13th Annual USSSA Hall of Fame Banquet

(L to R) Umpire Marc Musser from Joliet & Meritorious Service John Sturgill from Joliet

Brown read the highlights from John 'Smiley' Sturgill career as a manager, umpire and director before introducing Scott Hill (Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame Class of 2002) a player on many of Sturgill' s team. John 'Smiley' Sturgill softball career covered over 40 years as a player, manager, umpire and director coaching for twenty-seven years such teams as The Boyz of Hayden Sports, Illusions and Sands Motel. His teams won nine Illinois USSSA state championships. Sturgill was also Illinois USSSA Director for twenty years and was instrumental in bring the Illinois USSSA into many new areas earning him the 1990 Illinois USSSA Directors Award and he also umpired for twenty-four season and in 1992 he earned the Illinois USSSA Umpire Award.
Hill covered the highlights of their years together on the softball field before adding, "I don't remember agreeing with all of his coaching decisions. In 1984 in Michigan at the Divisional Tournament he sat me on the bench. It's not that I hold a grudge but I think there are a few other people around here that Smiley sat down too. In fact I think he might have the career record for sitting down the most 'Hall of Farmers'.
Sturgill while accepting his award he spoke about the two years that he severed as the Illinois USSSA State director saying, "I did it for two years and that was the end of my career and that is the toughest job in the world, Mrs. Paulson, I love you, I respect you, but I would never to that again." He closed by saying this about softball, "I gave my heart to it."
Brown read the impressive highlights from the Lilly Air Systems ball club remarkable run of a team that many believe to be the best softball team ever from the state Illinois earning a ASA National Championship and earning the right to play at six USSSA Men's Major World Series. Lilly Air Systems from Chicago became the fourth team to be inducted into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame. This ball club at the USSSA Major World Tournaments finished with two eighth place finishes and two ninth place finishes from the USSSA Major World Tournament. They earned a national ranking of fifth in in the nation after the 1985 season finishing with a 76-17 record. Seven members of this ball club have been inducted into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame including player / sponsor John Lilly, manager Pete Williams and players; Ken Dohm, Al VanGampler, Ron Olesiak, Benny Holt, Tom Spahn and Kurt Steger. Also playing for the Lilly Air Systems ball club during this remarkable successful run were; Tom Chmela, Phil Higgins (Wisconsin USSSA Hall of Fame inductee), Ken Parker, Ron 'T-Bird' Funderberg, Ron Scillian, Dan Barnett, Jake Jacobi, Jim Reeves, Ron Danoski (Wisconsin USSSA Hall of Fame inductee), George Tankas, Jim Burke, Paul Moore, Jay Graziano Don Snyder, Dave Steffan, Ed Ambacher, Tim Russell, Gary Winemaster and Tom Starck. A plaque was given to each individual honoring them as a member of a team that has received the highest honor the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame has for a team, membership into the Hall of Honor.
The evening third inductee was outfielder Cheryl Snyder. Fisher introduced Snyder an outfielder who played USSSA Women's Softball for ten years with such teams as the Alleycats and ZZZ Fastner and Coors. She was named to the 1980 Women's Class A All-National Tournament team and was also named to the 1984 Women's USSSA Illinois Class A All-State Tournament team. She recalls her first USSSA World Co-Ed tournament. "It was a thrill to be up against the likes of Howard Furniture and the Virginia Bells but the biggest thrill came from the fact that we could actually compete and win against the best teams in the country." Her ZZZ Fastener's mixed squad finished in fifth place at that USSSA Mixed World Tournament.

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