1997 Male Player: Al Van Gampler

Al Van Gampler

A shortstop whose defensive abilities were recognized by all who knew the game of slow pitch softball, Al Van Gampler also filled in as both a pitcher and outfielder over a 16-year career. A career .675 hitter, Van Gampler hit more than 300 home runs.

He played ball for Malnars Tap (Joliet), Lilly Air Systems (Itasca) and Joe Blacks (Highland).

Van Gampler played in five USSSA Major World Series. His 1985 Lilly Air Systems team, arguably the best ever from the state of Illinois, was ranked as high as fourth in the country by the National USSSA.

He twice won the Best Defensive Player award in USSSA Major NITs and was named to numerous USSSA Major NIT All-Tournament teams. A five-time Illinois Class A All-State team member, Van Gampler was named MVP of both the 1984 and 1987 Open A State Tournaments.

In 1996, he came out of retirement to play with Tron Piping, winning the USSSA 35 & Over Major World Title and again earning USSSA World All-Tournament team honors.

1997 Male Player: Dan Prater

Dan Prater

An outfielder with a lifetime batting average over .600, Dan Prater was a power hitter with more than 1,000 home runs hit during his 17-year USSSA career.

Prater played for Crowther Roofing/Buske Electric (1978), Burla Construction (1979-1986), Brown & Lambrecht (1987), Joe Blacks (1988), Acutron (1989), Bank of Westmont (1990-1991), Joliet Merchants (1992), Belchers Constructions (1993-1994) and his last year with Mid America Concrete (1995).

Prater was named to two All-World teams, played on five Illinois State Championship teams, named State MVP three times, named All-State six times and was once named USSSA Open All-Regional.

Prater once hit eight consecutive home runs at the Milwaukee USSSA Major Qualifier, winning the home run title with 11 in just four games. He is a member of the 1996 Men’s Major 35 & Over World Championship team Tron Piping, as well as an All-World selection.

1998 Male Player: Jim Cushing

Jim Cushing

Jim Cushing batted lead-off and played left field for the 1996 and 1997 USSSA Master’s 35 & Over Major World Champions. His teams have won four other National & World Titles in both the ASA and NSA programs. Cushing was also named to three USSSA All-World teams at the 1995, 1996 and 1997 USSSA Master’s 35 & Over Major World Tournaments, as well as four more All-World/National teams in other national associations.

Three times, he was voted MVP of a National/World Tournament, including the 1997 USSSA Master’s 35 & Over Major World Tournament. Also, he was twice named MVP of Illinois USSSA State Tournaments, Men’s Class B in 1995 and Open Fall State in 1994.

Cushing has won three Gold Gloves at the 1986 Men’s Class B Qualifier, 1994 USSSA Men’s Class B State and 1995 Ottawa 14-inch Open.

Nine times, Cushing was named to a USSSA All-State Tournament team for his play at these tournaments, where his teams accumulated seven Illinois USSSA State Titles.

Known as a singles hitter, he once hit three consecutive home runs in a USSSA World Qualifying tournament with the last one coming in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the game.

“Cush” has been named to the All-American Touch and Flag Football Team four times. He is currently passing along some of his knowledge of softball by helping his good friend and head coach, Ron Havelka, as a part-time assistant for the girls’ varsity softball team at Downers Grove South High School.

1998 Male Player: Ben Holt

Ben Holt

Ben Holt played USSSA softball for 15 of his 36-year playing career. He was a catcher and power hitter who would keep people in the stands just to see him take one more swing.

Bill Veeck, the late owner of the Chicago White Sox, once held a home run hitting contest at the old Comiskey Park. The contestants hit 16-inch softballs from second base between the games of a double header. Taking his turn in front of thousands of people, he put a 16-inch softball into the upper deck in left-centerfield. A hit that Veeck often marveled about until his death.

The Professional Softball league had a Chicago entry in the late-70s and promptly signed Holt to a contract. In his first year, he became the only player in the Professional Softball League’s history to win the Triple Crown.

His greatest thrill in softball came in North Carolina when he stroked a game-winning home run for Steele’s at the USSSA Men’s World Series.

Three times, he was named to the USSSA All-Tournament team at the Men’s Class A level (the highest level at the time), including the 1979 World Tournament in North Carolina.

Holt’s teams included: Hillcrest Tavern, The Lantern, Taylor Brothers, Chicago Storm, Steele’s, Jerry’s Catering and Lilly Air Freight.

