CHICAGO DAILY NEWS/CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
HALL OF FAME NOMINATION
Gary Thorsen, Softball Hall Of Fame Committee:
After surveying the number of guys who played on the team in the Chicago Daily News Era (1970-1977) and the Chicago Sun-Times Era (1979-2005) I think we might get 100 players to show up for the induction dinner. With guests and family, the total number may hit 200 people. I don't know what the record is for number of players over the years, but we had tons of guys and most of them are still around.
Also, Rick Kogan of Tribune Magazine is planning a story on 16-inch softball and is featuring the Sun-Times, among other. We had a photographer following us around in July of 2005. Story will publish in spring of 2006.
What is the deadline for my final package of nomination information on the Daily News/Sun-Times team? I still have all the old score books and team photos from through 1970-1994.
THE CHICAGO DAILY NEWS SOFTBALL TEAM (1970-1977)
The Daily News team primarily was started as a company softball team (Grant Park Industrial League) + a sampling of ringers ("The Royko Legmen") I played for and ran the Daily News team with Mike Royko and Tim Weigel from 1970 through 1977, when the paper went out of business. I started the Media Softball League at Lincoln Park in 1971. The league consisted of all the daily news papers and TV stations. The Daily News won the Media League Championship in 1973. From this team, Don DeBat, Mike Royko and Tim Weigel already have been honored with individual induction into the Hall of Fame in the Media Category.
Other members of the original Lincoln Park Media League team were mostly guys from the newsroom, including Bob Billings and Tom Siebel (City Desk), Clark Bell, Dan Miller, John McDonough, Dave Gorak, Tom Sellers, David Hall(Business Desk), Jim Bowman (Religion Writer) and John Nocita and Jack Bruza (Art Department), Bill Jauss (Sports).
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HALL OF FAME DAILY NEWS/SUN-TIMES—PAGE 2
The Daily News team moved to Grant Park in 1974, and made it to the Tournament of Champions finals in 1975, with the addition to several great players (Royko's Ringers) including: Tom Bonen, Gil Muratori, Ken Gilard, Jerry Jess, Don Garbarino, Mike Skowronski, Al Hansen, Sam Gendusa, Paul Sortal, Bob Gorzynski, John Nocita and many others. We lost the tournament final 13-12 to Environmental Control, another great team loaded with ringers.
THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES SOFTBALL TEAM (1979-2005)
After an off-year in 1978, the year the paper folded, Royko and I moved to the Sun-Times, and re-launched the team in 1979. That year we played the CTA in the Tournament of Champions finals lost 10-7 as Mayor Byrne and husband, Jay McMullen, a Daily News reporter, cheered for the CTA.
I managed and played shortcenter and pitched for the Sun-Times between 1982 and 1994 after Royko went to the Tribune. The stars of this era include Steve Kus, Dan Cahill (2005 Hall Of Fame inductee--Media), Al Placek (2004 Hall Of Fame inductee--Playboys), Glen Placek, Rob Placek, Roger Franzek, Bob Gorzynski, Tom (Bomber) Horn, Dave Southwell and many others.
In the 1990s Grant Park became an Open Saloon League. The Sun-Times won the Major Old Style Tournament in 1993 and 1994 plus the Tournament of Champions in 1999 and a couple of Royko Tournaments in 2001 and 2002. Royko died in 1998, the year after our famous Daily News Reunion Game, in which he pitched and got a base hit even though he hadn't played in more than a decade.
In 1999, after a four-year layoff (I took a buyout at the Sun-Times) I was lured back to pitch in the Grant Park Saloon League and have pitched for the Sun-Times ever since. I pitched a 4-0 shutout to beat Peoples Gas in the Tournament of Champions at Grant Park in 2003.
Sun-Times sports writer Dave Southwell and Sun-Times ad man Bill Wossow ran the team in the mid-and-late 1990s and early 2000s and are sending me info on the current era. Bob Egan managed the great Tournament teams of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
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HALL OF FAME DAILY NEWS/SUN-TIMES—PAGE 3
Over the 35-year history, The Daily News/Sun-Times team won more than 30 league championships and more than 500 of games at Grant Park, Lincoln Park and Lake Shore Park and numerous tournaments.
Tournament high-points include winning the coveted Grant Park Old Style Tournament in 1993-1994, plus the Grant Park Tournament of Champions in 1999, Grant Park's Royko Classic Tournament in 2001 and 2002. The Sun-Times was runner-up in the Royko Tournament in 2003 and 2004. The Daily News was runner-up in the Tournament of Champions in 1975 and 1979.
