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MAC ON SPORTS: IRONMAN LEGEND SHARTZER PASSES AWAY

J. Thomas McNamara

  Next spring Macon will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Hollywood baseball season when Steve Shartzer led Lynn Sweet’s Ironmen to second place in the Illinois High School Association’s state baseball championships.

    Shartzer passed away suddenly Sept. 17 in Alabama, leaving a gaping hole in the hearts and souls of many in the Macon, Elwin and Decatur areas for what he achieved in leading the Ironmen to their second place finish with his hitting and pitching.
    Without question, Macon lost one of its all-time sports heroes with the recent passing of Steve Shartzer.
    Sweet’s Ironmen don’t make the championship game of the boys state baseball tournament without his hitting and pitching.
    It was a game he didn’t win on the mound that haunted him because he felt he should have beaten Lane Tech in 1971, but the Ironmen fell 4-2.
    Think of that next spring when the baseball Ironmen will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the their success on the diamonds.  The one largely responsible for getting them to that title game will not be there physically with his teammates to celebrate their achievement.
     It is still one of the most remarkable accomplishments that district achieved athletically that is now a consolidated district with Blue Mound.
    Thanks Steve for your athletic prowess and we mourn your passing.  We also extended out deepest sympathies and condolences to your family.
     I will have more on this developing story in a future print edition of the Decatur Tribune.

1 Comment

  1. Glenn E Wilcox on March 19, 2021 at 4:18 pm

    The Ironmen beat Lane Tech in the semi’s, and lost 4-2 to Waukegan in the Championship Game. That’s the game that haunted Steve Shartzer.

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