1998 Male Player: Dennis Albert

Dennis Albert

Dennis Albert was a power hitting outfielder, who has driven over 1,200 home runs over the fence in his 22-year USSSA career. He was a .640+ (career) hitter who has been named to two USSSA All-World teams in 1988 in Sterling Heights, Michigan and 1990 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1976, he was named MVP of the Illinois USSSA Men’s Class B State Tournament. In 1985, he was the beating champion (best average: .890) of the USSSA Men’s Class A State Tournament.

He was the Red Bud USSSA league home run champion five times, the Red Bud USSSA league batting champion three times and named league MVP twice.

His teams qualified for 17 USSSA Divisional, National & World Tournaments. They also accumulated one USSSA Men’s Class B State Title and two USSSA Men’s Class A State Runners-Up.

While playing in the loser’s bracket with 100 degree plus temperatures in Pevley, Missouri, he ran into the fence and received a cut above his eye that required stitches. He later returned to help his team win seven straight games in that heat to get the title.

He is an all-around athlete who was MVP of his high school’s baseball team for all four years. In his senior year of high school, he was also named MVP of his high school track team and co-MVP of his basketball team.

Dennis’s teams included: Bill James, Bills, Annie’s Army, Braun’s Tavern, Belleville Budweiser and Belleville Merchants.

1999 Male Player: Rod Shives

Rod Shives

This hard-hitting shortstop began his USSSA career in 1972 and played until 1996. His teams included the following teams, all from Rockford, Illinois: White Eagles, AXA, Club 51, RMA, Twin Oaks, Forest Hills Lanes, Bullards, Rockford Stars, Miller Transportation, Town Hall and Little Caesar’s.

With a .600 career batting average with 750 home runs, Shives was selected MVP at a 1976 Class B qualifier and a 1984 Class A qualifier. He also claimed All-Tournament honors at the 1976 Class B World Tournament in Tullahoma, Tennessee. His team, Forest Hills Lanes, won that World Championship.

All-State tournament team awards include the 1976 Class B and 1977-1982 Class A. Shives played in every Class A or B State Tournament from 1976-1988 with the sole exception of 1987. He appeared in Class A Regionals from 1977-1982 and again in 1986. Shives also played in Class A Nationals from 1983-1985 and won the Best Defensive Player Award at the Class A Nationals in 1981.

1999 Male Player: Mick Balestri

Mick Balestri

In 1989, Mick Balestri’s team, Bridgeport Crush, captured the first-ever USSSA Class A 16-inch World Title in Sturdevant, Wisconsin, and in 1995, the Crush also won the last USSSA Class A 16-inch World Title in Joliet, Illinois as he pitched a one-hitter in the title game.

Balestri was named MVP of both of those USSSA Class A tournaments. In between, in 1992, his Luciano’s Gamblers team also won the USSSA Class A 16-inch World Title, and again, Balestri was named MVP.

A pitcher, manager and number three hitter in the lineup was known to drive the ball into the opposite field and use his bat control to execute the hit and run. He would use any 16-inch player in the game to help give his team an advantage over their opponent in a game.

In 1992 at the USSSA Class A World Tournament, Balestri pitched four shutouts for Luciano’s Gamblers, and they captured the World Title that season. In 1993, he was named MVP of the USSSA Men’s 16-Inch Major State Tournament in Orland Park, Illinois. Two times, Balestri was named MVP of a Major 16-inch league and twice he was named MVP of a Class A 16-inch league. His teams have also finished in the top eight teams at four USSSA State Tournaments, and in the top three at two other USSSA 16-inch World Tournaments.

In 1989, at the USSSA Class A 16-inch World Tournament, he was named as the manager of the All-World team. He has played in a total of nine USSSA 16-inch World Tournaments and eight USSSA 16-inch State Tournaments. He describes his greatest thrill in softball as winning the first ever USSSA Class A 16-inch World Tournament and being named MVP of that event.

As a player, he always took pride in his defense and leadership. He has enjoyed being able to play USSSA softball at the different stadiums and complexes all over the Midwest. A back injury in 1994 has limited his playing time, but he remains an active manager.

1999 Male Player: Dirk Androff

Dirk Androff

Dirk Androff was a Decatur, Illinois native and outstanding athlete at Decatur Eisenhower High School, where he earned all-city honors in basketball and football. He attended Eastern Illinois University, where he competed in both sports. After graduation, he had a free agent try-out with the New York Jets.

His fame, however, came in slow pitch softball as he began his career with Belleville Budweiser and the St. Louis Rockets. Androff became a slow pitch household name as he signed his first major division contract in 1998 with Steele’s Silver Bullets. In 1991, he joined Ritch’s Superior/TPS and earned USSSA World Series MVP with the World Champions.

Androff participated on 21 World and National Men’s Major Championship teams, with a lifetime batting average of .733 and 1,814 USSSA home runs at the Major Level. In addition to USSSA World Series MVP in 1991, he was a four-time USSSA All-World team selection and currently remains on the USSSA Men’s All-Time All-World team, which is selected on the basis of World Series All-World selections, World Series MVP Outstanding Defense Player and Hall of Fame recipients.

Without argument, Androff was one of the finest slow pitch players from Illinois ever to play the game.

2000 Male Player: Ron Olesiak

Ron Olesiak

Ron Olesiak’s softball resume is unique among major players. The power hitting Chicago 16-inch Hall of Fame inductee can point to National Championships and MVP awards in both 16-inch and 12-inch softball.

Toward the end of his storied 16-inch career, Olesiak began playing 12-inch, and in 1978 he began playing big time 12-inch full time. He joined Milt Pappa’s Chicago Storm squad in 1982. The following year, he played for Ted Stephian’s Cleveland-based CAN Insurance team under ex-Cub player Joe Pepitone. His next move was to Lilly Air Systems, where he scaled the heights.

Always a competitor, Olesiak looked forward to playing the top teams like Steele’s, with Mike Macenko, Jerry’s Catering and Howard’s Furniture.

Playing before the invention of today’s “trampoline effect” bat technology and “hot” balls, Olesiak pounded the ball over stadium fences the old-fashioned way – with a balanced swing and brute power. Yet, lost in the glare of his gaudy offensive stats is the fact that he also won six Gold Gloves in his career as a centerfielder in 16-inch and at third and second base in 12-inch.

“Ronnie O” still plays a little softball here and there when time allows, but at 52 and a busy schedule of NBA games eight months of the year, he’s content to “let the past be past.”

2001 Male Player: Kurt Steger

Kurt Steger

It is a bit difficult compiling statistics on Kurt Steger’s softball career, especially if you are relying on Steger to remember the details. The problem is, he does not care about the details, or batting averages or even the MVP awards.

What is important to this well-accomplished all-around athlete are the wins and championships he helped create with his teammates. Kurt Steger is first and foremost a team player.

“I don’t care about records,” he said flatly. “I care about helping the team win. I care about the camaraderie and having fun playing. I played with such great people and they made it fun to be there.”

A high school All-State player from Roselle, Steger was a star quarterback and pitcher at the University of Illinois in the mid-70s. He was drafted by the New York Mets, but a knee injury would keep him from ever realizing his dream of playing either professional baseball or football. So Steger turned to softball to satisfy his competitive urges.

Over a 17-year career, the rifle armed third baseman compiled a .630 lifetime average with over a thousand home runs.

Early on, he helped one of John Lilly’s original teams capture the USSSA Class B State Title in 1978. The next year, he began playing with a group of friends on ZZZ Fasteners out of Champaign. Steger was tournament MVP in 1982 when they exploded out of the loser’s bracket to win the State Class A Title.

Steger moved to the power house Lilly Air team in 1983, starting out on the bench. He was soon a started at third, solidifying an infield that consisted of Al Van Gampler at shortstop, Ron Olesiak at second and Earl “T-Bird” Funderberg and Ken Parker at first.

“His arm was as strong as any I’ve seen,” Joe Black pitcher/manager Tom Starck said.

Steger reminisced about the athletic prowess of the team.

“We were all great athletes,” he said. “We used to beat the big guys, the home run hitters, because we played defense and got base hits.”

“We were not individuals on the softball field. We played as a group of guys making things happen.”

— Kurt Steger, on the Lilly Air Systems team

The Lilly team would make its mark at the highest levels of softball over the next three years, and one of Steger’s most satisfying softball memories was created during that period – Lilly Air beating Howards Furniture 28-17 in a loser’s bracket game of the 1985 USSSA World Series.

“The best time I ever had in softball was with Lilly,” Steger said.

Following the 1986 season, Steger moved to a team in Kalamazoo, Michigan sponsored by Sunset Technologies. That team became the powerhouse Bunca Car Wash in 1987. Through it all, Steger put the needs of the team first and foremost.

“We were not individuals on the softball field,” he said. “We played as a group of guys making things happen.”

By the end of the 90s, Steger was looking to retire from ultra-competitive softball. But try as he might, when the fourth of July rolled around, he inevitably found himself in Wilson Park in Milwaukee playing in the USSSA NIT against the big boys. Finally, after the 1993 season, Steger did leave AA ball. The following season, he helped his team finish second at the USSSA Men’s 35 & Over World in Detroit.

“It couldn’t have been any better,” Steger said. “It was a great honor to play with the people I did. My teammates, coaches and sponsors. They were just great people to play with and socialize with.”

2001 Male Player: Greg Jones

Greg Jones

Greg Jones has been both an accomplished athlete and valued teammate in 27 years of USSSA ball, as much admired for his support in the dugout as for his power and athleticism on the playing field.

A pure power hitter who hit to all fields, Greg originally started out playing ASA ball with Century Concrete of Alton. He soon switched to USSSA softball, and he has competed in numerous State Tournaments as well as six World and seven Divisional Tournaments. Over that time, he compiled a .700 batting average and hit over 1,500 home runs, taking the ball to all fields.

The southern Illinois native has played for teams like Victor Drugs, Brauns, the Sparta Merchants, Pop-A-Top, Kohlers and Fast Eddies Bon Air.

A versatile athlete, Jones has played most every position in the game. An outfielder in his youth, he eventually moved to the infield, primarily shortstop and third base. He considers third his maoin position today.

Actually, the Illinois USSSA Hall is a step behind. Jones has already been honored in his hometown of Sparta, Illinois, where a plaque hanging at City Hall commemorates his accomplishments. Jones takes it all in stride.

“He’s a humble, positive person,” Victor Drugs teammate Roy Brockmeyer said. “Just a great guy to be around. He was always helping people out with their games. He was especially good to have around when you were in a hitting slump.”

“It’s been a thrill to play in the USSSA with so many fine opponents and teammates.”

— Greg Jones

Actually “humble” may be an understatement.

“It took me three years to get him to fill out the Hall of Fame application,” Brockmeyer said.

Jones, who still lists his greatest softball thrill as getting a game-winning hit is equally understated in his softball accomplishments.

“I can’t point to one special moment in [my career],” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have so many in my career. I’ve played with some great players and against many great players throughout my softball career. It’s been a thrill to play in the USSSA with so many fine opponents and teammates.”

Jones, whose career coincides with the formation of the Illinois USSSA program in the early-70s, appreciates the growth of USSSA ball.

“I feel that I am part of the history of the game. I’ve watched the game change in so many ways. It’s been both fun and a challenge,” he said.

Still active at 48-years-old, Jones’ .889 average earned him MVP honors at the USSSA Master’s tournament in Peoria in 1997.

“It’s an honor for me to see him go into the Hall of Fame,” Brockmeyer said. “Seeing him up there getting that award, I’ll be well-satisfied.”

2002 Male Player: Brian Ward

Brian Ward

Few softball players have left as indelible a mark on USSSA softball in as short a period of time as Brian Ward.

In barely ten years of USSSA ball, the massive designated hitter and catcher slammed 950 home runs and hit for a .650 average. In the process, he won ten MVP awards, including three Major’s, three NITs and the 1990 World Championship. On 33 occasions, he was named All-Tournament at everything from local tournaments to the most prestigious NITs and World titles.

In 1990 with Sunset Technology and again in 1993 with Bunca Car Wash, Ward captured the USSSA Class AA World title. Competing against Major squads, both those teams also finished fourth in the USSSA World Series each of those years. In fact, from 1990 through 1995, his teams were consistently ranked among the top AA teams nationally and finished either first or second at the USSSA World.

A high school football All-American and All-State shot putter and discus thrower, Ward went on to play football for the University of Illinois, lettering three years and playing in three Bowl games – the Rose Bowl, the Liberty Bowl and the Peach Bowl.

During one summer break, he inquired about playing on a softball team. His previous softball experience had been limited to pick-up 16-inch games back in Darien, Illinois. A woman in the Illini Athletic Department hooked him up with her husband, who managed a team, and he was introduced to 12-inch softball. After graduating college, Ward picked up with the Glass team out of Homewood, Indiana in 1988. In 1990, that team combined with another squad to form the powerhouse Sunset Technology team and the rest is history.