DAVE SOUTHWELL'S CONTRIBUTION
In 1995, reporter David Southwell inherited the captainship from Real Estate Editor Don DeBat, who continues to pitch for the team. Advertising executive Billy Wossow became captain in 2003.
Since 1995 the Sun-Times won seven championships including two Grant Park Tournament of Champion titles, two Mike Royko Memorial Tournament championships, one Chicago Classic championship, and two league titles at Grant Park. The team qualified for the league playoffs every year and never placed lower than fourth place in the Chicago Classic.
During this incredible run the team also placed second 11 times in various leagues and tournaments. All told, the team placed in the money with third place or higher finishes an amazing 24 times in nine years of league and tournament play.
Over the last decade the Sun-Times continued this dominance despite a high turnover rate at both the newspaper and the softball diamond, forcing a constant cultivation of new players from a variety of departments.
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HALL OF FAME DAILY NEWS/SUN-TIMES—PAGE 4
The team has included players from everywhere in the building. The team has been represented by reporters, editors, pressmen, paper handlers, mail room workers, mechanics, drivers, driver helpers, machinists, advertising executives, salesmen, building engineers, and even a security guard.
In addition, since the Chicago Sun-Times/Daily News softball team celebrated its 35th year of continuous competition in 2005, I think next year's Hall of Fame induction should honor it as a "Historic Industrial/Corporate League Team."
A brief capsule follows:
In addition to more than 20 Grant Park Softball League championships, the Sun-Times/Daily News has won more than a dozen major tournaments, including such highlights the 2003 Tournament of Champions and the 1993 Old Style Classic Tournament.
The team was launched in 1970 by Media Hall of Famers Mike Royko and Don DeBat. Early on we were joined by Media Hall of Famer Tim Weigel.
Royko and DeBat organized the Media League which played at Lincoln Park in the early 1970s. Although the team always had a large number of newspaper staffers, the 1975 and 1979 teams which excelled in the Grant Park Tournament of Champions, also from time-to-time was blessed with the services of such Hall of Famers as Tom Bonen (ERV-Strikers) and Mike Tallo (Bobcats).
In decade of the 1980s and early 1990s the Sun-Times team managed by Don DeBat, was a powerhouse in the Grant Park League with such stars as Dan Cahill, Steve Kus, Glenn Placek, Rob Placek, AA pitcher Tommy Horn and Hall of Famer Al Placek (Playboys).
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HALL OF FAME DAILY NEWS/SUN-TIMES—PAGE 4
During the mid-1990s through 2004, the team, managed by sportswriter Dave Southwell, continued its dominance. Southwell continued DeBat's efforts to find quality ballplayers who actually worked at the newspaper.
These facts are just a preview. We are working on our formal induction nomination package, photos and press kit. We hope the committee believes the team is worthy enough to be inducted.
Sincerely,
Don DeBat
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9/9/05
DAILY NEWS/SUN-TIMES SOFTBALL MEMORIES # 1
Hey Hahn, Daily News people, and friends of Royko:
What is even more a mystery is why was Mike keeping softball score sheets from 1975 that eventually were placed for posterity in the Newberry Library?
Well, I can answer that one--it was the year we loaded the Chicago Daily News softball team with ringers and won 18 in a row at Grant Park! Unfortunately, we lost the Tournament of Champions final game 13-12 to Environmental Control, a team infested with City of Chicago Streets and Sanitation Dept. employees and some of the best softball ringers from the South Side. Mike was the pitcher and his record for 1979 in Grant Park was 18-1.
Sincerely,
Don (Batman) DeBat
(In case you forgot, DeBat is the former real estate editor of the Daily News and captain of the Daily News softball team. DeBat played in three softball leagues at age 60 this year. He is still pitching for the Sun-Times, which went on to win many championships after Royko retired and moved to the Tribune.)
P.S. The Daily News/Sun-Times softball team--which is still in business after 35 years--has been nominated for induction into the 16-Inch Softball Hall of Fame. Yes, that means such original (pre-ringer) Daily News team members such as John Nocita, Dan Miller, John (Sinker Ball) McDonough, Dave Gorak, Jim (Bulldog) Bowman, Dave Hall, and even Bill Jauss are eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame. In the 1971-1974 era our only ringer was Don (Garbo) Garbarino, my roommate from Missouri J-School.
Stay tuned. DeBat allegedly has 26 boxes of score books, signed softballs and trophies, including one with an electric clock from the 1979 Sun-Times team that won 19 in a row before losing the final game of the Grant Park Tournament of Champions 10-7 to the CTA, while Mayor Jane Byrne and husband Jay McMullen cheered for the bus drivers.
In 1979, Royko pitched and the ringer-loaded Sun-Times team posted a record of 19-1.
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DAILY NEWS SOFTBALL MEMORIES # 2
To Clark Bell,
Of course you were one of the great Daily News stars. I think I have a home movie of you hitting the ball over the right field fence at Thillens. I created my list off a 1971 photo taken the first year at Thillens and you were not in the picture, but Jauss was. He later played for Chicago Today against us.
Tim Weigel wasn't in the early photo, although he made one of the greatest catches ever off Max Saxinger's liner sliding into the fence face first in his debut with the Daily News at Thillens.
What year did you start at the Daily News? I think you and Tim arrived around the same time--1972 or 1973? I also didn't mention the original Daily News guys, other than Royko, who are no longer with us: Tom Sellers, Tom Seibel, and Jack Bruza.
You and Tim were also big contributors to the 1979 championship Sun-Times team along with the following non-ringers: Bob Gorzynski, Herb Gould, Jim Warren, Dan Gorman and Al Hansen, plus a host of ringers--Dave and Paul Sortal, Garbo, Gendusa, Lenny Cudzillo, etc.
Let me know when you are downtown. I'd be glad to hoist a few and talk about the Hall of Fame nomination. If we get in the Hall of Fame would be nice to have a great turn out at the January, 2007 dinner.
Don
-----Original Message-----
From: bigbat1177@aol.com
To: gt34@sbcglobal.net; debatnet@aol.com
Sent: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 7:04 pm
Subject: Re: Softball Hall of Fame
Gary,
Thanks for the great news about the Chicago Daily News/Chicago Sun-Times historic 16-inch softball team's coming induction into the 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame on January 26, 2008.
Please call me on my cell 312-914-7192 and give me more details about how we can generate a large turnout at the dinner, and a corresponding public relations campaign for the Hall. We expect 100+ players to attend the dinner to celebrate this great honor.
Don DeBat
-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Thorsen <
gt34@sbcglobal.net>
To:
bigbat1177@aol.com Sent: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 10:43 pm
Subject: RE: Softball Hall of Fame
Hi Don
The Daily News Team will be honored this year at the Hall of Fame dinner on January 26. Please call me at 630-670-1692
Congrats
Gary
Gary,
Thanks for putting Jerry Jess on the ballot. He is in poor health. See below.
Also, any news on the Daily News/Sun-Times historic team nomination? People keep calling me. I think we will bring 100 + people to the dinner.
Don
I sent my resume into Don Debat and he voted for me. But living now in Phoenix from 1979 when I left Chicago I still miss the game, Yet dream of it most every night. In the 1960s I played with and against all those mentioned
I remember it was the bottom of the 7th and Eddie Zolna was pitching, men an 1st and second and my team is down by a run two outs, I hit a long line drive double to right center my favotite spot even being a right hand hitter, and we win, Clarendon Park in the 1960s. Please, because of my poor health. This would mean so much to me. Bless you and hopefully , uj
Please Please Please do what ever it takes my health is not good and this would be truly a blessing Please, uj
Jer,
Oh, it's Gil Muratori who is in the Hall. Sorry. I nominated you. I will find out what is up with the Daily News nomination.
Don
I played for or against all those guys. I remember at Clarendon Park bottom of the 7th, I hit the tying and winning run of off of Eddie Zolna
Hope all is well with you guys. Just found a bit of information for you concerning the Hall of Fame. I received a phone call Saturday evening informing me that I had been selected into the 16" Hall of Fame. Not sure how it took place but they had been looking for me for a few years and found me on the internet using Google. Look for "Sixteen inch (16") Softball History" or "Softball Hall of Fame" on the net and you will find out more about it. Lots of names we both remember: Ron Brasch, Frank Lentine, Ed Zolna and many more.
Tony Reibel seems to be the man in charge. They have broken down the history into various eras: Pioneers, old-timers, etc., etc.
Hope you can hook up and get your name placed in nomination by whoever does that.
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