Every softball fan walking this green earth knows that legendary pitcher Cat Osterman retired after this her last season in the National Professional Fastpitch (NPF) league.

But softball fans outside of the Chicago area may not realize that one of the best shortstops of this generation may also be retiring after this season. The 2015 Cowles Cup Champion Chicago Bandits could lose its star shortstop after her six years with the team.

A native of  Roscoe, Missouri, Tammy Williams has called the Chicago area home since 2006 when she moved there to begin her college career at Northwestern University; a career that was indeed one for the record books.



​Tammy Williams had a storied career at Northwestern, 
earning dozens of awards and records in four years 
with the Wildcats.

Her rookie season started with Third Team NFCA All-American, All-Big Ten, and Big-Ten Rookie of the Year honors. That same season her Wildcats made it to the WCWS Championship game, losing to Arizona. Williams received All-tournament honors for her play during the WCWS.


Williams repeated with First Team NFCA All-American and All-Big Ten honors her sophomore campaign, as well as WCWS All-tournament honors again when Northwestern returned to the WCWS, placing third behind Arizona and Tennessee, respectively.

Success continued for Williams her junior and senior years, earning First Team NFCA All-American and All-Big Ten honors again, while tacking on Big Ten Player of Year both seasons as well. Williams remains the only player in Northwestern history to have earned NFCA All-American honors all four years; and she still holds career records for batting average (.419), home runs (57), runs (235), hits (310), and total bases (540) and is career top five in every other major offensive category except stolen bases.

Williams' post-collegiate career has seen just as much success as her time at Northwestern. She was drafted in the second round by the Chicago Bandits in 2009 and won both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year during her first professional campaign.

In 2010 she took a break from the NPF for her invitation to play on the USA Softball Women's National Team. She helped the national team win the World Championship, the World Cup of Softball, and the Japan Softball Cup.



Tammy Williams has played all six of her NPF seasons 
with the Bandits, winning two Cowles Cups and multiple 
individual awards.

Returning to the NPF in 2011, Williams won her first NPF Cowles Cup Championship. In 2013 and 2014 she was named All-NPF and earned the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2014. Winning her second Cowles Cup this past season, Williams could retire as a champion.

She remains one of the best shortstops in the game even though she is one of a few players her age left in the league. "I was doing the math recently -- only five people who were in the league when I started are still in it. "There's been a lot of turnover, and I'm one of the older players at age 28," Williams told the Daily Herald.

Her ability to play the game at a high level and her love for softball are keeping her on the fence about declaring retirement right now, and she certainly has mixed feelings about it.

"I'm so lucky that my job right now is to go out and play softball," Williams said. "Softball has been such a huge part of my life and a huge part of who I am. So much of my time has gone into this sport and my teams, and softball has given me so many opportunities. I love it.... But part of me thinks it's time to transition to the next part of my life. I don't know. (Chicago Bandits owner) Bill (Sokolis) told me to take until next season to figure it out. I'm going to see how it goes being totally away from it for a while, and then I'll see," she revealed in an interview with the Daily Herald.

Williams has had quite the setup in the last six years with the Bandits. She's been privileged to play professional ball in the same city where she played her college career and considers that to have been a "dream." In the offseason she has the opportunity to serve as an assistant coach with the DePaul University Blue Demons softball team.

While her future with the Bandits is uncertain, Bandits' owner Bill Sokolis is hoping his team doesn't lose its fan favorite and leader on the field.

"She just plays the game with such excitement," Sokolis mentioned to the Daily Herald. "She's always giving fans something to talk about...Tammy also gives us so much leadership. She's like the Mother Hen on our team with our younger players. She would be a difficult player to replace. I don't even want to think about it."

Softball fans in Chicago will likely be holding their breath until the decorated shortstop makes her decision. Regardless of whether or not Williams returns, it's safe to say she has given the softball fans of Chicago much to celebrate.​