The old softball field in City Park has disappeared, its location hidden by grass and expansion of the park’s zoo.
Larry Bollig could find it, though. In fact, he probably could go right to where the pitcher’s mound used to be. Bollig knew the mound well when the men’s fastpitch softball league at City Park was a top sports attraction.
In the years immediately after World War II, softball at City Park was the only big-time sports attraction in town. There were several diamonds across town, such as Overland Park on Denver’s near southwest side, but City Park was where fans went to see the “A” games, the best players and the best action.
“I still run across a lot of people who talk about the softball at City Park,” Bollig said, looking back some 65 years ago. “People would have a picnic in the park and then come to the ballfield. We got good coverage in the newspapers. Every town in Colorado had a ball team. We traveled around the state and played most of them.”
Top-flight City Park softball players such as Bollig became household names. There weren’t any Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rockies or Denver Nuggets playing here. The Denver Bears and the Single- A Western Baseball League were still two years away, starting play in 1947.
The population was eager to set aside the drudgery of the war years and have some fun. Sports fans quickly latched on to a stockily built right-handed pitcher who could make it perfectly clear why pitching is the key element in fastpitch softball.
“Our games were 1-0, 2-0, 2-1,” Bollig said. “One night at City Park, Harvey Sterkel and I faced each other for 18 innings. I struck out 37 and he struck out 23. We won 1-0.”
Sterkel came out of Denver and later pitched to national acclaim out of Aurora, Ill.
Bollig played for teams such as Public Service and Murphy Mahoney Chevrolet. Art and Ralph Unger were teammates, Art Unger providing the lure of a prolific home run hitter. George Bruno was there, as were Alex Risoli, Al Larson, Bob Paul, Bill Lewis and a host of others. Walter Hackenson, Harry Ukulele and Glen Jacobs were the administrators who kept the City Park league going.
“Larry Bollig was the team,” said Joe Ciancio, an outfielder and former teammate. “He was a terrific pitcher. I played the outfield, and I was lucky if I ever got a flyball. Softball was very popular right after the war. The park always was full, and for some games they had to put fans along the fences inside the field.”
Afterward, fans stayed for autographs.
Bollig started out as a catcher but switched to pitching by the time he first played in Denver at Overland Park. It was an astute decision. In a regional playoff game, Bollig struck out 21 consecutive hitters. He used what is called a sling-shot delivery.
After his fastpitch days, Bollig tried slowpitch, but there was a problem.
“I didn’t go for that too much,” Bollig said. “I never could see letting a batter hit the ball.”
While playing fastpitch, Bollig also worked for the Public Service Co., the local power company at the time. He later opened and operated a grocery store and meat market for 17 years in north Denver, along with teammate Dutch Hanel.
The fastpitch softball of Bollig’s era at City Park came along at the right time. When he returned from a stint in the Navy in 1945, the population in Denver was ready for some post-war sports action.
Bollig bio
Born: Oct. 1, 1924, in Platteville
High school: Greeley
Post-high school: Served in the U.S. Navy
Family: Wife Lillie May; daughters Linda, Sandra and Charla; son Larry
Hobbies: Golf and fishing
Outlook: Would love to play a little ball again
