15th Annual Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame

Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort, Rockford

Class of 2009

-----------------Front row Cinda Liefer and Denise Susin. Back row Randy Torgerson, ------------ ---Orvel Cox, Phil Higgins, Joel Craig, Mark Shields and Tom Seddon

The Fifteenth Annual Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame Induction banquet was held on Saturday November 7th at the Cliffbreakers River Resort in Rockford with more than three hundred people in attendance. Eight individuals and one team were inducted plus the 2009 Great Lakes Women's Class D National Champions Kaiser Pizza / Demarini from Lake County were honored on this evening.

The Illinois USSSA Hall of fame Class of 2009 includes Orvel Cox from Red Bud in the 'Director' category, Joel Craig from Plainfield in the 'Male Player' category, Phil Higgins from Brown Deer, WI in the 'Male Player' category, Cinda Liefer from Red Bud in the 'Female Player' category, Tom Seddon from Shorewood in the 'Umpire' category, Mark Shields from Chester in the 'Umpire' category, Dee Susin from Chicago in the 'Female Player' category, Randy Torgerson from Rockford in the 'Male Player' and the Lantern Softball Club from Naperville in the 'Hall of Honor' category.

The evening festivities took place after a served dinner with Co-Master of Ceremonies Chuck Fisher from Louisville, Kentucky opening the evenings program by saying, "Ladies and gentleman, the ultimate honor, that can be bestowed, upon a player, coach, manager, director, umpire, sponsor, or anyone involved in the game of softball in the State of Illinois, is be nominated, elected, and inducted, into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame. The first Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame induction ceremony was conducted on March the 23rd 1996. And as of this date one hundred individuals and eight teams have received this special honor."

Co-Master of Ceremonies Jeff Brown from Rockford than introduced the thirty-four ‘Hall of Farmers’ who where attending this evenings program one at a time as the audience showered them with cheers and applause.

After each induction speech of by the new Hall of Famer Brenda Paulson presented the newest member into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame with their Hall of Fame softball oblique, a certificate that reads "United Stated Slow-pitch Softball Association Illinois Hall of Fame (individual name & their category), Upon nomination and election by the Illinois Hall of Fame election committee of the Illinois USSSA you are hereby inducted as a member of the Illinois Unites States Slow-Pitch Softball Association Hall of Fame on this seventh day of November in the year 2009. This high honor is to be recognized forever in the Illinois United States Slow-Pitch softball Association Hall of Fame" and their individual Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame ring.

The evenings festivities were brought to a close by Brown who had the privilege of announcing the individuals and teams that will be inducted at next years Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame Induction banquet to be held on November 6, 2010 in Rockford. Brown said, "In the male player category from Rockford, Illinois, Jim Rumple, also in the Male Player category from St. Charles, Illinois, Dave Villarearl, also in the Male Player category from Sparta Illinois Steven Walker." Brown went on to say, "In the Pioneer category from Red Bud, Illinois, umpire Vernon Kueker, in the Manager category from Belleville, Illinois the manager from Belleville Budweiser, Alex Studt, in the Pioneer Player category from Naperville Illinois, Kent Grossheausch, and finally two players both in the Female player category, I need to introduce them together, they are both from Rockford, Wendy Renat Fudge and Denice "Toodie" Moss." Brown finished his announcement of the Class of 2010 with one team and one field that will be inducted into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Honor, "RMA Kelly, the 1985 Class B Divisional Championship team and Forest Hills Diamonds, the site of many major tournaments."

The Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame Class of 2009 individual player and team profiles plus their comments are listed in the table on contest - use the link below to open.

Table of context