ALTON – The St. Mary’s Catholic Church men’s slow-pitch softball team was one of the most successful teams of its kind in the late-1970s and early 1980s.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Between 1978 and 1982, the team went unbeaten in the Alton City Church League, won four Illinois Amateur Softball Association state championships and advanced to the Midwest Regionals each time, putting together a combined record of 105-5 during that time. They’re feats that have yet to be duplicated by other teams.
And today, the team is now an important part of state softball history.
The St. Mary’s team was inducted into the Illinois ASA Hall of Fame in a ceremony held Apr. 13 in Decatur, along with two other teams and 10 individuals, for their contributions to state softball.
That team won 70 league games and 20 state tournament games on their way to the four championships. They’re records that are likely never to be duplicated today.
And the most fun and important thing about playing on the club were the lifelong friendships that were forged by the players and coaches.
“The camaraderie we had amongst the team, and amongst players,” said pitcher Rick Faccin, today the Madison County Auditor, “the family atmosphere, was the most fun, and it created a great atmosphere, not only for winning but for just brotherhood and what we promoted through that, and I think it showed that in our overall record.”
The players on the club were among some of the best know athletes at that time in the Alton area. The team, managed by John Jay Dick, included Faccin, Mike Drake, Mike and Cliff Emons, Jim Yost, Tom Kane, Mark Springman, Tim Palermo, Tim Johnes, Jim Mormino, P.J. Jun, Bob Finn, Larry Cepanatti, Paul Klockemkemer, Joe Ducey, Bob Leeson, Bodie Huber, John Dixon, Tim Sychlich, Jeff Meher, John Buchanan, Roger Lyons, Mark Mathews, Steve Periolio, Mike Slaughter, Bob Myers, Dan Massalow, Ted Poe, Dan Beiser, Bob Perica, Greg King, Lonnie Wilson, Steve Angelo, Neil Schultz, Jeff Davis, Bobb Walters, Jr. and Chris Wickenhauser.
Ducey, currently a grade school principal, Klockemkemer, Huber, who was a manager of the club in the 60s, and Leeson were inducted as teammates emeritus with the other players and managers.
“Although they didn’t play, I feel like they started this whole situation,” Faccin said.
The 1978 team was perhaps one of the best ever. St. Mary’s overall record was 31-2, hit .478 as a team and won the inaugural Illinois ASA championship. Wickenhauser was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and Faccin was selected as the Most Valuable Pitcher.
One of Faccin’s most favorite memories was in 1978 or 1979, when St. Mary’s came out of the loser’s bracket in the state tournament, which is a double-elimination tournament, to win seven consecutive games – all in the same day – to come back and win the state championship at West End Park in Wood River.
“A lot of games to play in one day,” Faccin said. “We pulled it off through great effort, through great players. As good of players as all these guys were, they were also major contributors to their community, gave back, and I think that was the most enjoyable thing, was watching these guys give back to their communities, not only winning the state championships that we won but being productive citizens in their community.”
Giving back to their communities and being productive citizens was the most important thing on the team.
“Yes, absolutely it is,” Faccin said. “They made their way in life, they helped people, they performed functions that were productive in their community, and we’re most proud of that.”
Faccin’s experiences with the St. Mary’s ball club has also helped in his current position as auditor as well.
“Well, I think you grow through it,” Faccin said. “You grow through different experiences that you have on the field, in the community, and it helped me make right decisions. And I think I learned that coming through playing with St. Mary’s, just different experiences in life, and I’ve been elected five times, and very proud of that record too, and equally as proud of the St. Mary’s team I played on.”
Today, Faccin still keeps in contact with many of teammates.
“Even the guys out of state,” Faccin said, “we stay in contact with. An occasional phone call, Christmas parties, different functions in the community, we see each other a lot. Just different things. It could be a Christmas function, it could be a political function, it could be just a community function, a picnic, an outing. I see a lot of the guys through just different functions.”
And whenever the team gets together, the memories always start to flow.
“We talk about it constantly,” Faccin said. “It was a lot of fun playing on the St. Mary’s team, and going up for the Hall of Fame induction was really a lot of fun. You saw people that you hadn’t seen for a while, some guys that we played against. It was a real positive experience.”
And Faccin also remembered the late Leroy Emerick, who was known as “Mr. Softball” in the Riverbend area, for all that he and his family did for the game not just in the Alton area, but for the entire Metro-East area as well.
“Leroy Emerick was instrumental in softball in this area,” Faccin said. “And his son, Dean, and Dana, followed all of his father’s tradition, The Emericks were preeminent in the growth of softball in this community, and I think they’re to be applauded, and I said this in my induction speech, that Leroy was a Godsend for softball, that I think that his son has carried on that tradition, succeeding his father.”
And also, Emerick’s other son, Dana, carries on the family tradition as the head coach of the girls' softball team at East Alton-Wood River High School.
“I know Dana from a long way back,” Faccin said with a smile. “We played ball against each other. You wouldn’t know a finer family than the Emericks. And they’ve given back a lot to softball in the community, provided us with a lot of fun evenings, and if you recall, that Leroy was not only the mayor of Wood River, he was the recreation director before that and ran top-notch leagues. And that was when softball was in its prime, and a lot of that goes to Leroy Emerick, and again, Dean, his son.”
And looking back at all the team’s accomplishments and records, there’s one thing that Faccin will always take away from his time on the team,
“I think the thing we take away, just the record that we had,” Faccin said. “The unprecedented four state championships, relationships that were built over the years, and those are irreplaceable. You can’t put a price on the memories, and those memories will all stay with every player who played on that team, and we’re just really proud about it.”
And although Faccin and his teammates aren’t as active in softball as they once were, the memories of the championships, the games, the tournaments, the friendships are those that can never be taken away, and will always have special feelings in the hearts of everyone involved.
“It is. It’s a feeling that’s indescribable,” Faccin said. “And as we go forward through life, and now that a lot of us are older, senior citizens, you’ll never forget the times that we had together, and the experiences we had, the old Henry Street ball diamonds, the tournaments we played down there, the leagues that we played in down there, and I’m very proud of our accomplishments.”
More like this: