Sox’s Nicky Lopez to host 16-inch softball Charity Classic in benefit of HS teammate who died from cancer

CHICAGO — When Nicky Lopez, a Naperville native, was traded from the Atlanta Braves to the Chicago White Sox last offseason, he knew it was the perfect time to give back to his hometown community in benefit of a cause close to his heart, through a Chicago staple that was a childhood mainstay.

Lopez and his wife, Sydney, will be holding the inaugural 16-inch Softball Charity Classic in July at Mount Greenwood Park on the city’s South Side.

“It was kind of just perfect. I always thought like, I want to do a charity event when I came to Chicago,” Lopez said. “This was kind of two years in the making, when I was even with the [Kansas City] Royals. I was thinking maybe in the offseason, I could do a charity softball event. And then I get traded [to the White Sox], and I was like, what better time to do it?

Then we kind of got the idea because softball’s close to my family, especially because my dad played 16-inch softball so it’s like, that’s perfect and especially in Chicago, the sport is big.”

16-inch softball emerged on playgrounds across Chicago after members of the Farragut Boat Club fashioned a make-shift softball from a pair of boxing gloves in 1887, developing over the decades into a city staple still popular to this day.

The game also has had a major influence on Lopez’ early baseball development, who often fondly recalls being a batboy for his father, Bobby, a Chicago 16-inch Softball Hall of Famer who won multiple national Amateur Softball Association championships.

“I would spent a lot of summer nights at a softball field because of my dad and I followed him around, and that’s kind of how it happened,” Lopez said. “He’s my best friend for sure — My role model, someone who’s always been there, whether its been events, or I wanted to go hit late at night when I was younger, he was always there for me.”

Net proceeds from the Softball Charity Classic will benefit Chicago White Sox Charities, as well as the Andrew Weishar and Justin Wegner Foundations, who prioritize assisting adolescents and young adults battling cancer.

Their missions hit close to home for Lopez, who played high school baseball with Justin Wegner — A young man who lost his life at 22 years old to a rare form of soft tissue cancer.

“He was great. He was two years younger than me. I won the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Award in high school and I actually nominated him when he was a sophomore to win the award,” Lopez said. “He won the same award too, just a great kid.”

According to the JKB Experiential Education Foundation , The J. Kyle Braid Leadership Award is a yearly, statewide award given to four high school student athletes, two boys and two girls, who exemplify the ability to learn, listen and communicate and display adaptability, creative thinking and problem solving through organizational leadership; personal management; and the ability to work with others.

Lopez described “J-Weg” as a quarterback on the diamond who had a gravitational pull, someone who people naturally looked toward as a leader.

“He was a catcher. He was just hard nosed, played the game the right way,” Lopez said. “He was kind of like a general out there. He was a team player. Guys kind of gravitated toward him.”

The tournament will feature a 16-team format and two-game guarantee for all participating teams. Platinum Team entries will have an opportunity to select a White Sox celebrity coach and secure home team advantage, while players on all registered teams will enjoy branded Charity Classic T-Shirts, food vouchers and complimentary tickets to an upcoming White Sox home game.

Lopez is also scheduled to meet with each team, posing for a photo and extending a personal invite to the evening’s Postgame Party following the final out of the Championship game on July 11.

For more information on the 16-Inch Softball Charity Classic, including team registration, sponsorship packages and spectator information, visit whitesox.com/softball .

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