For all of his awesome athleticism, Ward still was honored and excited by the opportunity to play with such future Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame inductees as Kurt Steger and Kurt Dusek. Those two men then convinced him to move up to the AA level, and playing with future Hall of Famers became a habit for Ward.

He is the last starting player from his Sunset Technologies team to be named to either the Michigan USSSA or Illinois USSSA Hall of Fames. Six teammates are enshrined in Michigan’s Hall, and he is the third player to be honored by the Illinois Hall.

Like so many before him, Ward remembers the wins and losses less than the people, saying “My teammates are the most memorable part. I was lucky enough to play on two National Championship teams with two groups of great guys.”

Along with the people he played with, Ward recalls the crowds at some of the tournaments in which he competed.

“When you walked into the stadium, everyone noticed you,” Ward said. “It was really special.”

After winning his second National title, Ward called it a career in order to stay close to home and be with his three sons. He now coaches them and one cannot help but wonder if there is not another Ward in softball’s future. Ward notes that his boys know about his accomplishments and see his trophies and awards.

It’s clear Ward would not mind, saying “I couldn’t think of a better sport to play for an [ex-high school and college] athlete, especially ex-baseball players.”

We could not think of a better player than Brian Ward to welcome into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame.

2002 Male Player: Mike O'Connor

Mike O’Connor

Mike O’Connor was deemed to be too small to make his high school baseball team. A late bloomer, he did not finish growing until after graduation, which was too bad for his high school team.

As a shortstop for downstate powerhouse Belleville Budweiser, as well as the Merchants, A’s, Red Wolf and Bud Light, the Waterloo native went on to compile a .675 lifetime average, with over 400 career home runs, while anchoring their infield.

Between 1982 and 1995, O’Connor helped Belleville Budweiser win two State Championships, including the 1984 USSSA Class B, and finish second or third at five NITs. His teams also competed in twelve USSSA World tournaments, finishing second once and usually finishing in the top ten.

In a 19-year USSSA career, O’Connor earned five Class A and B tournament MVP awards and six Gold Gloves. He also won numerous All-Tournament awards at State and NITs in both USSSA and other associations.

O’Connor’s determination came from playing countless back yard games with his older brother Joe. Not only smaller, but also younger than his teammates, O’Connor simply made up his mind to play that much harder.

“He never let me win,” O’Connor said appreciatively of his big brother.

After Joe brought Mike onto the Belleville Budweiser roster, Mike met another softball mentor in Larry Mohne. Whenever Mohne observed O’Connor being particularly down after a loss, he would take him aside and point out that the sun will still come out in the morning and to let the bad games go.

“We didn’t win a World, though we came close,” O’Connor said referring to Bud’s mid-80s second place finish to Powers at the B World in Rockford.

Mostly though, O’Connor has good memories.

“Softball has been such a big part of my life,” he said. “I’ve met so many good people. Good guys, great competition. It was just fun to play.”

Those people include his brother Joe, Mohne, Leon and Mike Kreher, Jeff Davenport and Rick Beatty.

“Softball has been such a big part of my life. I’ve met so many good people. Good guys, great competition. It was just fun to play.”

— Mike O'Connor

In the past, O’Connor never gave much thought to any honors he might win, let alone be a future Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame inductee, and he tended to underplay what he and his teammates had accomplished.

“We just played the game,” O’Connor said. “We were good and competitive, but not great.”

Twenty years later, he’s begun to think differently.

“This is a real big thing,” O’Connor acknowledged. “I look back and I realize we were respected more than I knew.”

The Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame hopes to remove any lingering doubts Mike O’Connor may have as we welcome him into our ranks.

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.”

2002 Male Player: Scott Hill

Scott Hill

When Scott Hill started playing softball in the early-80s, Hall of Fame honors were the furthest thing from his mind. Back then, it was all about the tasks at hand – winning softball games and tournament championships.

The All-Conference high school football, basketball and baseball player brought his well-honed athletic skills and discipline to the game of softball.

“If there are tangible goals to be reached, I’m driven by that,” Hill said. “I never dreamed of it being a Hall of Fame thing.”

A .600 lifetime hitter who could drive the ball to all fields as well as pop home runs, Hill primarily played left field, as well as some pitcher and catcher. Over a 17-year USSSA career with the Boyz, Bank of Westmont, Illusions and Tron Piping, Hill won five State Championships and two World titles, as well as a national title in another association. Along the way, he was named MVP of four events, including two State Tournaments, and was All-Tournament ten times.

