2002 Male Player: Steve Mai

Steve Mai

Over a 17-year career with such teams as Dill Brothers, Pit Stop, Bank of Westmont, Mid America Concrete, Belcher’s, the Kings and Tron Piping, infielder Steve Mai has combined a .640 lifetime average with tenacious defense to earn four Gold Gloves, eight State Championships and two Men’s Major Master’s World titles. He also won numerous titles and awards in the ASA and NSA, including National Class B titles in 1993 and 1994.

“The Hall of Fame is a well-deserved honor,” Jim Cushing, an old teammate, said. “He was a hard-nosed player who took as much pride on the defensive side of the field as he did on the offensive end. A lot of times if he was not leading his team on the offensive end, you would see him leading his team at shortstop, making diving catches, turning double plays and taking teams right out of innings.”

That hard-nosed, dive-into-it attitude likely comes from Mai’s background as a baseball shortstop, football player and wrestler. In college, Mai played three years of semi-pro baseball, hoping to catch on for a shot at the majors. He said he avoided softball so as not to ruin his baseball swing. In 1983, while out waxing his car, he got a call to come play at a tournament at Hooker Lake Inn in Wisconsin. It was love at first hit and Mai soon gave up his baseball dreams.

In 1986, Mai started getting known when the Dill Brothers won the USSSA Class B State title, and Mai a Golden Glove. In 1989, Mai met Cushing, who brought him over to the Bank of Westmont, where Mai began playing against the top teams in Illinois and the Midwest. He quickly proved himself up to the task.

“If I ever had to go to battle, Steve would be the first guy I would want in my corner,” Cushing said flatly.

Mai experienced his greatest thrill in softball in 1996, when Tron Piping came back to win four in a row at the Major Master’s World. In the decisive second game, Mai started the double play against powerhouse Mountain Top that gave Tron the victory and the championship.

 “I told my wife, if I ever won a National title, I’d quit,” he admitted. That title came in 1993 and he is still competing.

Mai has since changed his tune a bit on retiring. “When I am unable to play at the level I expect myself to play at, I’ll have no regrets about being finished.”