October 2021

The board of directors of the Chicago 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame have elected Paul Rowan as the 4th president in its 25-year history. He will replace Ron Kubicki who has retired and will be moving to Mesa, Arizona.Paul will be officially taking the reins after the 25th anniversary inductee dinner at Drury Lane in Oakbrook on November 19th. Paul was elected to the Hall as a player in 2005 and has been a board member since 2010. He is president of Christopher Glass and Aluminum, and has an MBA from National Louis University.

Ray Topps was also re-elected Vice President. He is the lead designer and builder of the Hall of Fame’s March Manufacturing Inductee Park and adjacent beautiful Museum in Forest Park, Illinois. Also re-elected were five board members, Michael Coleman, Sal Vasta, John Doss, Rowan and Austin Ware. Ron Kubicki will remain on the executive committee to help with the transition.

Co-founder Al Maag stated, "We are very fortunate enough to have two stellar people to be considered for this role like Paul and George Vournazos."  

Paul stated, “I’m honored to have been entrusted with this responsibility and thrilled to work with all our talented and passionate board members who have built this crown in Chicago’s culture. My key objectives are to work with current and new sponsors/partners to make our organization financially stable and have the additional funds to invest in our beautiful museum and sport to increase its participation in our diverse community, kids, and women. Lastly to enhance our Hall of Fame’s outreach and brand not only in Chicagoland but nationally."

A new board member was also elected, Dave Ruehl. Dave is a recently retired Chicago Police Officer and considered one of the best infielders of his era and was inducted in 2013 playing for a variety of excellent teams including Lettuce.

We are hoping to have a big crowd to celebrate our 25th anniversary dinner. One goal is to have all our recognized teams be represented. Outstanding opportunity to see old friends and lie about how good you were. Purchase tickets for the dinner : https://16inchsoftballhof.com/shop/

If you would like to donate any items, please contact Rachel Entler- 16softballhof@gmail.com. We are looking for things like sporting event tickets, concert tickets, restaurant gift certificates and more. We appreciate the support!

1964-1979 Era: Roy Cotterman, Joy Jaffe

1993- Current: Nick Marchese, Tim Walker

Women: Kimberly Mioni, Kathy Apostolovich

Manager: Bill Cavanaugh

Wall of Fame: Tim Daniher, Warren "Mertz" McFeely, Anthony "Bang" Baldwin, Lee Fry, Patrick Connolly, William "Sugar Bear" Robinson

Frank C. Holan Award: Vincent Sterling

Richard J. Daley Award: Thomas Rovetuso "Rabbit"

Lifetime Achievement Award: CTA

Organizer: Kendall "P-Funk" Green

Teams Honored: Ducks, Turtles, Wild Bunch, Cutty Babes, Aces(North Side), 3rd Rail

Field of Dreams Award: Portage Park

“A great historical montage depicting the great teams from every era. The reader can easily harken back to one’s 16 inch ball playing days with the pictures and history representing the many teams from the racial, ethnic, and diverse neighborhoods. This book has a memory for anyone who has ever played the game and has crooked fingers to prove it.” Lawrence Viverito

132 page 9 x 12 coffee style book takes you through the history of the game from 1887 to today’s teams and activities. 260 photos help tell the story. Also a chapter on the Hall of Fame celebrating its 25th anniversary. Author is Hall of Fame cofounder Al Maag. Some of the net profits will be donated to the Hall located in Forest Park. A great gift idea.

Purchase at: 16inchsoftballhof.com/shop