 softball players, sponsors, enthusiasts and lovers of the game. More than 10,000 people have attended the event since 1996.
“The Hall of Fame is the most prestigious honor among the 16-inch softball community,” said Paul Rowan president of the HOF. “We are excited to honor and highlight those who have performed or supported the game at the highest levels.”
“The greatest game on dirt continues to grow,” noted Al Maag, co-founder of the HOF, and author of “The Greatest Game on Dirt,” a 132-page history of Chicago’s game. “More individuals and teams are seeing its beauty. The game is simple—a ball and a bat are all that is required to have fun or be as competitive as you wish.”
This year’s HOF event will induct 20 individuals, six historic teams, and two historic parks, one dubbed the “Field of Dreams.” Dinner tickets can be purchased on-line: $150 for adults, $95 for kids. For those who don’t respond to deadlines, tickets are $170 at the door, and $110 for kids. Parking is free.
The ticket price includes: four hours of open bar starting at 5:30 p.m., and a four-course dinner at 7 p.m. Award presentations start at 8 p.m. and run to 10 p.m. For more information, and on-line tickets Visit: https://16inchsoftballhof.com/events/annual-dinner/
Details on the HOF Class of 2025 inductees follow:
Chicago Jets:
Chicago Jets, a talented and much-feared North-Side saloon team only played for a decade between 1976 and 1985, but its accomplishments were many, and its roster was filled with bright stars.
The Jets won 22 Chicago Park League championships, a half-dozen major tournaments, and hundreds of big games, including the 1985 USSSA State Tournament—all in a single decade.
The Jets softball team was organized and launched in 1976 as a “B”-League North Side neighborhood saloon squad. Managed/Coached by player-1st baseman John Clausen, the young Jets team excelled in the tough Clarendon Park “B”-League, which utilized the famed “juiced Clincher” ball, injected with water, milk or syrup, to restrict the flight of the ball. Over the next decade, the Jets won four “B”-League championships between 1976 and 1979, along with championships at Chase Park, Horner Park, Mather Park, Revere Park and Athletic Field Park.
By the 1980s, the Jets ascended to the “A”-bracket at Clarendon, Portage, and Hamlin parks, as well as adding to their powerful core some youthful players. Before the elite Mount Prospect “AA” leagues were launched, Clarendon Park and Portage Park were considered the top leagues in the city in the 1980s. The Jets won three more Clarendon championships, and eight more championships at Portage and Hamlin parks in the 1980s.
“The Jets consistently beat all of the top North Side “A” teams, including Fusion, Rollers, Stones, Six-Pack, Playboys, Impalas, Lickers, and The Alley,” recalled Clausen.
During the 1985 season, the Jets won 1st place in the USSSA State 16-inch Glove Tournament in Orland Park, IL, beating the Coors Bombers for the championship. Jet’s center fielder Keith Dickens batted .600 in the 1985 tournament and won Most Valuable Player (MPV) honors.
The Jets were sponsored by D’Agostino’s Pizza on Southport & Addison and Third Base Inn, a Lincoln Avenue bar known as: “The Last Stop Before Home.”
Presidential Service Award:
A left fielder from 1963 to 1968, Hall-of-Famer Frank Lentine enjoyed a softball career spanning 27 years, starring for such historic teams as the world-champion Bobcats, Jokers, Rogues, and Cherry Lounge.
However, this prestigious service award is given to him in recognition of his outstanding support and dedication to the Hall of Fame. Lentine’s unwavering commitment, tireless efforts, and generous spirit have played a vital role in preserving and celebrating the legacy of excellence within the softball community.
Manager of the year;
John “JD” Doss is currently the coach of Circus, a top contender in the game with a record of 450 wins and only 200 losses. In 2023, Circus won the Westchester Tournament of Champions, and the 2025 Forest Park No- Glove Nationals. As a player, Doss won the “A” National MVP award, and was selected several times as a Major All-American.
Historic Men’s Teams:
Dago Park, three decades of championship play in Blue Island and Mt. Greenwood; 74th Street Raiders, Chicago Police Dept. Intelligence Team, and Snappers.
Historic Women’s Team;
Budweiser Beer Nuts.
Players: Men:
Jimmy “Junior” McCarthy led off for legendary teams, including the Rockers, Pugliese, Bucks and Flash during the 1994-2002 era. His resume includes multiple No-Glove National Titles, batting titles, and All-American honors. Other inductees are: Rich “Kaz” Kaczmarski and Sharif Walker.
Players: Women:
Jackie Darty-Reid of Ice Dynasty, Shirley Wilbourn of Force, and Shelley Picha.
Wall of Fame:
Mark Munizzi of Bridgeport Crush and Jynx; Andrew “Chin” Page of Flamingos. Also, Randy Braden, Willie “Chip” Holmes, Steve Culp, and William “Red” Davis.
Veterans Committee:
Bob Durst
Organizer:
Bob Herich
Out of Town:
Kirk “Cracky” Huehn, a five-time All-American selection, and Brad Van Meter of Carpet Country Rollers, an All-American MVP from Marshalltown, IA.
Richard J. Daley Award:
Robbie Harris for his behind-the-scenes support of the South Side softball community.
Frank Holan Award:
Tom Lentine
Field of Dreams:
Armore Square Park.
Lifetime Achievement Award:
Sycamore’s Industrial Softball Fields.
About the HOF Museum
Since 1996, the Chicago 16-Inch Softball Hall of Fame is the premier organization for supporting and recognizing the game of 16-inch slow-pitch softball.
The Chicago 16-Inch Softball Museum at 7501 W. Harrison St. in Forest Park, IL, pays homage to the Forest Park No-Gloves National, one of softball’s premier tournaments.
The museum is open Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. Call 708-366-7500, or visit www.16inchsoftballhof.com.
For more softball and housing news, visit www.dondebat.biz. DeBat, inducted into the softball Hall of Fame in 1999, is writing “Chicago’s Game,” a book on 16-inch softball. He is co-author of “Escaping Condo Jail,” the ultimate survival guide for condominium living. Visit www.escapingcondojail.com.
(BAT.HALL OF FAME.2025)
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