Pekin Lettes

The Lettes were started in 1936 and were then called the "Caterpillar Girls" because the team was sponsored by and composed of women from Caterpillar Tractor Company in nearby East Peoria. Caterpillar sponsored the team from 1936 until 1955.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-01 |title=Caterpillar's Baseball Connection |url=https://www.caterpillar.com/en/news/caterpillarNews/2021/baseball-connection.html |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Caterpillar}}{{Cite journal |last1=Graves |first1=Jamie |last2=Scroggs |first2=Lori |last3=Collins |first3=Nina |date=2008 |title=They Played in Peoria: The AAGPBL Redwings |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40204711 |journal=Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society |volume=101 |issue=1 |pages=7–21 |jstor=40204711 |issn=1522-1067}} They became the Caterpillar Dieselettes in 1940, the Sunnyland Lettes in 1956,{{Cite web |title=Park History |url=https://www.ntrainc.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1281335 |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=www.ntrainc.org}} and the Pekin Lettes in 1959. Chuck McCord managed the team from 1947 and brought the team to Pekin.{{Cite web |last=Schwindenhammer |first=Lonnie |date=2008-06-25 |title=Softball brought them here |url=https://www.sj-r.com/story/sports/2008/06/25/softball-brought-them-here/42282727007/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=The State Journal-Register |language=en-US}}

In the late 1950s and early 1960s the Lettes average attendance-per-season was over 100,000, with thousands of spectators attending each game. The 1963 season averaged over 5,000 fans per game, setting a national ASA attendance record of 122,000 for 21 home games. In 2005, the Pekin Lettes team was inducted into the ASA Hall of Fame.

The Lettes play home games at Pekin's Mineral Springs Park. The Pekin Park District renamed "Diamond 1", the historic playing field of the Lettes, "Lettes Field" in 2002.{{Cite web |last=Stein |first=Steve |date=2016-07-16 |title=PEKIN LETTES: Women's softball powers headed to Pekin |url=https://www.pekintimes.com/story/sports/2016/07/16/pekin-lettes-women-8217-s/27480367007/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Pekin Daily Times |language=en-US}}

• Illinois State Championships: 1940, 1942–1955, 1957, 1969, 1977–79, 1991
• ASA National Tournament: 1959 (7th place), 1960 (4th place), 1961 (4th place), 1965 (3rd place), 1966 (7th place), 1970 (5th place), 1971 (7th place)

• Gloria Bonelli (1950)
• Marie Wadlow (1950)
• Carolyn Thome Hart (1950–1952, 1959){{Cite web |last=Duvall |first=Adam |date=2015-04-13 |title=Caterpillar Visitors Center unveils exhibit dedicated to Caterpillar Dieselettes |url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/sports/pro/2015/04/13/caterpillar-visitors-center-unveils-exhibit/34771598007/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Peoria Journal Star |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Hall of Fame |url=https://www.usasoftball.com/hall-of-fame/carolyn-thome-hart/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=USA Softball |language=en-US}}{{Cite book |last=Wahl |first=Greg |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=25yMCgAAQBAJ&dq=caterpillar+dieselettes&pg=PA100 |title=Legendary Locals of Peoria |date=2015 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4671-0173-8 |pages=100 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Bamberger |first=Michael |date=1998-07-13 |title=The Pride Of Peoria |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1998/07/13/the-pride-of-peoria-cleveland-slugger-jim-thome-is-an-allstar-starter-and-maybejust-maybethe-best-player-in-his-baseballrich-family |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Sports Illustrated Vault {{!}} SI.com |language=en-us}} (aunt of Jim Thome)
• Shirley Coney (1950, 1951)
• Sunne Bea Thomas (1960)
• Lorene Ramsey (1960, 1965){{Cite web |date=2012-09-19 |title=Coach Lorene Ramsey to speak in Washington |url=https://www.courierpapers.com/archives/news/article_1308c8db-dc39-5b74-a0d3-53ba40cafee4.html |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Courier Newspapers |language=en}}
• Ann Mullins (1965, 1970)
• Kelly Waldrup (1986)
• Wendy Smith (1986)
• Leanne Bonifas (1987)
• Linda Wells (1988)
• Margie Wright (1988)

• Lucille Sidney Eslinger{{Cite web |title=Eslinger, L. Sidney (Lucille Sidney) – Special Collections & University Archives |url=http://scua.library.umass.edu/eslinger-l-sidney/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Harvey |first=Judy |date=2017-10-23 |title=Peoria area Springdale Cemetery holds stories about community's history - Chronicle Media |url=https://chronicleillinois.com/news/peoria-county-news/peoria-area-springdale-cemetery-holds-stories-communitys-history/,%20https://chronicleillinois.com/news/peoria-county-news/peoria-area-springdale-cemetery-holds-stories-communitys-history/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=chronicleillinois.com |language=en-US}}
• Irene "Pepper" Kerwin{{Cite web |title=GPSHOF {{!}} Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame |url=http://www.gpshof.com/Inductees.asp?MZQXHQRALBFUjZ0jU8Hup=TPTWQJNSZUD41kB008s5z14VVF63j |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=www.gpshof.com}}
• Marian "Gabby" Kneer{{Cite web |last=Kendall |first=Jeanette |date=2014-03-26 |title='Gabby' Kneer recalls time with Caterpillar Dieselettes |url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/local/2014/03/26/gabby-kneer-recalls-time/37986114007/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Peoria Journal Star |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=2009 HOF Inductees |url=https://ilaging.illinois.gov/resources/newspublicationsandreports/halloffame/hall-of-fame/2009.html |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=ilaging.illinois.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Marian Kneer (1976) - Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame |url=https://goredbirds.com/honors/illinois-state-athletics-percy-family-hall-of-fame/marian-kneer/137/kiosk |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Illinois State University Athletics |language=en}}
• Dot Maple
• Eleanor “Rudy” Rudolph{{Cite web |last=Mahan |first=Ryan |date=2022-01-29 |title=This hall of fame softball player left a legacy stretching from Springfield to Peoria |url=https://www.sj-r.com/story/sports/local/2022/01/29/lanphier-grad-springfield-peoria-softball-player-rudy-rudolph-obit/9251659002/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=The State Journal-Register |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Springfield Sports Hall 2014 Inductees |url=http://www.springfieldsportshalloffame.com/inductees/2015inductees/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=www.springfieldsportshalloffame.com}}
• Sunne Bea Thomas
• Juanita “Lefty” Zutt{{Cite web |title=Newcomer Family Obituaries - Juanita H Zutt |url=https://www.newcomerkentuckiana.com/Obituary/52069/Juanita-H-Zutt/Louisville-Kentucky |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=www.newcomerkentuckiana.com}}

On June 25, 2008, Pekin mayor Dave Tebben named it "Pekin Lettes Day" for 50 continuous years of softball. A five-day celebration included the current Lettes team versus former players at Lettes Field in Mineral Springs Park.

The Caterpillar Visitors Center hosted a public exhibit from April to October 2015, featuring artifacts such as a signed softball from the 1946 state championship, team jacket and uniform, team pictures, and other mementos.{{Cite web |last=Rusciano |first=Alex |date=2015-04-15 |title=Exhibit showcases historic Caterpillar softball team |url=https://www.wcbu.org/peoria-public-radio-news/2015-04-15/exhibit-showcases-historic-caterpillar-softball-team |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=WCBU Peoria |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Potts |first=Jim |date=2015-06-05 |title=Cat historian digs into company roots |url=https://www.pekintimes.com/story/news/2015/06/05/cat-historian-digs-into-company/34400446007/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Pekin Daily Times |language=en-US}}

{{Reflist}}

{{more footnotes needed|date=August 2009}}

• Peoria Journal Star
• Pekin Lettes homepage

• [http://www.freewebs.com/pekinlettes/ Pekin Lettes Homepage]
• [http://www.asasoftball.com/ Amateur Softball Association]

{{Caterpillar}}

Category:East Peoria, Illinois

Lettes

Category:Softball teams in Illinois

Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 1936

Category:Tazewell County, Illinois

Category:Caterpillar Inc.

Category:1936 establishments in Illinois

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