HISTORY

This plaque is in memory of the following Over 50 athletes who have left us for a better place. It is located in The Pavilion across from the front desk on the wall next to the stairs with these names:
1998 - Earl Peacock, team #2 Grumpies
1999 - Alan Ruesch, team #2 Grumpies
2000 - Thomas Felicelli, team #5 Telephone company/Green Guys
2002 - David Rojek, team #4 Good Ole Boys
2003 - Jim Rowan, team #8 sixteen inchers
2004 - Harold 'Hal' Thompson, team #4 Good Ole Boys
2006 - Jud Gaspar, team #5 Orange Crush
2006 - Martin O'Donnel, team #5 Orange Crush
2006 - Paul Salley, team #4 Good Ole Boys
2007 - Frank Czarnik, League Commissioner and manager of team #2 Grumpies
2008 - Fred Malinowski, team #6 Huffers & Puffers
2009 - Bart Dill, team #4 Good Ole Boys
2009 - Joe Merle, team #12 Mudville (over 50) and Mavericks (over 60)
2009 - Chico Velazquez, team #10 Lucky Stiffs
2009 - Jim Groat, team #1 Oldies But Goodies
2009 - Jim Cashman, team #1 Oldies But Goodies
2010 - Tom Rodgers, Silver Foxes
2010 - Jim Hirsch, Good Old Boys
2010 - Bill Bawoll, Oldies But Goodies
2010 - Don Gould, Code Blue
2011 - Dan Gilbert, Code Blue
2011 - Ron Foster, Team 5
2011 - Don Sokolowski, Oldies But Goodies and Mavericks
2011 - Fred Schuster, Oldies But Goodies
2011 - Stewart Hale, Silver Foxes (aka Code Blue)
2013 - Russ Mueller, Lucky Stiffs and Mavericks
2013 - Tom Klingsporn, founder of Oldies But Goodies
2013 - Dan Minch, 16 Inchers
2013 - Thomas Kapusta, Lucky Stiffs
2014 - Lew Smith, Grumpies
2014 - Carl Baumgarten, Oldies But Goodies
2018 - Jim Heffern, Oldies But Goodies

If you know of others who should be added to this list, email Joe at swingfixer@hotmail.com

EARL PEACOCK: An original member of team#2, the Grumpies.

ALAN RUESH: Original member of team #2, the Grumpies. Always wore his umpires uniform to the early attempts to start an “over 60” league on Sunday afternoons.

THOMAS FELICELLI: Team #5 then known as the Telephone Company / Green Guys. Had a heart attack while shoveling snow at his parent’s house in Chicago. Was found by neighbors laying in the snow.

DAVID ROJEK: Team #4 Good Ole Boys

JIM ROWAN: Team #8 Sixteen Inchers

HAL THOMPSON: Pitcher and original member of team #4, Good Old Boys, Always wore a handkerchief hanging out from under his cap to protect his neck from the sun. When he was playing he was the oldest player in the over 50 league. Today his sons Matt and Paul play in the over 60 league.

JUD GASPAR: Team #5 Orange Crush

MARTIN O’DONNEL: Team #5 Orange Crush

PAUL SALLEY: One of the original four volunteer captains, of team #4, Good Old Boys, on the first day of the over 50 league in 1997.

FRANK CZARNIK: One of the original four volunteer captains, of team # 2, Grumpies, on the first day of the over 50 league in 1997. He formed the over 50 annual golf tournament in 1998. Became commissioner of the over 50 league in 2007. Was elected and served 2, six year terms as a commissioner for the Elk Grove Park District.

FRED MALINOWSKI: Team #6 Huffers&Puffers (today’s Unknowns) Was retired from the U.S. Air Force and the Elk Grove Police Department, short and stocky, very tough.

BART DILL: Team #4 Good Ole Boys, the only person in the history of Elk Grove Village to have been elected and serve on all three taxing bodies; Library, Park District and Village Boards.

JOE MERLE: Team #12 Mudville (over 50) and Mavericks (over 60). A gentle giant. Played first base and was known for his ability to catch hard thrown balls with one hand.

CESAR VELAQUEZ: Team #10 Lucky Stiffs (formerly Charlie’s Chargers and T’Wood)

JIM GROAT: Team #1, Oldies But Goodies

JIM CASHMAN: Team #1, Oldies But Goodies in 1997, also served as a commissioner on the Park District Board.

TOM RODGERS: Original member of team #3, the Silver Foxes, now known as Code Blue.

JIM HIRSCH: Team #4, Good Ole Boys. Produced, directed and acted in Shakespeare plays every summer in large tents as part of the live entertainment available in Elk Grove Village.

BILL BAWOL: Team #1, Oldies But Goodies

DON GOULD: Team #3 Silver Foxes, now known as Code Blue. Announced High School basketball games for many years on CH-6. Also was a certified official for Illinois High School Football.

DAN GILBERT: Team #3 Silver Foxes (now Code Blue)

RON FOSTER: Team #5 then known as the Telephone Company / Green Guys, (now Orange Crush). Served as an elected Commissioner on the Board for the Elk Grove Park District.

DON SOKOLOWSKI: Took over as captain for team #1, Oldies but Goodies, in the third year of the league. Also player/manager for over 60 Spades/Mavericks. Also, served on the Planning Commission of the Village for many years.

FRED SCHUSTER: Original member of team #1, Oldies but Goodies. He formed and managed the Senior Golf League. Was a retired Reserve Naval Officer, and also a retired High School teacher.

STEWART HALE: Original member of team #3, Silver Foxes, now known as Code Blue. Served in WWII as part of General Patton’s 3^rd Army from the day it was formed until the end of the war. After the war he and a friend formed a commuter airline.

BILL COX: Original member of team #4, Good Old Boys. Also coached in the early years of Elk Grove Boys Football. Served four years in the U.S. Coast Guard.

RUSS MUELLER: Team #10 Lucky Stiffs (over 50) and Mavericks (over 60). Was a retired High School coach and teacher.

TOM KLINGSPORN: Original volunteer captain of team #1, Oldies but Goodies. Selected team members on the first day of the over 50 league in 1997.

DAN MINCH: Team #8 Sixteen Inchers. Retired Chicago Fireman. Dan once had a fingernail ripped off by a line drive but of course kept playing anyway.

THOMAS KAPUSTA: Team #10 Lucky Stiffs.

FRED MRUGACZ: Original member of team #4, Good Old Boys. Also played in the over 50 basketball league. Fred was present on the very first day when teams were selected in 1997. His team won every game that year, including a win against the all star team consisting of 4 players from each of the other 3 teams. Fred also played in the 60+ league, and was a longtime Chicago firefighter and avid volleyball player

LEW SMITH: Played with the Grumpies, team #2. Served as an elected commissioner for 18 years with the Elk Grove Park District. Was the major force behind the planning and building of Fox Run Golf Links.

CARL BAUMGARTEN:  Carl joined the Oldies But Goodies in 1999 and played 3^rd base for several years.

JIM HEFFERN:  Jim was the founder of our senior softball leagues. For more information on Jim, go to the Home page and select the Label on the right.

The best form of baseball ever devised is the Chicago style 16 inch bare handed version. Why? Unlike the 12 inch version, you do not need any more equipment other than a minimum of one bat and one ball. No gloves allowed. The required field size is smaller than any other version of baseball, with the possible exception of little league. Fences are not needed, you do not even need a backstop. The field does not need to be manicured, any level surface will do, grass or dirt. Without a glove there is no such thing as an easy out. You need to use both hands to catch the ball, therefore every play is an uncertainty, no sure outs. Every batter puts the ball in play almost all the time, so every defensive position is important, unlike the 12 inch fast pitch version where the best pitchers almost always strike everyone out, so you only need 4 fielders as proven by the King And His Court. Hard ball baseball takes well over 2 hours per game. 16 inch softball takes only about one hour, which gives you more time to spend at the bar and have some comeraderie with your buddies.

