2004 Male Player: Bill Bromenschenkel

Bill Bromenschenkel

Over a 27-year career, all of which saw him compete in USSSA ball, Peru’s Bill Bromenschenkel has played on such notable competitive Illinois teams as Mendota Bud, Old Style Clippers, Mautino’s, Illusions, Aurora’s WWJD and Rockdford’s LT’s Bar & Grill. Along the way, he has earned seven State Tournament MVPs and Gold glove awards and been named All-Tournament 14 times.

Bromenschenkel played shortstop in his early years, but was primarily a pitcher. As a pitcher, he threw five one-hitters. A lifetime .650 hitter who considers himself primarily a singles hitter, he was also able to take the ball out of the park occasionally. His offensive prowess was still clearly evident when, in 2001 at age 42, he was named Offensive Player of the Tournament at the Class C Great Lakes South Nationals.

Bromenschenkel prides himself on being willing to give himself up as a batter to move base runners up, but that doesn’t mean he likes it.

“I always want to be the hitter up in the bottom of the seventh when we need a hit,” he said.

Bromenschenkel said his greatest thrill was going down to Kentucky for the 2001 Class C National Tournament where the unheralded LTs won it all.

“The best part was that this was a first-year team,” Bromenschenkel said. “Believe me, that weekend they [the team] all did a big part to win that tournament. I will always remember that weekend.”

In fact, Bromenschenkel fondly recalls many of the weekends spent playing State, Divisional and World Tournaments. They are the fruit of all the effort his teams put forth each spring and summer.

“Those are the tournaments your team works so hard to get to, the biggest you’ll play that year” he said.

Some of those big tournaments were USSSA, and some were other organizations, but he said he liked the USSSA ones the best.

“I have played in all the Illinois organizations, and I would have to say that the USSSA is the best by far,” Bromenschenkel said. “The tournaments are all run great and the directors are good people.”

The Illinois USSSA takes pleasure in returning the compliment as it welcomes a better than good player into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame.