2019 Hall of Honor: Joe Black's Softball Club

If Joe Black's Softball Club were to have a reunion, they could have more than three full teams including the additional hitter of only, Hall of Fame players. Joe Black's was more than a softball team, it was a softball program. A program that began in 1988 when Tim Russell, Scott Campbell, Ken Dohm, and Tom Starck decided to start an A team. That team continued through 2002 rising as high as AA. The program has thirty-five players that are in the Hall of Fame in various states or nationally. Twenty are in the Illinois US SSA softball Hall of Fame alone.

The A/AA team appeared in three USSSA men's Major World Series 1989, 1997, and 2002 joining a very small club of teams qualifying for and competing in the prestigious USSSA Major World Series in three different decades. Joe Black's won countless tournaments, including state titles, one Major N.I.T. and three World titles, (US SSA A, ISA A, and ISA AA) in their fifteen seasons.

One memorable game came in the 1989 Milwaukee Major N.I.T. victory over Steeles Sports in 8 innings and has been called the "greatest game ever played at Wilson County Stadium." Before the game, Ron "T.-bird" Funderburg scooped up handfuls of dif! from the Wilson Park infield and went to the Steeles circle of players in the outfield. They were going through their pre-game calisthenics. T-BIRD, never lacking in confidence, went around the outside of the circle putting dirt on each players spikes and telling them they were about to lose this game The little A team from Illinois (1989 record 32-28) defeated the barnstorming Men of Steele from Ohio (1989 record, 263-26) and propelled Joe Black's to their first USSSA Major World Series appearance in Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE.

Unfortunately, Joe Black's lost their generous sponsor, teammate, friend, and one of the four founding members, Tim Russell in 2018 to ALS. Tim did know about Joe Black's upcoming induction into the Illinois US SSA Hall of Honor and was so very proud of his team's recognition. Joe Black's is humbled and thrilled to join the other great teams on Illinois USSSA Hall of Honor.