In a city filled with sports teams cursed with failure, SRZ proved the underdog can prevail in Chicago. On the same night the Cubs broke millions of hearts by losing the pennant, SRZ's softball team thrilled countless fans by capturing the Chicago Lawyer's League 16-inch Softball Championship. The Lawyer's League, a venerable institution spanning more than thirty years, includes such powerhouses as Mayer, Brown & Platt, Jenner & Block, Baker & McKenzie, Lord, Bissell & Brook and—the evil empire itself—the Cook County State's Attorney's office. The State's Attorneys (a.k.a. the New York Yankees), in partnership with the Illinois Attorney General's office, had the luxury of drawing their team from a pool of over 500 lawyers. Since the league was formed, they have won nearly half its titles, including last year's against SRZ.

This year SRZ was on a mission. After losing its first two games, SRZ went on a tear, winning nine straight, including spellbinding, heart-stopping seventh inning triumphs over the State's Attorneys and Mayer Brown, to capture the regular season title. SRZ then proceeded to beat Clausen Miller and Johnson & Bell to advance to the League World Series. There awaiting them was, of course, the State's Attorneys, who had crushed Jenner & Block in their semifinal game.

The title game was played at McGuane Park, on the "sout' side" of town, where the aura of great Chicago 16-inch players of yore hung heavily in the air. The State's Attorneys, stocked with behemoths and sluggers, felt right at home and literally sneered at their upstart opponents from the private practice sector. SRZ was not intimidated and jumped on the State's Attorneys from the start. SRZ scored three runs in the first, two in the second and completely shut down and demoralized their outclassed rival. After the State's Attorneys scratched out a few runs in the fourth, SRZ slammed the door with eight runs in the fifth and sixth en route to a 13-4 victory.

SRZ won the game despite playing without its leader and heart, first baseman Mike Roche, Sr. Mike was injured in heroic fashion during SRZ's bizarre semifinal game against Johnson & Bell. In the sixth inning of that game—tied score, one out, man on first—Johnson's big lefty first baseman rocketed a line shot at Mike, breaking two bones in his finger and ripping off his nail. Incredibly, Mike held onto the ball and stepped on first for the double play. SRZ went on to win the game in extra innings, scoring tying runs with two outs in the bottom half of both the seventh and eighth innings and pushing across the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Although Mike has now officially broken every bone in his body, he is on record as saying (to his wife's consternation), "I'll be back!"

SRZ's championship, its third since the inception of the Lawyer's League, gives it the most titles of any private law firm in the League.

©2001-2008 Schuyler Roche, P.C. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer