The first former member of the Steele’s Silver Bullets elected to the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame, Mike Macenko had a slow pitch career that will be difficult to duplicate let alone surpass. During 26 years, (starting in 1974) Mike (6-foot-3, in excess of 260 pounds) slammed more than 6,000 home runs, earning ASA All-America honors 11 times including two MVP Awards (1987 and 1990). He was an ASA All-American in 1977, 1984-1988, 1990, 1991, 1993-94. Born November 21, 1955 in Brook Park, Ohio, Mike started his career playing for the Brook Park Merchants in 1973 and caught the eye of Pesano’s manager, Dave Neale, in 1975, who saw Mike in a home-run derby in Lakewood, Ohio and asked him to play for a team he was managing in Cleveland. Mike played for Neale’s team, Hillcrest Tavern from 1976-1980, Nationwide Advertising in 1981 and the Cleveland Competitors in 1982 before joining Steele’s in 1983 through 1990. Mike was a member of five ASA national championship teams. In 1991 Mike joined Sunbelt-Worth before going back to Steele’s-Sunbelt in 1991 and playing another season. In 1994-1995 Mike played for Ritch’s-Suyperior before joining the Steele’s Hit Men in 1996 and 1997. Mike retired in 1998 but playing briefly in 1999 for R&D/Nike before deciding to retire for good after the 2000 season. Mike had some outstanding seasons for Steele’s and his back-to-back seasons in 1987 and 1988 may never be duplicated. In 1987, he smashed 844 homers and drove in 1,534 runs to go along with a .744 batting average. He followed that season with 830 homers and 1,667 RBIs with a .745 batting average. One of only two players (Don Arndt is the other) to hit more than 6,000 homers in a career and between 1983-1997 hit 4,411 and batted .702 (8,227 hits in 11,720 at-bats). In 1986-1987, he was named MVP of the Smoky Mountain Classic, annually the best men’s invitational slow pitch tournament in America. In 1989, when softball made its debut in the U.S. Olympic Festival (first and only time), Mike batted .568 (21-for-37) and led the festival in homers and total bases (69) in leading the East team. During the 1987-88 seasons, Mike put up some impressive numbers: 12 including nine homers in one game (1987); 16 homers in a doubleheader (1988); 4 homers in one inning (twice in 1987); he had 3 homers in an inning 11 times; five hits in one inning (1987); he had four hits in an inning four times; 17 RBI in one game (twice in 1987); 10 RBI in one inning (on a grand slam and two three-run shots in 1987); 5 home runs in one game out of a minor league baseball park; 12 consecutive homers in 1988; had 11 in a row in 1987; 172 games in a row with at least one hit (1987) and 29 hits in a row, including 14 homers (1987); he had 10 or more consecutive hits a total of 29 times. In 1987, Macenko hit a ball into the media parking lot outside the Las Vegas Softball Complex that was measured at 508 feet. During a 1993 exhibition, he hit 16 of 47 pitches over the fence at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium, including a 430-foot blast into right-centerfield. Mike is the 31st slow pitch player elected to the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame.
