A Brief History of Boys Softball in the Chicago Public League

By: Neil Hernandez

September 29, 2006

 

                Baseball is known as America’s pastime. Throughout America boys and girls grow up play baseball and softball games. By the high school level, most schools have girls playing softball and boys playing baseball. According to a web page in the IHSA, in the 1998-99 season there were 83 schools nationwide with boys softball teams and 11,452 school nationwide with girls softball teams. In the 2005-2006 sports season the IHSA had listed 328 class AA and 292 class A schools participating in softball.

               What people don’t know was that in the early 1900’s the Chicago Public League played a version of boy’s softball. In 1914, the Public League ended Boys softball. However, in 1999, the Chicago Public League decided to resurrect boy’s softball when they adopted a 16-inch softball game for boys. The inaugural season was played in the fall of 1999 when 24 teams in the Chicago Public League decided to participate. Schurz won the first team championship. By 2006 the sport has grown to 51 schools broken up into 8 different conferences as stated below:

 

2006 League Alignment

Red North

Blue North

Red West

Blue West

Lane Tech
Mather
Von Steuben
Steinmetz
Northside Prep
Schurz

Amundsen
Young
Senn
Lake View
Kelvyn Park
Roosevelt

Westinghouse
Juarez
Taft
Marshall
Collins
Clemente

Farragut
Crane
Wells
Best Practice
Lincoln Park
Gage Park

Red Central

Blue Central

Red South

Blue South

Dyett
Kelly
Kennedy
Brooks
Payton
Richards
King (new)
Phoenix Academy (new)

Bogan
Englewood
Little Village
Robeson
Chicago Military Academy
Hirsch

Washington
CVS
Hubbard
Corliss
Hancock
Carver

Simeon
Morgan Park
Harper
Hyde Park
South Shore
Harlan

 

As of 2006, the following are some basic rules and regulations of boy’s 16-inch softball:

  • Games are 7 innings. In the event of a tie, teams will play as many innings as necessary to determine a winner.
  • All bases are 60 feet and the pitchers mound is 38 feet from home plate
  • The 16” softball season will begin on August 7, 2006
  • A total of 32 teams will be seeded for the championship playoffs.

 

Below is a table listing the Public League Champions in boys softball since 1999:

 

Public League 16-Inch Softball Titles

 
School Year     School
 
1999-00      Schurz
2000-01      Lane Tech
2001-02      Washington
2002-03      Lane Tech
2003-04      Lane Tech
2004-05      Payton
2005-06      Lane Tech

 

Sources: IHSA website, Chicago Public League website