The Illinois ASA announces the team and individual Hall of Fame inductions for 2012.  Enshrinement for the inductees will take place at the Dragons Dome in Pekin on Saturday, April 14^th at the annual Illinois ASA Commissioners Council Meeting.  The actual location of the state Hall of Fame and Museum is in Casey, Illinois.  The individuals and teams to be honored follows. 

Merle Adams, Decatur (deceased), Meritorious Service….Merle played mens fastpitch softball for 30 years with teams such as Clinton, Cerro Gordo, Agenta and Maroa.  While pitching for Cerro Gordo, he won 85 and lost 45.  He also managed the Maroa Red Door team.  Suffered a heart attack and died in the pitching circle for his Maroa team in 1973.

Bruce Evans, Bloomington, Meritorious Service….Bruce has been the Illinois ASA Junior Olympic Assistant Commissioner for 15 years.  Among his duties are administering the Illinois ASA website, handling team registrations, scheduling and financing.  He is the Illinois ASA technology consultant to the national office and has been involved in the BNGSA JO program for many years.

Judy Higginbotham Miebeck, Marshall, Fastpitch Player….Judy was the star centerfielder and manager for the Clark County Culverettes for many years.  She went on to play for the Decatur Stingers for seven years.  During those years, the Stingers won 284 and lost 181 and won the 1980 Illinois ASA state championship.  She finished her career with a .320 batting average.

Mark “Bubba” Palmer, Marion, Slopitch Player….Mark was one of the greatest power hitters in the history of ASA softball.  He played for most of the best teams in the Midwest including the St. Clair A’s and Belcher Construction.  He has already been inducted into the St. Louis Metro Hall of Fame and the USSSA Hall of Fame.  He played for over 25 years.

Chris Smith, Macomb, Umpire….Chris has umpired for almost a quarter of a century.  His tournament experience includes eight state tournaments and six nationals.  He has attended two National Umpire Schools and has been actively involved in the Macomb softball league.  

Carl Stacey, Calvert City, Kentucky; Sponsor….Carl sponsored softball teams for over fifteen years.  His best and most well-known team was Arcola S and K Rigging, a squad that won the 1978 ASA Class A Mens Fastpitch National Championship.  Carl was also a driving force and major donor to the construction process for the Arcola City Park Diamond.

Tom Streder, Springfield, Sponsor….Tom has sponsored mens slopitch teams for sixteen years in A, B, C and D ASA state tournaments. Also sponsored and played in the ASA Coed State Tournament(s).  His teams won state championships in 1995 and 1998 and finished 2^nd in Coed state in 1996 and 1998.

Mary Sylvester, Pleasant Plains, Umpire….Mary has thirty-five years fastpitch umpiring experience and a resume’ which includes twenty state tournaments, nine JO Youth National Tournaments and one mens Masters 45 and Over National Tournament.  An Illinois ASA Don Plarski Award recipient in 2011, she is also highly regarded in IHSA umpiring circles.

Albert Zeller, Peoria, Sponsor….Albert sponsored ASA teams from 1985-2001.  His best-known team was Avantis, a womens fastpitch team regarded as one of the premier clubs in the Midwest and the Nation for many years.  His teams won six state championships and participated in twelve national tournaments. 

The following teams/organizations will also be inducted into the Illinois ASA Hall of Fame at the Banquet in Pekin on April 14, 2012:

Stewardson-Strasberg Tates Farm Implement,,,,Mens fastpitch team participated in ASA for over twenty years with an overall won-lost record of 1,290 and 634.  Finished as a state tournament runnerup eight times (some A and some AA) and won  Class A state championship in 1989.

Wood River Aces….Mens slopitch team that participated in ASA for 22 years with an overall record of 728 wins and 439 losses.  In ASA state tournament competition, the Aces finished 2^nd twice, 3^rd once and 5^th twice.  Also participated in ASA Midwest Regional Tournaments in Alton, Sioux City, Iowa;  Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Limestone Girls JO Organization….The team/organization was founded in 1975 and has produced four state championships and three regional championships.  Still participating at high level.

Washington Cobras Girls JO Organization….The team/organization was founded in 1978 and is still in competition today.  The organization has produced four ASA sate championship teams.

Welcome to the Illinois ASA Adult Program:

Our adult program offers competition in  mens and womens fastpitch and slopitch and our 2012 adult state tournament schedule is listed along with this welcome.  Contact one of our Executive Board members to confirm your entry or to gain additional information.

