NSA Hall of Fame: Steele’s Sports (1993)

CATEGORY: Meritorious

YEAR INDUCTED: 1993

Besides making some of the best softballs, softball bats, gloves and equipment of their day, the Steele’s Sports softball teams became synonymous for winning Men’s Major World Championships throughout the 80’s and 90’s. The legendary Steele’s barnstorming tours of the late 80’s and early 90’s helped put “Big Time” softball on the map. The players that played for the Steele’s teams over the years are like a Who’s Who of Softball:  Mike Macenko, Rick Weiterman, Charles Wright, Bruce Meade, Dan Schuck, Todd Joerling, Craig Elliot, Mighty Joe Young, Dirk Androff, Doug Roberson, Doug Kissane, Billy Blake, Monty Tucker, Scott Verkus, and the list go on and on.

The Steele’s Major softball team was the first Major team to commit to the upstart NSA Men’s Major World Series in 1986; winning the first ever Men’s Major World Series Championship that year at Herman Brown Park in Houston, Texas.  The Men of Steele later captured the crown again in 1988, 1989 and for his last time in 1990. In 1996 when the NSA implemented its Men’s Major NIT’s, again the Steele’s Hit Men team were the first team to commit to the program.

With the Steele Eagle Ball; the Steele’s company was the first ball to carry an NSA logo.  The Steele’s company was among the first companies to give monetary support such as sponsorship and advertising money to the fledgling National Softball Association in the early 80’s, while being among the first to supply product such as bats and gloves to tournament directors for prizes.

In November of 1993, Steele’s Sports were the second recipient in the Meritorious Category to be inducted into the NSA Hall of Fame.