Web Extra! Special section
Click here to visit the Forest Park Review’s 2009 No Gloves tournament special section
Softball means summer in Forest Park like nothing else. And this weekend, the no-glove world turns its eyes to the village’s annual invitational tournament. For the 41st year, players from across the Midwest will gather on Harrison Street for four days of play.
Last year’s event carried an extra buzz thanks to a swelling grassroots effort to build a 16-inch hall of fame. Progress on that front hasn’t stopped and, on Sunday, an outdoor exhibit – the first phase of construction for the hall of fame – was unveiled.
It was during this ceremony that fans and players learned of a $500,000 state grant that’s expected to cover the cost of renovating a small building at the corner of Desplaines and Harrison. That renovation will create the museum that has been coveted for so long.
It’s this weekend’s tournament, though, that will draw hundreds of spectators to the neighboring fields. A complete schedule of all the games is available inside this issue of the Review in our annual No Gloves pullout section. Tournament brackets will help you track each team’s progress, and keep you apprised of which field to turn your attention to.
Games begin Thursday evening, July 23, and start up again on Friday evening. Saturday and Sunday are chocked full of softball from 8 a.m. until after dark, when games will be played under the lights. There’s no charge to attend any part of the tournament.