Mike Royko on softball (click on the following link) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpuXfcx0pRU

Our league's history:

1997 - 62 players showed up at the field for a draft, 4 volunteered to coach. Each of the 4 stood at one of the bases, and that is how they got their team number. Games commenced right after the draft. Team #4 (Good Ole Boys) won the championship, going undefeated, and also beat the all star team (taken from page 104 of the book "Just One More Season" by J.M. Heffern).

1998 - Added two more teams, #5 at the time known as the Austins, Telephone Company or the Green Guys, and #6 Huffers and Puffers. Champions were Team #2 (Grumpies), and runnerup was Team #4 (Good Ole Boys).

1999 - Champions Team #6 (Huffers and Puffers), runnerup Team #2 (Grumpies).

2000 - Champions Team #4 (Good Ole Boys), runnerup Team #6 (Huffers and Puffers).

2001 - Added two more teams, #7 (F.O.G. I am not sure but I think it means freakin old goats, somebody correct me if that is wrong), and #8 (16 Inchers). Champions were Team #3 (Code Blue), runnerup Team #1 (Oldies But Goodies). A bit of irony - Team #1 was ahead after 7 innings but this was the only year the final game was 9 innings long.

2002 - Added two more teams, #9 (Dawgs) and #10 (Charlie's Chargers). Champions were Team #2 Grumpies, runnerup was Team #3 Code Blue. A bit of irony - Team #2 did not make the playoffs outright, they had to win a play-in game first after barely being over .500 during the regular season.

2003 - Champions Team #6 (Huffers and Puffers), runnerup Team #1 (Oldies But Goodies).

2004 - Champions Team #5 (Green Guys, later known as Orange Crush), runnerup Team #9 (Dawgs).

2005 - Added two more teams, #11 (Classics), and #12 (Mudville). Champions Team #2 (Grumpies), runnerup Team #11 Classics. Also this was the first year for competitive Over 60 league. Team #1 (last place O.F.O.G) won playoffs.

2006 - Champions Team #2 (Grumpies), runnerup Team #9 (Dawgs). Over 60 champions Team #2 (Spades).

2007 - Champions Team #11 (Classics), runnerup Team #6 (Huffers and Puffers). Over 60 champions Team #1 (O.F.O.G.), runnerup Team #2 (Mavericks).

2008 - Champions Team #7 FOG, runnerup Team #13 Unknowns. Over 60 champions Team #6 Good Old Huffers, runnerup Team #2 Mavericks.

2009 - Champions Team #7 FOG, runnerup Team #14 Backwash. Over 60 champions #6 Good Old Huffers, runnerup #4 Barons

2010 - Champions Team #7 FOG, runnerup Team #5 Orange Crush. Over 60 champions #2 Mavericks, runnerup #4 Red Barons

2011 - Champions Code Blue, runnerup Grabbers, Over 60 champions Barons, runnerup Mavericks

2012 - Champions Code Blue, runnerup Backwash, Over 60 champions Barons, runnerup Old Dawgs

2013 - Champions Grabbers, runneerup Orange Crush, Over 60 champions Barons, runnerup Mavericks

2014 - Champions Backwash, runnerup Orange Crush, Over 60 champions Shamrocks, runnerup Barons

2015 - Champions Backwash, runnerup 16 Inchers.  Over 60 champions Barons, runnerup Grumpies

2016 - NCAA Champions Backwash, runnerup 16 Inchers.  NIT winner Grumpies.  Over 60 champions Code Blue, runnerup Stiffs.

2017 - NCAA Champions Grabbers, runnerup Orange Crush. NIT winner Wise Guys.  Over 60 champions Grumpies, runnerup Code Blue.

2018 - NCAA Champions Orange Crush, runnerup Oldies But Goodies, NIT winner Rebels. Over 60 champions Code Blue, runnerup Grumpies.  First ever over 65 champions Grumpies, runnerup Odds and Ends.