Schneider, undated (Sangamon Valley Collection)
Mary Lou “Smokey” Schneider (1928–2015) was born and raised in Jacksonville, where she developed a passion for fast-pitch softball at an early age. She played for several teams over her career, including the Springfield Merchanettes and the City Water, Light & Power Sparkettes in Springfield, as well as teams in Jacksonville.
Schneider began her career as a first baseman before transitioning to pitching, where she truly made her mark. By 1950, she was competing with an amateur team in Peoria. The following year, she was invited to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League but chose to remain in the amateur softball ranks. It was during her time with the Springfield Merchanettes that she earned the nickname “Smokey,” a name that would stay with her for the rest of her life.
Schneider stepped away from competitive softball in 1965 but remained active in the sport through recreational leagues. She was inducted into the Illinois ASA Softball Hall of Fame in 1973.
Schneider opened Smokey’s Den, a bar in downtown Springfield, in 1966. The establishment lasted until 2003 and became a landmark known as the oldest gay bar in Illinois and one of the longest continuously operated under the same ownership in the country.
Schneider is buried at Diamond Grove Cemetery in Jacksonville.
Contributor: Thanks to Anna Sielaff, local history librarian at Lincoln Library’s Sangamon Valley Collection.
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