ASA Men’s Major 16 Inch Slow Pitch

Before the Official 16-inch Slow Pitch National Championships were conceived in 1964, there was a National Slow Pitch Championship held in Chicago at the World’s Fair in 1933. The First Men’s and Women’s Fast Pitch Championships were held at the same time, but 10 teams opted to play a “Slow Pitch” version.  The 14 Inch ball was used. When the dust cleared, it was an all-Chicago finale as Cuyler Missions of Chicago’s Church League were crowned the National Slow Pitch Champions by defeating the Cinderella Florists, who won the Chicago Open title, 10-6 in the Championship game. No information is available on the standings. Here is the list of the 10 teams that entered, all mostly champions of Chicago Area programs. The program the team came from, if any is listed along with who they beat to get the invitation to the Nationals.

Year Champion Runner-Up MVP
1933 Cuyler’s Missions, Chicago, IL Cinderella Florists, Chicago, IL N/A
1964 Bobcats, Chicago, IL Ken Allen Company, Chicago, IL N/A
1965 E. Miller Ins./Bobcats, Chicago, IL Ken Allen Company, Chicago, IL N/A
1966 Sobies, Chicago, IL Bobcats, Chicago, IL Ed Surma, Sobies (21-24, .875)
1967 Sobies, Chicago, IL Miller-Zolna’s, Chicago, IL Lynwood Earl Creech, Ritz Restaurant
1968 Sobies, Chicago, IL Bobcats, Chicago, IL Henry Currie Jr., Kuppenheimer Clothes
1969 Dr. Carlucci’s Bobcats, Fox Lake, IL Sobies, Chicago, IL Eddie Zolna, Dr. Carlucci’s Bobcats
1970 Dr. Carlucci’s Bobcats, Fox Lake, IL Dwarf’s, Chicago Jake Jacobi, Dr. Carlucci’s Bobcats
1971 Dr. Carlucci’s Bobcats, Fox Lake, IL Sobies, Chicago, IL Eddie Zolna, Dr. Carlucci’s Bobcats
1972 Dr. Carlucci’s Bobcats, Fox Lake, IL American Rivet, Chicago, IL Frank Lentine, Dr. Carlucci’s Bobcats
1973 Bobcats, Chicago, IL Kerr Sporting Goods, Phoenix, AZ 1st MVP – Eddie Zolna, Dr. Carlucci’s Bobcats, 2nd MVP – Sal Martinez, Kerr Sporting Goods
1974 Strikers, Chicago, IL (181-12) Danan’s Inn, Pell Lake, WI Len West, Strikers
1975 Josef’s Restaurant, Chicago’s Danan’s Inn, Pell Lake, WI Mike Marchinski, Josef’s Restaurant
1976 Republican Bank Bobcats, Chicago, IL Amalga Monsters, Chicago, IL Willie Simpson, Republican Bank Bobcats
1977 Bobcats, Chicago, IL American Rivet, Chicago, IL Willie Simpson, Bobcats
1978 Bobcats, Chicago, IL Big Banjo Sports Pub, Wheaton, IL Larry Kelly, Bobcats
1979 Bobcats, Chicago, IL Monsters, Chicago, IL Ron Olesiak, Bobcats
1980 Har-Crest Whips, Chicago, IL Monsters, Chicago, IL Mike Glab, Muskets
1981 Budweiser Whips, Chicago, IL C&K Old Style Bobcats, Harvey, IL Jerry Kelleher, Budweiser Whips
1982 Park Avenue Spats, Chicago, IL Motherlode Runts, Des Plaines, IL Jim Fanta, Park Avenue Spats
1983 Budweiser Whips, Chicago, IL (113-8) Stray Cats, Hanover Park, IL Jack Kelly, Budweiser Whips
1984 Budweiser Whips, Chicago, IL Safari Tigers, Chicago, IL Jack Kelly, Budweiser Whips
1985 Touch, Chicago, IL Safari Tigers, Chicago, IL Randy Lee, Safari Tigers
1986 Ducks, Oak Lawn, IL Coopers Sporting Goods, Meadows, IL Tom Czarnick, Coopers Sporting Goods
1987 Sports Station, Blue Island, IL Whips, Chicago, IL Larry Kelly, Sports Station
1988 Whips, Chicago, IL Auto Mart, Mount Prospect, IL Mark Wilson, Whips
1989 Whips, Chicago, IL Bud North, Mount Prospect, IL Wally Filkins, Whips
1990 Pete’s Hidaway Whips, Chicago, IL Splinter’s Sports Club, Mount Prospect, IL Jack Kelly, Pete’s Hidaway Whips
1991 Splinter’s Sports Club, Mount Prospect, IL Lettuce Entertain You, Chicago, IL Tom Czarnick, Splinter’s Sports Club
1992 Lettuce, Chicago, IL March Manufacturing, Mount Prospect, IL Matt Biondic, Lettuce
1993 Lettuce, Chicago, IL March Manufacturing, Mount Prospect, IL Frank Mustari, Lettuce
1994 Hollywood Casino, Mount Prospect, IL Prime Time, Mount Prospect, IL Dello Bianchini, Hollywood Casino
1995 Carpet Country, Marshalltown, IA Life-Prime Time, Hodgkins, IL Brad Van Meter and Rick Barnes, Carpet Country (Co-MVPs)
1996 Lettuce, Chicago, IL Splinters Sports, Hodgkins, IL Tom Czarnick, Lettuce
1997 Miller Lite-Splinters, Hodgkins, IL Lettuce, Chicago, IL Rich Vila and Keith Filkins, Miller Lite-Splinters (Co-MVP’s)
1998 Lettuce, Chicago, IL Miller 45’s, Mount Prospect, IL N/A
1999 Puglise Softball, Riverside, IL Lettuce, Chicago, IL David Bischoff and Keith Filkins, Puglise Softball (Co-MVP’s)
2000 Licorice, Mount Prospect, IL Bucks Softball, Mount Prospect, IL Randy Russ, Licorice
2001 Miller 45’s, Mount Prospect, IL Bucks Softball, Mount Prospect, IL N/A
2002 Licorice, Mount Prospect, IL Stover Softball, West Des Moines, IA Randy Russ, Licorice
2003 Golden Tee 45’s, Mount Prospect, IL Stover Softball, West Des Moines, IA Mark Holstein, Golden Tee 45’s
2004 Miller 45’s, Mount Prospect, IL Flash, Des Plains, IL Jeff Berger, Miller 45’s
2005 Miller 45’s, Mount Prospect, IL (86-5) Bucketheads, Mount Prospect, IL Rick Gancarz and Jim Matlock, Miller 45’s (Co-MVP’s)
2006 Miller 45’s, Mount Prospect, IL Maxim, Chicago, IL Mark Holstein and Larry Downes, Miller 45’s (Co-MVP’s)
2007 Miller 45’s, Mount Prospect, IL Stover Softball, West Des Moines, IA None selected (Keith Filkens, Miller 45s, batting leader)
2008 Flashback, Mount Prospect, IL Stover Softball, West Des Moines, IA Ralph Lawrence, Flashback
2009 Flashback, Mount Prospect, IL Jynx, Chicago, IL Randy Russ, Flashback
2010 Windy City Softball, Franklin Park, IL Flashback, Mount Prospect, IL Pat Caputo, Windy City Softball
2011 Tides, Marshalltown, IA Cover, Urbandale, IA N/A
2012 OBI, Chicago, IL Roadrunners, Rolling Meadows, IL John Ryan, OBI
2013 OBI, Chicago, IL Roadrunners, Rolling Meadows, IL John Ryan, OBI
2014 OBI, Chicago, IL Impact, Mount Prospect, IL N/A
2015 Solutions, Chicago, IL N/A N/A
2016 Solutions, Chicago, IL N/A N/A
2017 Solutions, Chicago, IL N/A N/A
2018 Solutions, Chicago, IL Trash, Chicago, IL Levar Brown, Solutions
2019 Solutions, Chicago, IL N/A N/A
2020 Pharaohs, Chicago, IL Moist, Chicago, IL Curtis King and Shavantae Samuels, Pharaohs
2021 N/A N/A N/A

Chicago started its own Labor Day Major Nationals in 2014. ASA called these tournaments “National Invitationals”.

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