2003 (Spring) Male Player: Wally Valleroy

Wally Valleroy

In 30 years of softball, Wally Valleroy played for two of the best teams from the southern Illinois area – the Percy Hardware Renegades and Victor Drug. One of the top pitchers around, Valleroy hurled a no-hitter for each team, along the way compiling a 735-172 record in USSSA ball and a 955-244 mark over all.

Valleroy didn’t start out to be a pitcher, however, as he began in the outfield. One game, his team was getting beaten badly and the manager asked if anyone else could pitch. “I came in and did pretty well,” Valleroy said.

When Roy Brockmeyer, Brad Spiller and Barry Gueger were looking for talent to play on their new team, they found Valleroy playing for Link’s New Moon. He came over and helped form the Percy Hardware Renegades.

Through the years, Valleroy has forged a reputation as a skilled pitcher, one who gets ahead of batters then finds their weak pitch and gets them out.

“I throw strikes,” Valleroy said. “I just roll it off my fingers’ tips, using the seams to control the pitch.”

He was never a big power hitter, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t effective at the plate. A lifetime .630 hitter, Valleroy could hit to all fields and routinely batted between third and sixth in the order over his career.

His biggest thrill in softball was the first time his team finished in the top four at the 64-team Class C tournament in 1985.

“We were a small southern team playing against all the favorite northern teams,” Valleroy recalled. “[We] showed them we could play as good as them by finishing third.”

Valleroy played a key role, giving up just 16 runs over 41 innings, including a 3-hitter, before a line drive off his leg ended his tournament.

He went on to be named MVP of the 1989 USSSA Class C State and Best Defensive Player of the 1991 Class C Southern State Tournament, in which Victor Drugs placed second. He also played on the 1995 35 & Over State Championship team, and was a 1997 35 & Over All-State team member.

“I’ve always loved softball, loved playing the game,” Valleroy said of his years in the sport.

With Victor Drugs folding several years ago, Valleroy played around on several younger teams the past few seasons.

It’s been gratifying he said, noting “It’s been rewarding to be respected by the younger players.”

But now, with his induction into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame, Valleroy feels it’s time to hang the cleats up.

“My teammates were great,” he said. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have won all of those games.”