16-inch Softball Hall of Fame honors 2024 class with nod to past
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A 16-inch softball game in Chicago in the '70s. Photo: Courtesy of Tom Bonen
The 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame will induct its latest class next week as it celebrates its 10th anniversary in Forest Park.
Why it matters: Chicagoans invented 16-inch softball, which is traditionally played without fielder's gloves, here over 130 years ago when recreation options were slim. But the game now competes for players against more popular outdoor sports like pickleball.
Flashback: The 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame museum opened in Forest Park in 2014 to educate people about the local history of the sport, and every year a class of influential players, coaches, teams and boosters is inducted.
State of play: The class of 2024 will be inducted July 23, which will also be an anniversary celebration.
- The class includes Eddie Curry, who worked at Chicago Public Schools and was instrumental in making 16-inch softball a lettered sport in CPS high schools. Curry will also receive the Richard J. Daley award, which is given to individuals "who have demonstrated passion and love for the game."
Zoom in: The event will include a presentation featuring photographs of Hall of Famer Tom Bonen, who played on influential teams, helped build a softball stadium in Bridgeview and was among the first to bring corporate sponsors to the game.
- More than 50 years ago, he first published "Windy City Softball" magazine.
What they're saying: "We are gonna relive the 1970s," 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame co-founder Al Maag tells Axios.
- "We'll honor the most famous teams, the Bobcats and the Sobies, through Tom's photographs."
Reality check: Even though other sports like pickleball have become the sport du jour for many Chicagoans, Maag says they are seeing a huge uptick in softball tournaments, especially since the pandemic.
- "The sport was really down around COVID," Maag tells Axios. "But this year, we are forecasting around 140 tournaments around the country. It's totally rebounded and becoming more popular than ever."
Yes, but: Locally, softball has run into some hiccups, including big events like NASCAR Chicago Street Race and Lollapalooza disrupting the famed Grant Park leagues.
- Other park renovation plans have moved away from having softball diamonds as their anchor.
The bottom line: Bonen's photographs, plus the spirit that surrounds this hallowed game, are on display at the Hall of Fame in Forest Park, which continues to do its part to keep it alive.
If you go: The organizers expect up to 400 people for the free induction ceremony and the Legends Game immediately following. It kicks off at 4pm.
- The evening ends with the play-in games for the annual No Gloves Tournament.
- The tournament, featuring the best teams in the Midwest, runs July 25-28 at the park.