LASALLE LITTLE LEAGUE TIMELINE

• 1939LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL BEGUN IN WILLIAMSPORT PENN. WITH 3 TEAMS AND 36 BOYS.

• 1953LASALLE ROTARY CLUB SPEARHEADS THE DRIVE TO ORGANIZE A LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL PROGRAM IN LASALLE.
• MAR 15, 1953FIRST OFFICIAL MEETING OF LITTLE LEAGUE IN LASALLE HELD TO ORGANIZE THE LEAGUE AND NAME CHAIRMEN AND COMMITTEES. WILLIAM PELKEY BECOMES THE FIRST LEAGUE PRESIDENT.
• APR 14, 1953LITTLE LEAGUE FRANCHISE RECEIVED AND APPROVED FOR A SIX TEAM LEAGUE. TEAMS ARE ROTARY, STATE BANK, ELECTRICAL UTILITIES CO., LIONS, OFFICE SUPPLY, & SMITH MOTORS.
• MAY 1, 1953LEAGUE CHANGED FROM A SIX TEAM LEAGUE TO 2-4 TEAM LEAGUES. WEST END MOTORS AND KHOURYS ADDED TO LEAGUE. BOYS LIVING SOUTH OF NINTH ST. ARE DRAFTED INTO THE AMERICAN LEAGUE AND THOSE NORTH OF NINTH ST. INTO THE NATIONAL LEAGUE.
• MAY 18, 1953FIRST EXHIBITION GAMES TO BE PLAYED ON THIS DATE WITH GAMES SCHEDULED FOR MON., TUE., AND THUR. AT 6:00 AND 7:30 P.M. (POSTPONED FOR ONE WEEK DUE TO THE ADDITION OF 2 TEAMS BECAUSE OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF BOYS WHO WANTED TO PLAY LITTLE LEAGUE BALL.
• MAY 21, 1953LASALLE LITTLE LEAGUE INCORPORATED.
• MAY 25, 1953FIRST GAMES ACTUALLY PLAYED ON THIS DATE. DR. J.F.LEWIS THROWS OUT THE FIRST PITCH TO OPEN LITTLE LEAGUE PLAY IN LASALLE. IT WAS HIS SUGGESTION AT A ROTARY CLUB MEETING THAT STARTED THE PROGRAM IN LASALLE.
• MAY 26, 1953M. DERANGO OF LIONS HITS THE FIRST HOME RUN IN REGULAR SEASON PLAY IN LASALLE.
• JUNE 1, 1953K. STACHOWIAK OF ROTARY THROWS THE FIRST NO HITTER IN LASALLE AGAINST L.J. SMITH MOTORS.
• JUNE 5, 1953DISCUSSION HELD REGARDING NEW LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF HEGELER PARK. EVERYONE IN AGREEMENT TO PURSUE THE MATTER FURTHER WITH THE CITY.
• MAR 30, 1954CITY TO BUILD A BACKSTOP AT THE LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD AND ALSO DISCUSSED BUILDING A PERMANENT FENCE AROUND THE FIELD.
• APR. 21, 1955LEAGUE BOUNDARIES MOVED TO 12^th STREET WITH THOSE BOYS SOUTH TO THE AMERICAN LEAGUE AND NORTH TO THE NATIONAL LEAGUE.
• MAY 1, 1955REQUEST MADE TO LITTLE LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS TO INSTALL LIGHTS AT THE HEGELER PARK FIELD.
• AUG 9, 1956CLERKS UNION FINISH OUT THE REGULAR SEASON WITH A PERFECT 18-0 MARK TO BECOME THE FIRST LASALLE TEAM TO GO UNDEFEATED DURING THE SEASON.
• JULY 22, 1959DON SMUDZINSKI THROWS A NO-HITTER AGAINST PRINCETON IN SUB-DISTRICT ACTION OF THE ALL-STAR TOURNEY. LASALLE WILL NOW FACE KANKAKEE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
• AUG 22, 1960START OF THE MAYORS TOURNAMENT, ORIGINALLY CALLED THE TRI CITY TOURNEY, INCLUDING TEAMS FROM LASALLE, PERU, AND OGLESBY. THE LASALLE HOLLERICH’S TEAM WAS THE FIRST TOURNEY WINNER WITH A WIN OVER OGLESBY BY A SCORE OF 6 TO 5.
• MAR. 15, 1962LEAGUE BOUNDARIES CHANGED BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL FORMAT AT NINTH STREET BECAUSE OF CHANGING POPULATION.
• SUMMER 19621 STORY CONCRETE BLOCK SCORE BOOTH IS BUILT.
• 1962DON HEAGY SETS THE NEW HOME RUN MARK WITH 9 DURING THE REGULAR SEASON.
• JULY, 1963DON GENS HAMMERS OUT 14 HOMERS DURING THE REGULAR SEASON TO SET THE NEW HOME RUN MARK.