“I’m a guy who leads by my actions,” Hill said. “I’m always thinking about what it takes to win the game.”

“He was the best athlete who ever played for me,” Hill’s old coach John Sturgill said. “And I’ve been around for 33 years.”

Sturgill calls Hill a force on both offense and defense. He recalls one State Championship game in which Hill made three outstanding outfield catches to single-handedly save the game.

“He was the best athlete who ever played for me, and I’ve been around for 33 years.”

— Scott Hill

“If the game was on the line and you needed an RBI with two outs in the bottom of the month, Scott was the guy I wanted at the plate,” Sturgill said.

In a career filled with trophies and accomplishments as his biggest thrills, and they’re both team accomplishments – winning two Master’s 35 & Over World Championships back-to-back, and the five State Championships he’s been a part of.

Like so many softball players, Hill also enjoyed the time spent with teammates and their families at countless league and tournament games.

In 1994, Hill faced a decision. Following the birth of his daughter, Ciara, who was born with special needs, he chose to cut back on traveling softball.

“My daughter’s health was more important,” Hill said. “[Cutting back] was best for my family.”

That did not stop him from continuing to play at a high level for more than five years, though. In the late-90s, Hill was a fixture on the USSSA Master’s scene, as well as an integral part of several top finishing B and C State Champions before retiring in 1999.

“It probably won’t set in until March 2nd,” Hill said of his Hall of Fame selection. “I look at the people who are in there [and] there’s times I don’t feel I’m at that level. I’m probably my own worst critic, so it’s good to know there are people who think I am talented.”

The Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame has no such doubts about Scott Hill’s qualifications as it welcomes him into its ranks.

2002 Male Player: Don Cox

Don Cox

It was only one year ago that Don Cox was honored by the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame for his participation on the 1976 World B Champion Forest Hills Lanes team. Now, Don will stand at the podium along to be honored for the whole of his remarkable career as an infielder and pitcher with teams such as RMA, Forest Hills, Bullard’s, the Stars, Schlichting Excavating and Miller Transportation.

He joins fellow Forest Hills Lanes teammates Clancy Horn (1996) and Rod Shives (1999) in the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame Male Player category.

Don Cox became playing softball back in 1961, following an exceptional high school career as a pole vaulter, as well as baseball and basketball player back in Dupo, Illinois, just across the river from St. Louis. AT that time, the Rockford area had few facilities and Cox had to be satisfied with a 14 to 16 game season. By 1969, however, he had hooked up with manager Paul Bell, who was putting together a future power house squad. From 1970 through 1972, the team compiled a 233-41 record.

“If you love the game, you can kinda teach yourself to do anything.”

— Don Cox, on teaching himself to throw left-handed after an injury

Then, starting with RMA in 1974 and ending with Little Caesar’s in 1988, Cox compiled an 867-207 pitching record competing against top tournament teams in Class A and B. Over that same 15-year period, he was 48-26 in USSSA Divisional Play. Offensively, he compiled lifetime .485 average.

Cox’s hurling feats include a no-hitter in 1986 against the Wisconsin state champs. He came close on many other occasions, throwing at least a dozen one-hitters, including the first one hitter ever hurled at Forest Hills Diamonds.

“I’m a little embarrassed because I consider myself a team player,” Cox said of his selection. “Any [individual] accolades are from being part of a team.”

Some of Cox’s favorite memories are of playing in front of packed stands of cheering fans in the 70s. But most of all, he enjoyed being part of a team. He is especially proud of the many people he competed with over the years, nothing that they played as teams.

“In all my years, I don’t recall hearing more than a handful of cross words,” Cox recalled.

As talented as he was physically, Cox was just as mentally tough. When he was 25, he suffered serious injuries, including damage to his throwing arm in a motorcycle wreck that threatened his softball career. Undaunted, he practiced throwing with his other arm all winter against a box in the basement, and played the entire 1966 season left-handed as an outfielder.

As usual, Cox was rather unimpressed with that accomplishment saying, “If you love the game, you can kinda teach yourself to do anything.”

In 1976, Cox helped lead Forest Hills Lanes to the USSSA B World Title, giving up only three extra base hits. That same year, he was MVP of the Miller Lite Open in Milwaukee, named All-State and All-World. In 1982, he was All-Tournament at the USSSA A Divisional.

From 1989 through 1994, Don wrapped up a 21-year USSSA career, and 33 years in all, with the Jungle Jims team in the Rockford Park District league, pitching all their games and going 63-7.

