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1980's-Today
Name:
Frank Mustari
Inducted:
2007
Bio:
After a record-breaking baseball career at
Illinois State University and two professional
seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Frank
Mustari focused his talents on 16-inch softball when
he joined his neighborhood friends on Custom
Tape. His talents were quickly noticed and Ken
Cooper added him to the Cooper’s Sporting Goods
roster. With Frank at shortstop, Coopers would
become one of the dominant teams of their era and
Frank would become one of the most sought after
shortstops of that era.
During the late 1980s, Frank joined Bud North
and helped them to three consecutive Forest Park
No Glove championships. Bud North was loaded
with future Hall of Fame members Ken Cooper,
John O’Connor, Tom Czarnik, Ken Flaws, Buddy
Dorskin, and Mark Frighetto.
In 1991, with the help of Ken Cooper and Al
McFarlane, Frank started Splinters Sports Club,
arguably one of the best teams in 16-inch softball.
As player/coach, Frank led the team on the field
and from the bench. These efforts produced an ASA
title in Arizona, the first such title by a North side
team.
From 1993 to 1995, Frank brought his talents to
Rick Melman’s Lettuce. He helped Lettuce to a
national title in the 1993 Nationals and
Marshalltown, Iowa. During that tournament, he
won the batting title, the home run title, and was
named tournament MVP.
After lettuce, he rejoined Splinters and led them
to a national championship in 1997. He also helped
the Rizza Rockers win a Forest Park title.
To finish out his softball career, Frank joined Bob
Rascia and the 45s, a team that dominated the
softball scene and won numerous national titles.
Frank was a member of teams that won eight Forest
Park titles and six ASA National championships.
Personally he was named to the First Team All Mt.
Prospect League; he won one ASA Major Home
Run titles and two ASA Major Batting titles; he was
an ASA Second Team All-American and was
selected eight times as an ASA First Team All-
American.
Frank would like to thank all of the great
sponsors that he played for throughout his career,
specifically Dick Cooper, Rich Melman, Lane
Nieman, and the best sponsor he ever teamed with
- Al Mc Farlane and Splinters Sports Club. He also
had special thanks for his great teammates Rick
Gancarz, Jeff Berger, Ken Flaws, Israel Sanchez, Tom
Czarnik, Ken Cooper, John O’Connor, Angelo
Alesia, and Jim Matlock. He offers special thanks to
his brother Dan Mustari and his defensive partner
and dear friend, Tony Prochenski.
Most importantly, he would like to thanks his
wife and number one fan, Karin, who cheered him
on at every game he played. He thanks his sons,
Justin, Jeff, and Matty, his parents, Art and Elaine
Mustari, and his in-laws, Bob and Hedy Clausen.
Unfortunately, Bob passed away, but he would be
thrilled to see Frank inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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