• JUNE 1, 1964PAUL KRAMARSIC HITS 2 CONSECUTIVE GRAND SLAM HOME RUNS ON OPENING NIGHT OF THE ’64 SEASON AS V.F.W. DEFEATS E.U.C. BY A SCORE OF 14 TO 1.
• MAR 18, 1965DISCUSSION HELD ABOUT EXPANDING THE LEAGUE FROM 8 TO 10 TEAMS. IT WAS DECIDED TO SHELVE THE IDEA UNTIL THE 1966 SEASON.
• JULY, 1965VFW WINS THE AMERICAN DIVISION WITH A PERFECT 16-0 RECORD.
• NOV 17, 1965LEAGUE EXPANDED TO 10 TEAMS WITH YELLOW CAB ENTERING THE NATIONAL LEAGUE AND TRI CITY IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE.
• JAN, 1966MAYORS TOURNAMENT EXPANDED TO INCLUDE SPRING VALLEY, LADD, AND MENDOTA. TOURNEY TO BEGIN AUG. 15, 1966.
• SPRING, 1966NEW DUGOUTS ARE CONSTRUCTED AT THE LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD AT HEGELER PARK THROUGH A VOLUNTEER EFFORT BY THE COACHES.
• 19683 HO-HITTERS ARE THROWN BY LASALLE PITCHERS ON 3 CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS.1.MATT MANIJAK OF LIONS OVER POLICE.2.GARY GAPINSKI OF HOLLERICHS OVER A & W.3.RANDY TAYLOR OF VFW OVER TRI CITY.
• AUG. 1969A & W WINS THE NATIONAL DIVISION, MAYORS TOURNAMENT, AND LASALLE INVITATIONAL WITH A COMBINED MARK OF 21-3, TO BECOME THE ONLY LASALLE TEAM TO WIN ALL 3 TOURNAMENTS DURING THE SAME YEAR. FRANK ZUPANCIC THROWS 2 HO-HITTERS DURING THE MAYORS TOURNAMENT.
• SPRING, 1971RAY LIEBHART SPREADHEADS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECOND FLOOR ADDITION TO THE SCORE BOOTH AT THE LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD.
• JULY, 1971JOHN CULLINAN SETS A NEW HOME RUN MARK IN LASALLE BY POUNDING OUT 16 HOMERS DURING THE REGULAR SEASON. 6 MORE WERE HIT DURING TOURNAMENT PLAY FOR A TOTAL OF 22.
• JULY, 1971LASALLE NATIONAL ALL STARS CAPTURE THE DISTRICT CROWN WITH A VICTORY OVER THE PERU AMERICAN SQUAD 6 TO 5.
• AUG 19, 1971IN PERHAPS THE GREATEST PITCHING DUAL EVER WITNESSED BY LITTLE LEAGUE FOLLOWERS IN THE ILLINOIS VALLEY, PAUL SWISKOSKI OF ROTARY AND TOM GREATHOUSE OF PERU SHINNICKS BATTLED EACH OTHER FOR 9 SCORELESS INNINGS ON ONE HIT BALL. NEITHER PITCHER GOT THE WIN, EACH GOING THE ALLOWED MAX. INNINGS IN A GAME. SWISKOSKI ALLOWED JUST 1 HIT, STRUCK OUT 23, AND WALKED 1. GREATHOUSE ALMOST MATCHED HIM GIVING UP 1 HIT, WALKING 3 AND STRIKING OUT 22. PERU SHINNICKS WON IT IN THE 10^th OVER LASALLE ROTARY BY A SCORE OF 3 TO 1.
• FALL, 1971GRASS INSTALLED ON THE LITTLE LEAGUE INFIELD.
• AUG, 1972RON GROLEAU ATTEMPTS TO BREAK THE HOME RUN MARK SET LAST YEAR BUT FALLS SHORT WITH 15. HE ALSO HIT 4 MORE DURING TOURNAMENT PLAY.
• AUG. 5, 1972RAY LIEBHART RETIRES FROM COACHING AFTER 13 YEARS WITH THE HOLLERICHS/C.I.C. TEAM WINNING 4 DIVISIONAL TITLES IN 1966, 1967, 1968, AND 1972.
• FALL, 1972FENCING ADDED DOWN THE FIRST AND THIRD BASE LINES TO FULLY ENCLOSE THE LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD.
• JULY 24, 1973THE LASALLE NATIONAL ALL-STAR SQUAD WON THE DISTRICT TOURNAMENT WITH A 5-3 WIN OVER LADD AT HEGELER PARK.
• SEPT.11, 1974THE LASALLE LITTLE LEAGUE VOTES TO CHANGE THE WAY IT SELECTS IT’S PLAYERS FROM A POINT AUCTION SYSTEM TO AN ORDER OF FINISH DRAFT, WITH THE WORST RECORD PICKING FIRST AND SO FORTH. THE RULE CHANGE PASSED BY A VOTE OF 6 TO 4.

