2019 Sponsor & Manager: Jim Duncan

Jim “JD” Duncan

Jim “JD” Duncan grew up in Stillman Valley where he started playing baseball at the age of three. He continued to play through high school and continued at Kishwaukee Community College after graduating high school in 1985. JD then began his softball career, which spanned over three decades on multiple teams and in many different capacities ranging from player to coach to manager and as a sponsor.

During the first half of his career, Jim could be found on a softball field at least four nights a week with the majority of his weekends also dedicated to the sport. On “off” weekends, he would search out a team to join just to keep playing. He played in leagues all over the state line including Forest Hills and the Sportscore. JD also played on teams in Plano, DeKalb, Sycamore, Rochelle, Monroe Center, Oregon, Byron, and with fond memories upon passing the new overgrown field, the Ace of Diamonds.  Some of the teams he played for during this time period included Metzger Brothers out of Rochelle, Stadium Club of DeKalb, Kings of Wisconsin and Roger’s Drywall from Rockford.  As JD played with all these teams, he developed great friendships that would not only continue on the field, but would continue a lifetime.

In 2002-2003, Jim was asked to coach a team out of Byron, Woods Sporting Goods, and continued this role for several years. This eventually progressed into becoming both a sponsor and manager of his own team, Paul Davis Restoration (PDR). As the years went on, Jim began building a team that would go on to competitively challenge teams from all over the state line, as well as the country. As the success of the team grew, Jim was able to continue recruiting strong players, ensuring that the team would continue to win key tournaments every season.

In 2007, PDR merged with Shockers from Janesville, Wisconsin. The team played in an unprecedented 25 tournaments that season, claiming 13 wins, including an NIT, a State Championship and culminated in a Class C World Series Championship win in Orlando, Florida. This is a feat in itself since there were 128 teams in this World Tournament event, and they went 8-0 for the title. JD also made the All-World Tournament Team. PDR/Shockers had an impressive 105 wins and 23 losses in this 2007 season, never finishing less than 4th place, and winning a World Championship which led them to being inducted into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Honor that November. 

In the next seasons, the team continued to rack in a multitude of tourney wins and claimed multiple State Championships in four classes, Open B, C and D. PDR played as an Elite D or C team for many years following the World Series.

Being a sponsor, manager, coach and player proved to be a tough job for one person, and it wouldn’t have been possible to be so involved without the help of both Brian Schoester or Rockford and Chuck Cain of Dixon. These men helped coach the team for many years, allowing Jim the chance to continue participating at such a high level. Also, quite obviously, none of these accomplishments would have been possible without the players who showed up game after game and give it their all on the field.

Jim is grateful to be recognized for his efforts in the game and for the great friendships he has gained as a result of the experiences. The USSSA is grateful that JD and his teams always showed sportsmanship and a whole lot of class, on and off the field.

1997 Sponsor/Manager: Ray Rogers

Ray Rogers

Ray Rogers first sponsored a USSSA softball team in 1980 and continued until his death eight years later. He loved to see people having fun and succeeding at the same time. His most exciting moment was in 1985 when his team qualified to play in their first USSSA Class C Divisional tournament.

Rogers was always grateful to the people who worked behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly – scorekeepers, umpires, ground crews and tournament directors. All, in Rogers’s eyes, had to work together for a tournament to run properly, and he let people know that he appreciated their efforts.

Winning was not Rogers’s main concern; playing hard within the rules and showing respect for your opponents, the umpires and tournament directors was most important. If you could not give this respect, you could not play on his team.

After his death, the Illinois USSSA honored his memory by renaming the Northern Illinois Men’s Class C State the “Ray Rogers Men’s Northern State Class C Tournament.”

1997 Sponsor/Manager: Anna Braun

Anna Braun

Sponsor and scorekeeper of the southern Illinois powerhouse team, Braun’s Tavern, for thirteen years, Anna Braun’s team won the Illinois 1976 USSSA Men’s Class B State Title and took second place and third place at Illinois USSSA State Tournaments.

From 1986 to 1988, Braun managed the Brewmasters, becoming the first women manager of a men’s softball team in southern Illinois. From 1989 to 1992, Braun managed Marie’s, another young team. In all the years she managed the men’s team, she never missed a single game her team played and always coached third base.

In 1993, Braun went to work for Andre Martel, the local USSSA Area Director. She keeps score at his tournaments and keeps track of all the rosters, providing crucial support services.

A former fast pitch player, Braun believes that the game of slow pitch softball has surpassed the game of fast pitch softball because any team can beat any other team on any given night.