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CHICAGO – Forty years after Dick Allen and the 1972 Chicago White Sox breathed much-needed life into the franchise in an unforgettable summer, the Chicago Baseball Museum will pay tribute to one of the most significant teams in local baseball history.

On Monday, June 25, the museum will host a fundraising dinner in honor of Allen and the rest of the '72 team at U.S. Cellular Field. The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. at the Stadium Club.

Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper and White Sox Interactive publisher Mark Liptak will emcee the event.

For information about tickets and sponsorship packages, visit Chicagobaseballmuseum.org. The Chicago Baseball Museum and Jerome Holtzman Library and Research Center is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, and any contributions are tax-deductible. Click here to read more.

 

Dear members,

As we reflect on a what was a fantastic annual awards banquet, I want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU for your help and support during my term as President of the Pitch & Hit Club of Chicago. 

We are bound by our common love of the great game of baseball and the people involved in the game at all levels.

A special thanks goes to our new President Ken Miller for all he has done to help me during my term and for all he has done for the club as a whole!  I trust that you will continue to support and assist Ken during his term as President and that together, we will continue to work together to do good things for the game and enjoy the friendship, and fellowship that comes from being a part of the Pitch & Hit Club. 

I am forever grateful to everyone who has helped the club and myself in any manner.  I look forward to continuing to work with everyone for the betterment of the Pitch & Hit Club and baseball!

Here's hoping that the 2012 season is a great one for all of us!

Sincerely,  
John Dittrich

A packed house greeted an all-star lineup at this year's annual awards banquet.

There were numerous highlights throughout the evening starting with a spectacular rendition of the National Anthem by Grammy Award winning artist Jim Peterik and Chicago's own Lisa McClowry and capped off by Hall of Famer Andre Dawson, who held the audience spellbound!  

More photos will be posted here soon!

Award Winners
Guest of Honor - Hall-of-Famer Andre Dawson
Lou Boudreau Hall of Fame Inductee -David Dombrowski, President and General Manager, Detroit Tigers
Chicago Area Major League Player of the Year - Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees
Jerome Holtzman Award presented by The Chicago Baseball Museum - Minnie Minoso, Chicago White Sox
Dizzy Trout Baseball Ambassador Award - Roland Hemond, Arizona Diamondbacks
Mary Frances Veeck Woman of the Year - Mrs. Jenny Dempster, Chicago Cubs and Dempster Family Foundation
Harry Caray Sportscaster of the Year - Dan Roan, WGN Television
Nick Kamzic Scout of the Year - Kris Gross, St. Louis Cardinals
Bill Gleason Sportswriter of the Year - Scott Merkin, MLB.com
Major League Executive of the Year - Doug Melvin, Milwaukee Brewers
Minor League Executive of the Year - Bill Waliewski, Joliet Slammers
Chicago Area Minor League Player of the Year - Casey Crosby, Detroit Tigers
Chicago Area College Player of the Year - Jeff Holm, Michigan State University
Chicago Area Amateur Coach of the Year - Justin Fleener, Teutopolis Wooden Shoes
Bo Jackson Courage Award - Jack Deheer, Roy Hobbs Baseball
Len DiForte Amateur Baseball Service Award - Al Budding
Charlie Hum Club Service Award - Jim Hall
Pitch & Hit Club President's Award - Old Timers Baseball Association of Joliet

Frank Eccles, a longtime Pitch & Hit Club member, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 15 in his Crown Point, Ind. home. 

Frank was best known as "Coach". He loved baseball and coached many in the Sullivan/Turnball League in Clarendon Hills and Harvey, Thornton High School, Calumet College and many in between. Frank had more than 800 career wins. He took the 1974 Thornton High School baseball team to the Illinois High School Association final four.

He retired from teaching in 1993, after 31 1/2 years. He was very active in the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) and received the "Les Miller" Man of the Year Award in 1984 and 1994, the President's Award in 1997 and was inducted into the IHSBCA Hall of Fame in 1991.

 He is survived by his wife, Lynda Eccles, two sons, a daughter, two stepsons and six grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 7:00pm at Fagen-Miller Funeral Home, 8580 Wicker Ave. in St. John, IN with cremation to follow.

Pitch & Hit Club President John Dittrich (right) with Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield at Wrigley Field. Winfield was a speaker at "Chicago Ideas Week".

 

Both showcase squads were coached by Pitch & Hit members.  Thanks to our team sponsors - Do It Right Baseball and Play Ball USA!  
More Photos

 

Congratulations to Roland Hemond,  the Pitch & Hit Club's Honorary Chairman of the Board, on being awarded the Buck O'Neil LIfetime Achivement Award this weekend in Cooperstown.

Asked about where the award ranked among his career accomplishments, Hemond told MLB.com, "I would have to place [Saturday's award ceremony] No. 1, because I got to know Buck O'Neill and what he meant to baseball," Hemond said.

"He was one of the great ambassadors of our game and his history and the person that he was, and then for me to be the recipient."

The Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award is presented by the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors at the most often, once every three years.

The award is given in honor of an individual who enhanced baseball's positive impact on society, broadened the game's appeal, and whose integrity was comparable to O'Neil's.

 

Congratulations to Pitch & Hit Club member Mike Wieda on his perfect game thrown while pitching for a team in Slovakia. Below is a translated article about the game.

Baseball Rarity: Wieda pitched a perfect game!
Author: John King

Baseball player Mike Wieda again proved to be a great reinforcement for the Trnava Angels. American stars in a Saturday match against Hungarian team, Budapest – Érd Aeros. The Angels won both games and Wieda disposed a perfect game in the second game!

 The opponent on Saturday could not get anything, Hungarians were unable to target any of Wieda’s pitches. An accomplishment like this in both Slovakia and in America is rare. It's like a hole in one in golf. In baseball, it happens only once every few years. The opponent was not the strongest ballclub in Europe but to throw a perfect game is not easy against anyone. The pressure is always on the pitcher as the last innings intensify.

“I appreciate it even more so after I had the opportunity to make substitutions in the field allowing our recent call-ups to make a couple critical plays to help our pitcher," says manager and president of the Angels Maros Jančovič on Wieda’s performance.

Wieda retired every batter faced and in nine of the at bats did not throw a single ball; all strikes! Wieda said that it was his first perfect game of his entire career.

"The match was similar to many we have played earlier this season. In many aspects of the game we played very well and did what we expect from our team. In other cases, we still have work to do in some areas to avoid mistakes in the playoffs. We need to continue to get better each week and not focus simply on our winning streak.

This game was definitely a boost for us but we have to prepare for the teams that we will be contending with for championship,” remarked Mike Wieda, native of the Chicago area and Angels pitcher.

Congratulations to long-time Pitch & Hit Club member, Coach George Ushela and his LTHS (LaGrange) ballclub on winning the Illinois Class 4A State Baseball Championship this evening in front of over 4,000 fans at Silver Cross Field in Joliet.

And congrats to Providence Catholic (New Lenox) on a great season, too.