• SPRING, 1975STEVE SAFRANSKI IS THE FIRST PLAYER DRAFTED BY STATE BANK UNDER THE NEW PLAYER SELECTION SYSTEM. LATER IN THE DRAFT, AT THE #38 PICK, KRISTY WITEK IS SELECTED BY MR. QUICK TO BECOME THE FIRST GIRL DRAFTED INTO THE LASALLE LITTLE LEAGUE PROGRAM.

• JULY 13, 1979POLICE WIN THEIR 18^th IN A ROW TO CLOSE OUT THE 79 SEASON UNDEFEATED IN LEAGUE PLAY

• JUNE 26, 1980KNAFELC CONSTRUCTION ENDS IT’S 35 GAME LOSING STREAK BY DEFEATING DIVISION LEADER E.U.C. BY A SCORE OF 9 TO 3.
• JULY, 1980THE POLICE PITCHING STAFF THROWS 7 NO-HITTERS DURING LEAGUE PLAY WITH DON PRYBYLINSKI GETTING HIS 4^th OF THE SEASON.
• AUG. 7, 1980THE LASALLE NATIONAL ALL-STAR TEAM BECOMES THE FIRST LASALLE LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM TO ADVANCE TO THE STATE FINAL FOUR WITH SUB-DISTRICT TITLE WIN OVER OTTAWA AMERICAN 5 TO 1, DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP WIN OVER MILAN, 8 TO 3, AND SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WIN OVER ROCHESTER, 6 TO 5. LASALLE WAS THEN DEFEATED IN IT’S FIRST GAME AT STATE BY LOCKPORT BY A SCORE OF 5 TO 0.
• AUG., 1980MARK MOSBACH BECOMES THE FIRST PLAYER (71) AND ALL-STAR COACH (80) TO WIN A DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP IN BOTH CAPACITIES IN THE LASALLE L.L. PROGRAM.
• JULY, 1985K OF C CLOSES OUT THE REGULAR SEASON UNDEFEATED AND GOES ON TO WIN THE MAYORS TOURNAMENT.
• MAY 11, 1987THE LITTLE LEAGUE DIAMOND AT HEGELER PARK IS REDEDICATED AS ADAM BERNARDI FIELD. HE WAS A LONG TIME MEMBER OF THE PARK BOARD AND AVID SUPPORTER OF IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BASEBALL FIELDS OF THE LEAGUE.
• JULY 24, 1987THE LASALLE ALL-STARS CAPTURE THE DISTRICT CROWN WITH A VICTORY OVER THE OTTAWA AMERICAN TEAM BY A SCORE OF 10 TO 9.
• JULY, 1988LASALLE ALL-STARS CAPTURE THE DISTRICT FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW WITH A 5 TO 3 WIN OVER THE PERU AMERICAN SQUAD.
• JULY, 1989FIRST AARON LAFFERTY MEMORIAL AWARD GIVEN OUT TO LUKE SWISKOSKI.
• JULY, 1993TARA COLEMAN, OF LASALLE BODY & FENDER BECOMES THE FIRST GIRL IN LASALLE LITTLE LEAGUE TO WIN BOTH THE BATTING TITLE AND HOME RUN TITLES.
• AUG., 1993PRIVATE LEDGER BECOMES THE LAST LASALLE TEAM TO WIN THE LASALLE INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT BEFORE IT IS RETIRED AFTER THE 1996 SEASON.
• FALL, 1993MEL PIERSON RETIRES AS PRESIDENT OF LASALLE BOYS BASEBALL AFTER 16 YEARS AS PRESIDENT AND 5 YEARS AS COACH AND MANAGER, 21 TOTAL YEARS.
• MAY, 1997STAN LENSKI BEGINS HIS 30^th SEASON AS COACH OR MANAGER OF THELASALLE ROTARY TEAM.
• JULY, 1997THE FIRST STAN LENSKI SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD IS GIVEN OUT TO DAMIAN REMIJIO IN MEMORY OF THE LONG TIME COACH OF THE LASALLE ROTARY TEAM. HE WAS JUST 5 GAMES SHORT OF FINISHING HIS 3Oth SEASON OF COACHING, WHEN HE SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK ON HIS WAY HOME AFTER A GAME.
• 1998LEAGUE FORMAT CHANGED TO CORRESPOND TO AREA PROGRAMS.

               9 & 10 YEAR OLDS          MINOR LEAGUE

              11 & 12 YEAR OLDS        LITTLE LEAGUE

                3 & 14 YEAR OLDS        JUNIOR LEAGUE

              15 & 16 YEAR OLDS        SENIOR LEAGUE

               LITTLE LEAGUE NOW CONSISTS OF ONE-SIX TEAM LEAGUE.

• MAY, 1998LASALLE AND PERU LITTLE LEAGUE BEGIN INTERLEAGUE PLAY WITH EACH OTHER. EACH LASALLE TEAM WILL PLAY EACH PERU TEAM TWICE DURING THE SEASON, ONCE AT HOME AND ONCE IN PERU.
• JUN. 12, 1999VOLUNTEER FIELD DEDICATED. NEW LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF HEGELER PARK.
• MAY, 2000LASALLE AND PERU LITTLE LEAGUE COMBINE WITH OGLESBY AND UTICA AND BEGIN INTER LEAGUE PLAY AMONG ALL FOUR TOWNS BECAUSE OF THE SHRINKING PLAYER BASE IN THE ILLINOIS VALLEY.
• MAY 5, 2002 THE LASALLE LITTLE LEAGUE CELEBRATES IT’S 50^th SEASON OF LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WITH A PLAYER PARADE FROM THE GIRLS SOFTBALL FIELD TO ADAM BERNARDI FIELD AT HEGELER PARK ALONG WITH OPENING DAY CEREMONIES.
• 2002 SEASONLITTLE LEAGUE IS FORCED TO DROP 1 TEAM EACH FROM ITS LITTLE & MINOR LEAGUE PROGRAMS AND COMBINES ITS JUNIOR LEAGUE PROGRAM WITH PERU BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED NUMBER OF BOYS COMING OUT FOR THE PROGRAMS. REMAINING TEAMS IN LITTLE LEAGUE ARE ROTARY, STATE BANK, POLICE, V.F.W.
• JUNE 25, 2002THE LITTLE LEAGUE REVIVES IT’S CITY TOURNAMENT AND ROTARY CAPTURES THE TITLE WITH A 9 TO 0 WIN OVER POLICE. V.F.W. DEFEATS STATE BANK BY A SCORE OF 10 TO 3 TO CAPTURE THIRD.                                                                            REVISED 7-15-2002