We will have some changes in the mens slopitch and fastpitch programs for this season. 

In mens fastpitch, we will again offer a  Wood Bat Tournament and an Open state tournament.   However, the dates and sites have been changed.  We are elated to announce that after an absence of many years Casey, Illinois will become heavily involved in our fastpitch program this year as they will host the Wood Bat Tournament on July 27-29.  Our Mens Open Fastpitch Tournament will be the following weekend, August 3-5 in Pekin, Illinois.  Neither of these tournaments is in conflict with any other softball organizations tournament schedule thus we are anticipating a good team turnout.  Entry fees will be announced later this month BUT teams that enter at Casey will receive a sizeable  discounted entry fee in Pekin.  NOTE:  Pekin will also host the Womens Fastpitch State Tournament at a date to be announced later.

Even greater changes are planned for our highly successful mens slopitch program.  All Illinois ASA Class B mens players were reclassified to Class C Plus status at the annual Illinois ASA Executive Committee Meeting in Decatur.  What are the implications of this blanket reclassification by our Illinois ASA Executive Committee?

Most importantly, the mass reclassifications mean that former class B players can now participate in one (North or South) of our C state tournaments.  However, no more than 5 reclassified players can play on any one C team and the 5 player limitation includes pickup and/or add-on players.  Another restriction is very important.  Since all B players were moved to Class C Plus, they will not be eligible to be an add-on player to a Class D state tournament team.  It is also important to emphasize that players that are listed on the National ASA Restricted player list are not included in our Illinois ASA Blanket reclassifications.  Illinois classifications do not supercede those of the national Office.

Finally, it should also be pointed out that Class B players who have been reclassified to Class C Plus will be ineligible to participate in our 2012 Illinois ASA Coed State Tournament.  That tournament this year will be designated as the Illinois ASA Coed Invitational Tournament and one of the criteria for player participation is carrying a classification of Class C or lower. 

On a closing note, the Illinois ASA Slopitch Data Base will be utilized again this year and it should be posted on this site by February 1^st.  The Data Base seemed to work quite well last year and after we make revisions and do some updating, the final product should show the name and classification of virtually every male slopitch player in the boundaries of Illinois ASA.

       2012 Illinois ASA Mens Adult State Tournaments

Mens Wood Bat Fastpitch       Casey             July 27-29

Mens Open Fastpitch              Pekin             August 3-5

Mens C South Slopitch           Granite City    July 20-22

Mens D-E Slopitch                  Decatur          July 26-29

Mens C Norh Slopitch             Rock Island   August 10-12

Coed C Invitational Slopitch   Alton             August 17-19                            

Mission

1. To promote softball within the Illinois ASA boundaries for all persons regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin or ancestry.
2. To promote all phases of softball including men’s, women’s, coed and youth.
3. To establish standard rules and regulations that can be observed by all members.
4. To conduct well-organized championship tournaments.
5. To be represented by teams in local, region, and national tournaments.
6. To promote, organize and conduct clinics and seminars in the proper skills of softball play and rules of the game.
7. To assist International softball teams when requested.
8. To provide grants and assist in the growth of the sport.
9. To provide scholarships to enable more persons an opportunity for advanced education.

Commissioner's Statement

Illinois ASA is an affiliate of ASA/USA Softball, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States and a United States Olympic Committee (USOC) voting member. Illinois ASA organizes youth clinics, umpire seminars and conducts national qualifying tournaments in slow pitch and fast pitch for men, women, coed and youth. Illinois ASA is a non-governmental and non-profit organization. We are staffed by volunteers dedicated to the advancement of softball at all levels of play. Our funds go to the administration of activities and other related events that benefit our membership, including clinics, grants and scholarships. Illinois ASA is responsible for all financial obligations in the operation of the program. This association is self-supporting and does not receive any sponsorship funds from National ASA/USA Softball.

Illinois ASA is one of the best softball programs in the United States. The Illinois ASA staff attends many program planning meetings, district meetings, tournaments, clinics and seminars. From January to December the Illinois ASA staff is always working at something that will make a better program for our teams and umpires. For their dedication, my thanks and appreciation. To the many managers, coaches, players, parents and umpires goes a big thanks, it’s you that make Illinois ASA successful.

To all, I wish you a very enjoyable and successful softball season.

_____________________________

Don Brewer
Illinois ASA State Commissioner