1993 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

MARY RUDIS BESTUDIK
Was named center and captain on the 1934 AAU All-American basketball team while a member of the St. Louis American Legion team that toured the U.S. and Canada. She also played softball, swam and bowled. In 1943 she teamed with Marge Tapocik to win the scratch and handicap doubles title in the city tournament.

JOHN BRITTIN
Born in Athens but spent most of his life in Springfield. He played at the Universidty of Illinois, where he spent two seasons as the team's No. 2 pitcher. He then spent parts of two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies (1950-51). He had a 0-0 record and 6.75 ERA in six games and eight innings.

REX EASTON
He was a 26-year veteran of midget and spring car racing and has been elected to the midget and spring car divisions of the USAC racing Hall of Fame. Won the Illinois Auto Racing Association championship in 1947, won the Midwest Championship in 1949, was first in the points standings in the American Auto Association in 1954 after being fourth in 1952 and third in 1953. Won the USAC sprint car championship in 1958 and qualified for the Indianapolis 500. Although he eventually was bumped from the field. Easton died as a result of injuries suffered in a race.

DON ERICKSON
Lanphier High School graduate, was an all-city basketball selection in 1949 and 1950 when he led the City Tournament in scoring. Once scored 52 points in a YMCA League basketball game. Signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as a pitcher in 1950. Appeared in nine games and 11.2 innings in 1958 for the Phillies with an 0-1 record and 4.63 ERA.

JUDI MEADOR
Won the women's city golf tournament 11 times, including a string of six straight from 1961-66. She won her first two city titles in 1958-59 as Judi McCarty, then regained the title in 1961 as Judi Meador. Her string was ended in 1967, but then she won two more titles in 1968-69. After moving away from Springfield, she returned in 1975 and beat current LPGA player Sarah LeVeque for the women's city title.

EDDIE PAGE
Won four Round-The-Town bowling tournaments, won All-Star Individual Classic five times. won Elks National Tournament as a member of the Budweiser team in 1961. Honorable mention Bowlers Journal All-American during the 1960-61 season. Bowler of the Year and captain of the Greater Springfield Bowling Association All-Star team in 1963-64.

RAY PAGE
Was a basketball and baseball star at Loami and New Berlin. Pitched at Western State Teachers College in Macomb, was named Springfield High basketball coach in 1955, replacing Herb Scheffler. Coached SHS to the 1959 state title, his teams won four City Tournament titles and were among the final 16 in the state tournament for five straight seasons.

AL PAPAI
The former knuckleball pitcher was born in Divernon, but moved to Springfield in the 1930s and pitched in many local Muny leagues. He later pitched for the Cardinals, Red Sox and White Sox, spending four seasons in the majors, 88 games, 9-14 record.

BILL REYNOLDS
Played in the National Professional League with the Brooklyn Tigers (1944) and Chicago Cardinals (1945), and in 1945 he finished fifth in the league in kick scoring, played at Cathedral, where he scored at least one point in all but one of the games he played in during his career. Then he was an All-State Junior College selection at Sunflower J.C. in Morehead, Miss., and after that he played at Ole Miss, in addition, he played semi-pro baseball for the Fitzpatrick Lumberjacks, Lincoln Auto Radiators, Springfield Old-Timers and Jack Rossiter's All-Stars.

DICK TATE
Bloomington native who is a member of the Illinois State University Hall of Fame, baseball and football at ISU and was the first black man to serve as team captain in 1934, also an outstanding baseball player in college in 1926-27 and 1934-35. Racial barriers kept him from making it in the majors, but he spent several years playing in the Negro League.

 

TEAM

1935 SPRINGFIELD BASKETBALL - The Senators, coached by Hall of Famer Mark Peterman and led by the 13 points of Hall of Famer Herb Scheffler, beat Harvey Thornton and Lou Boudreau 24-19 on March 23, 1935 for the state championship. Springfield had lost to Thornton 14-13 in the 1933 state championship game. Other members of the 1935 team were Emerson Dailey, Whitney Sapp, Parry Feaman, Paul Nunes, Quentin Engle, Page Stephens, Richard bennett, Bob Miller, Quindy Constantino, Duane Fultz, Byron Booth, Joy Roof and Bob Farris.

 

FRIENDS OF SPORT

 

Stu Jameson - Has served as a sponsor, participant, official, manager and coach of teams on all levels from grade school-age through adult. He currently serves on the board of directors of the American National Sports Association and acts as treasurer. He also serves on the LPGA Rail Charity Classic board.

Richard Kinsella - One of baseball's all-time greatest scouts for the New York Giants when John McGraw was the manager. He signed many of the Giants's Hall of Fame stars of the 1920s and 1930s, including Carl Hubbell and Mel Ott.
He was known as "Sinister Dick" Kinsella.

Phil Peterson - One of the founders of the Springfield Roadrunners Club and still an active member in club activities. Also active in local sailing.

William "Bud" Streder - Very active in the sponsorship of recreational and amateur teams from bowling to softball, basketball to baseball, including the One Day Cleaners basketball team that was a national AAU powerhouse in the 1950s. He was considered a pioneer of amateur athletes in Springfield.

Erwin "Pinky" Tews - Aurora native came to Springfield in 1929 and served in various capacities at the YMCA, including Youth Physical Director, Youth Director and Physial Director, for 41 years until his retirement in 1970 at the age of 86. He's still a twice-a-week swimmer who holds national records and has put in 1,700 miles in the water.