Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 62

Sportaweek 4 Section 6 Chicago Tribune, Friday, June 13, 1980 can SATURDAY WBCCRU1SERWE1GHTC0UT VICTOR GAUNDEZ JESSE BURNETT BURNETT TAKES ON THE FORMER WBA LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT IN A Topi amateur tournaments Jury 3-6 Stars Stripes Classic, featuring midwest's top men's fast-pitch teams, S-A Field, Aurora. July 4-6 South Suburban Softball Association Open: featuring top men's 16-inch teams, Lou Boudreau Complex, Harvey. July 25-26-Chteago Metro, women's 16-Inch teams, Hart Stadium, Blue Island. Jury 25-27-Chteago Metro, women's fast-pitch teams, Plalnfield. Aug.

1-24 Chicago Metro, men's fast-pitch teams, 8-A Field, Aurora. Aug. 8-10 Chicago Metro, men's 1 2-Inch slow-pitch teams. Stone City VFW, Joliet. Aug.

8-10 Chicago Districts for men's 16-inch slow-pitch teams at Dolton, Park Forest, and Crystal Lake. Aug. 15-17 Chicago Metro, men's 16-inch teams at Harvey, Des Plaines, Calumet Park, Wheaton, Forest Park, Downers Grove, and Woodrldge. Aug. 22-24 Chicago Metro final for men's 16-lnchlteami, Hart Stadium, Blue Island.

Aug. 15-17 Chicago Metro, women's 12-Inch slow-pitch teams, Geneva. Aug. 29-31 ASA Regional for men's fast-pitch teams at S-A Field, Aurora. Sept.

6-13 ASA Nationals for men's fast-pitch teams at Decatur, HI. 1 ELIMINATION BOUT rtoe Dl9lna I wv i iuimv tj LVdllblUII flvi a.i l. I acnaumuurg Qi bI'Jl'h 17 tTv rt7 Portage Park Lake Shore Park ISZEE Vf If Aurora 1 Chicago Rosenblum Z- 55 I 1 Continued from first Sportaweek page diamond, that 16-inch contests between clubs such as American Rivet and the now-defunct Bobcats would draw a thousand spectators. For many, the attraction is the prospect of seeing excellent competition and magnificent plays. In the feature games, it is not unusual to see a third baseman barehand a line drive and throw to second for a double play in one move.

Singles are easily stretched into doubles. Long flies are regularly hauled in on the run. "The 16-inch softball players are the tiest bat-and-ball athletes there are," said Ed Zolna, the former Bobcat manager, "because of the nature of the game. It's not just a slugger's game like 12-inchr slow-pitch, and it's not Just a pitcher's game like fast-pitch. All elements come into play in 16-inch; therefore, it turns out more complete players." The attraction, however, isn't always Just the caliber of play.

"THE MONEY action is terrific," recalled one ex-player who used to compete with the best teams at Kelly. "The handles with all the sidebetting would have to be as good as those as harness tracks oa a slow night. "Kelly Park used to have it In the rules that at least $200 had to be put up by each team for every game to keep it interesting. Sometimes it would get up to $500 for Just a regular league game. And that's not counting what fans were laying down.

"I've heard of games getting up to $1,500 or more in recent years. There used to be a Sunday-morning league in Kennedy Park where the pots got so big they'd have a lieutenant from the police force come over to hold it. "There's no reason why a good 16-inch player couldn't pick up a couple of extra grand in a season. Some of the really good players would make that in a few weeks." THE PARKS often are as colorful as the players and games. At Clarendon, where many players fear to venture across the street into the tough Uptown neighborhood, the ball is injected with water to weight it down and make it more difficult to lose with a homer over the outfield fences.

At Lawler, where a 30-foot-high fence used to stand in left field only 150 feet from home plate, batters would perfect line drives off the surface at varying angles since an over-the-fence shot counted for a mere single. Sixteen-inch is slowly getting fenced in by 12-inch slow-pitch, the fastest growing species, according to the Amateur Softball Association. Gloves are used, unlike most 16-inch, and many ex-baseball players find this more helpful in making a transition. There also are more women's teams, spurred by the growth of the Illinois High School Association program. It used to be women were pretty much a novelty.

There was the' Lake Shore Park tavern leagues, where the boys would come to ogle the girls, and everybody would scoot off to Rush Street after the games. But now nearly a fourth of all teams registered with the ASA are for women. Most suburban park district supervisors report a growing interest, and the same is true for some city parks. One variety of softball that has seen little growth Is fast-pitch, and that's because it's impossible to get very far in tournament competition without a top-notch pitcher. Nevertheless, Aurora Home Savings annually fields one of the best fast-pitch teams in the nation, and its organization, which has its roots with the Aurora Sealmasters, is probably the classiest of any in Chicago softball.

HOME SAVINGS isn't the only Chicagoland team to make its mark outside the area. The Bobcats won 11 of the 16 ASA national 16-inch championships; Josefs, ERV Strikers, and American Rivet all local teams took the others. Two seasons ago, the Fox Valley Lassies of St. Charles won the ASA women's title for 12-inch slow-pitch teams. Junior teams almost always fare well In national tournaments.

