2009 Male Player: Joel Craig

Joel Craig

Very few baseball/softball careers begin on the flat plains of an Illinois T-ball field and end at a “Mountain Top,” such as Joel Craig’s has done. A career that began under the guidance of his father Don, through his Pony League years, Joel’s plateau climb began in the neighborhood with pick-up game teammates Randy and Dave Kinley at the age of eight.

Joel’s softball climb began after high school, as he was introduced to the slow pitch game at the age of 19, by a fellow T-ball mate, Donnie Fox. Little did Fox or anyone else at the time realize the uphill path that he had provided Joel, as the introduction to competitive softball was just around the bend. The gradual climb had placed Joel among the finest in the area, as he participated in the Stone City VFW in Joliet. How fitting that at this time Stone City teammate John Zola dubbed Joel “The Llama” to aid in his steep assent as Joel joined Ken Adam’s One Hour Cleaners team from Downers Grove in 1989, which captured two Class B state championships, with Joel receiving MVP honors in 1993, under new sponsor Home Run Inn.

In 1990, teammate Brian Ward provided Joel with a map to the “Mountain Top” as he provided Joel the opportunity to play with Louie Calvisi’s Sunset Technologies, the USSSA AA World Series Champions that season, where Joel impressed future Mountain Top manager John Rector. This friendship opened the pathway to Joel’s highest peak, as he joined the Mountain Top team full time in 1998 and became a contributing factor in the team’s Class B world title in 1999, Class A title in 2001 and runner-up titles in 2000 and 2002, along with numerous State and NIT championships.

Following the 2002 season, Joel decided to begin his descent from competitive softball, as he announced his retirement at age 40, but not without a final pause with his old teammates on the Ken’s Beverage team, which he pitched to the 2003 40+ World Series title, while earning Best Defensive Player honors.

A few months later, Joel would suffer a severe back injury that would end his on-field heroics but would not take away his memories and love of the game. With over 800 home runs, a .600 plus batting average, 9 state championships, several world championships, numerous NIT titles, and countless individual awards, it was a climb that only a few have had the opportunity to make and one that few will ever forget.