Even as he stands for induction into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame, Cox prefers to direct the praise elsewhere saying, “I want to pay tribute to our sponsors. We never really get to tell them how much they meant to our teams. Our sponsor, Jim Kelley, went above and beyond anything I’ve ever seen a sponsor do.”

2003 (Fall) Male Player: Brian Schultz

Brian Schultz

In his 17 years playing USSSA softball, Brian Schultz has played on the who’s who of elite Illinois teams including Belcher’s Construction, Joe Black’s, Mid America Concrete, The Bank of Westmont and Tron Piping.

A fleet outfielder blessed with an exceptional glove, Schultz is a lifetime .678 hitter who likes to hit the ball to all fields, but who, with 600 home runs to his credit, clearly has the power to hit the ball out to all fields as well. He was also a threat on the base paths, usually taking an extra base.

“I like to take the extra base if the defense gives it to me,” Schultz said of his running ability.

Schultz remembers his lead off inside the park home run against Steele’s for the Illinois All-Stars in Rockford as one of his greatest softball memories, among one other in particular.

“I thank God for my talents, this game and the opportunity to make a mark on it.”

— Brian Schultz

“My greatest thrill was playing in the 1989 USSSA Major World Series in Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska against the likes of Bruce Meade, Rick Scheer and Dirk Androff. They pushed me to be a better player,” Schultz said.

Finally, he’s proud to have been part of the two-time defending National 35 & Over champs, and to have done it with so many friends, saying “It was more than I could as for.”

“Brian is a special talent,” old teammate and Joe Black’s manager Tom Starck said. “No matter what the competition, leagues or tournaments, Brian played his hardest and left no doubt about who the best player on the field was. Even today, when I talk to young players, I use Brian as an example of drive and having pride in your performance.”

Starck remembers him as a player who never loafed or took innings off; he always gave it is hall every at bat, every game.

Among the tournaments at which Schultz won honors are the 1988 Great Lakes B Divisional, 1996 35 & Over World, 1993 Kiracoff Memorial AA/A NIT, 2002 40 & Over World and 1998 35 & Over World. He was also All-State at the 1988 B State, 1990 Open State and 2001 B State, as well as MVP of the 1997 and 1998 35 & Over and the 1997 Fall State.

Schultz said his most amusing incident in softball occurred during a qualifier at Rockford’s Forest Hills Diamonds when he threw a ball from left field that sailed over the backstop and into the bleachers across the way, hitting a woman watching another game in the back.

“She didn’t scream or rub her back,” Schultz said. “She just turned and shook her head.”

Softball players usually loathe to miss an opportunity to raze a teammate, and Schultz caught plenty of grief for “not having a good enough arm to injure an old lady.”

Schultz said he is honored to be entering the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame, but that “it’s hard for me to talk about myself and why I belong in the Hall. I feel there are so many players who played before me who are also worthy.”

“Brian is a special talent. No matter what the competition, leagues or tournaments, Brian played his hardest and left no doubt about who the best player on the field was. Even today, when I talk to young players, I use Brian as an example of drive and having pride in your performance.”

— Tom Starck

“I hope I have given something to the game over the years and have made it a better sport, and have done nothing to tarnish it,” Schultz said. “The game of softball and the Illinois USSSA have both been good to me. It’s enabled me to compete at a high level and also make friendships that will last a lifetime.”

The Illinois USSSA is pleased to have players of Brian Schultz’s caliber competing in its program. We are equally pleased to welcome him into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame.

“I thank God for my talents, this game and the opportunity to make a mark on it,” Schultz said.

2003 (Fall) Male Player: Marc L. Palmer

Marc L. Palmer

Softball has been a part of Mark “Bubba” Palmer’s life ever since his college baseball career at Southern Illinois University ended in 1986.

In 14 USSSA seasons, Palmer’s played on the who’s who list of Illinois 12-inch powerhouses including the St. Clair A’s, Belcher Construction, Kluever Snap-On, Extreme Easton, Ken’s Beverage and Tron Piping.

A versatile player who could pitch as well as play third, first and catcher, Palmer was best known for his bat. An approximate .670 lifetime hitter, he banged out 700 home runs, but could still adapt effectively to home run limits. His play earned him numerous honors in several associations’ Nationals and NITs.

