Chicago's Grant Park softball leagues furious over being benched for large events, including NASCAR race

CHICAGO - With several big-ticket festivals and the inaugural NASCAR Chicago Street Race planned for this summer, some athletic leagues are being benched at Grant Park.

They’ve been playing softball at Grant Park since 1933, but that long tradition essentially is coming to an end this year.

As first reported by Block Club Chicago, the Chicago Park District has been denying permits to teams and leagues wanting to use the softball diamonds this year.

The reason is, the city has been adding new events, including this year’s NASCAR street race that will shut down Grant Park between June 22 and July 5.

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Softball leagues are being told they might be able to get a few games in April, and a game here or there in June. But for all intents and purposes, the leagues that used to play at the park through much of the summer have been told to look elsewhere.

And as you can imagine, that is not sitting well with Chicago’s large softball community.

On Tuesday, FOX 32 talked with Paul Rowan, president of the Chicago 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame, who says it’s unfair that people who have been using the park for years are now getting pushed aside for profit.

"I think what makes it even more disappointing is they're pushing it aside for the NASCAR event, which is not a part of Chicago, when this game is known as Chicago's game," Rowan said.