Many 12-inch slow-pitch teams are opting for dual membership in the ASA and U. S. Slo-pitch Softball Association, making a choice at the end of the season about tournament competition. This year has seen the revitalization of pro softball with the Chicago Nationwide Advertising team, which plays in Harvey's Lou Boudreau Softball Com- Where to watch Softball in the Chicago area a MODERN RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS INVITATIONAL WOMEN FROM SIX EASTERN EUROPEAN. COUNTRIES COMPETE, plex.

The game Is 12-inch slow-pitch, but the Chicago club, made up almost exclusively of 16-inch players, is leading its division. This is the third try since 1975 to bring pro softball to the area. Former attempts included the Chicago Ravens in a women's fast-pitch league and Chicago Storm in a men's 12-inch slow-pitch league. Both lasted one season. For the most part, 16-inch has remained outside the fancy ballparks and cumbersome regulations of the ASA and USSSA.

Top players, some of whom play pro ball with the Nationwide Advertising team, roam around the city at will playing for different teams. THE BIGGEST battles in 11-Inch, outside of whether to wear gloves or not, center on obtaining the best ringers, how to hide them on the roster, and who holds the money during games. The 1979 ASA national tournament, commonly referred to as "the world tournament" by local 16-inch players, was held in Harvey. It was only the third time in 16 seasons the meet has been in this area, and outsiders got a good taste of what 16-inch softball in Chicago is all about. The event started with a major controversy that quickly escalated.

Zolna, manager of the defending champion Bobcats, cried foul when the manager of the host team, Fred Aprati, who also was the tournament director, entered an all-star roster that included several Bobcats who had jumped ship. "He (Fred) spent about $40,000 putting that team together," Zolna charged. "If I did, I'd simply be taking a page from Ed Zolna's book," answered Aprati, a South Side attorney. "THE CONTROVERSY expanded when the bracketing was announced and Zolna felt the deck had been stacked by Aprati and Chicago ASA Metro Commissioner Ferris Reid. The Bobcat boss stood up at a pre-tournament meeting for managers most of whom were from Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and accused Reid of cheating.

"No one questions my Integrity," Reid replied. "I've got a clean slate." Then the tournament began. It took Just one game for star pitcher Mike Tallo, former Bobcat who signed on with Aprati, to say he had received threatening calls. Even worse, he said, was that pressure was being applied concerning his job with the city. THE THREATS never were carried out, but the Bobcats did get bumped into the loser's bracket.

They faced what appeared to be an impossible seven-game grind on the final day of the double-elimination meet. No sweat, said the Bobcats. They won five consecutive games without a break, paused for a half-hour to rest, and then went out and beat the Monsters twice to win the championship with Aprati, Tallo, and some of their other ex-teammates as spectators. The tournament had all the elements. of pure Chicago softball intrigue, color, excellent play, ringers, and a big following.

Above all, it was fun. 1. Waukegan, Dugdale Park, Dugdale Rd. and Washington Pk where good men's 1 2-Inch slow-pitch competition takes place, T-W. 2.

Des Plainei, Rand Park, Dempster and Rand, site each year for huge Illinois park society tournament and good AA men's 16-Inch league F. 3. Evantton, Robert Crown Park, Main and Dodge, good men's 12-inch slow-pitch championship league games on two adjacent lighted diamonds, W. 4. Evanston, James Park, Oakton and Dodge, offers unique viewpoint of quality men's 1 6-Inch slow-pitch with four adjacent lighted diamonds busy with A league games at same time, W.

5. Clarendon Park, 45Q1 N. Clarendon Av best 16-Inch men's slow-pitch competition In city, MWF, lighted diamond. 6. Portage Park, 4100 N.

Long some top 1 6-inch teams and players, T-Th. 7. Schaumburg.Timbercrest Park, behind Town Square complex a half-mile south of Roselle Rd. and Schaumburg on Roselle. This is this year's hotspot for men's 16-inch slow-pitch outside the city, with most of Chicago's best players here, T-Th.

8. Lake Shore Park, 808 N. Lake Shore women's 16-inch slow-pitch, SuMW. Twilight games during week. Competition isn't always too good, but there's plenty of action.

9. Grant Park, 900 S. Columbus Industrial leagues with plenty of action every weeknlght and Sunday in twilight games. No lights and more than 20 diamonds. 10.

Kelly Park, 4150 S. California top 16-inch men's slow-pitch weakened somewhat by absence of Bobcats, MWF, lighted diamond. 11. Rosenblum Park, 75th and Jeffery home base for Flamingos, best black men's 16-inch slow-pitch team, MWF, twilight games. 12.

Harvey, Lou Boudreau Complex, 160th and Halsted home of Chicago's entry In pro 12-inch slow-pitch league, which usually plays here every other weekend during summer. Also, almost every weeknight either some of the south suburb's top men's 16-inch teams or women's fast-pitch teams compete. 13. Aurora, S-A Field, Rldgeway Av. two blocks west of Lake home of Aurora Home Savings men's fast-pitch team, one of nation's best.

An excellent lighted facility with home games nearly every Wednesday night and weekends. Also site; for some women's fast-pltoh. 14. Jollet, Crowlher Field, III. Hwy.

53 and Airport lighted diamond. M. Former hotbed for men's 12-Inch slow-pitch that Is rebuilding Its reputation with strongteams. Tournaments almost every weekend. 1 5.

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