Palmer admits that back in his hard ball days, he liked to make fun of his younger brothers playing in their church leagues. But soon after college, he was asked to fill in on that church league team. From there, he went on to play on a local league team. When they traveled to a tournament, George Freeman of the St. Clair A’s spotted Palmer and asked him to join his team.

“That was my first real taste of USSSA ball,” Palmer said.

The following year, Palmer and the A’s traveled to Rock Hill, South Carolina for the A World.

“We just kept winning and winning,” Palmer said. “We ended up finishing second, and I was named All-World. That pretty much hooked me.”

Palmer considers that his best tournament ever, though he enjoyed competing in many more USSSA World and NITs after that.

Another exciting moment, he said, was beating a number of powerhouse teams at the Springfield, Ohio AA/A NIT.

“It was in front of a boisterous crowd,” Palmer recalled, “and [we threw] our equipment to them during our victory lap.”

Palmer also fondly recalls playing on the Kluever Snap-On team that won every tournament it entered over a two-month period in 1999, including the Kiracoffe Classic and the USSSA Great Lakes B National in Cincinnati.

“I’ve been in so many places in this beautiful U.S. that I’d never have had a chance to see if not for softball.”

— Marc Palmer

“The USSSA is the hardest and most prestigious organization to compete in, and it gets better every year,” Palmer said.

Such competition, along with the friendships made through softball, is what Palmer treasures most. That, and the travel.

“I’ve been in so many places in this beautiful U.S. that I’d never have had a chance to see if not for softball,” he said.

Palmer wants to take this opportunity to thank all his coaches, teammates and his family for everything they’ve given to him over the year. He also wants to express his thanks to Ron Lindenberg and Brenda Paulson for their hard work in making the Illinois USSSA such a quality softball organization.

Though Palmer’s played only league ball the past two seasons, he turned 39 the last week of October and is now eligible for USSSA 40 & Over.

He’s already getting calls from Don Loid and the Ken’s Beverage team inquiring into his availability.

But before Marc decides whether or not to start traveling the beautiful U.S. again playing softball, he has a date with the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame to be honored as one of the best that Illinois softball has produced.

2003 (Fall) Male Player: George Duane Laws

George Duane Laws

In a softball career that spanned a quarter century, powerful first basement and catcher Duane Lewis hit for both average and power, compiling a .710 average while pounding out over 1,250 home runs – all of it done with wooden and early mode, non-high-tech aluminum bats. During that span of time, he appeared in 14 World and National tournaments.

Laws played USSSA softball from 1974 to 1984, and again from 1990 to 1994, finally retiring at 48-years-old.

A basketball and baseball player at Sparta High School, Laws played little baseball during his four years in the Air Force. A year after coming home from overseas, though, he started playing baseball again in the St. Clair/Monroe County League, as well as fast pitch softball. Then, one evening Ray Naile asked him to play on his slow pitch team.

Had he gone with his initial reaction when Naile asked him to play, Laws, a baseball and fast pitch player, would have never played an inning of slow pitch. “Slow pitch softball?” Laws replied scornfully when asked if he’d be interested in playing the game. “You gotta be crazy! That’s a girl’s sport!”

Laws admits that he soon found out he was wrong.

“Slow pitch had its ups and downs too,” Laws acknowledged. “It wasn’t as easy as it looked.”

Playing in a qualifier in Red Bud once, he hit 14 home runs, one of several occasions in with the powerful 6-foot-6-inch Laws hit ten or more home runs in a tournament.

Laws was a key player on the 1976 Braun’s softball squad that won the USSSA Class B State Championship. He also played for Kohler’s when they won the 1985 USSSA AA State.

Though 44-years-old at the time, Laws won two batting titles in 1990 – a tournament and a league batting title.

“All the years I played USSSA softball, it was because I loved it,” Laws said. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”

Laws points to the entire Braun team when asked who he most recalls best.

“The guys there, they gave me a lot of support,” Laws said. “None of them were [anywhere] near as big as me, but they were a bunch of scrappers. They were a confidence builder for me.”

Like many players, though, Laws his mixed feelings about today’s high-tech bats. While acknowledging that they’ve helped some players, he would not consider using one. He recalls handling one of the first high-tech bats owned by his friend, fellow Hall of Fame inductee Greg Jones.

“I told him, ‘There’s no way I could use this,’” Laws recalled. “’I’d have no bat control with such a light bat.’”

Bat control was never a problem for Duane. He played our sport well enough to gain the respect of many friends and opponents alike. It is our pleasure to show him our ultimate respect by inducting him in the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame.

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.”