PEORIA SUNDAY MORNING LEAGUE

Ed Saurs

1923-1936 Player & Manager

1941-1977 League President

Ed Saurs is the longest-serving President of the Peoria Sunday Morning League.  After his 14-year playing career, Saurs served as League President for an extraordinary 36 years from 1941-1977.  In 1968, Ed Saurs was recognized by the Peoria Advertising Club (later the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame) as the third recipient ever of the distinguished Neve Harms Meritorious Service Award. 

During his playing days in the Sunday Morning League, Saurs had a career batting average of .274, 187 hits, 14 home runs, and 41 stolen bases.  Saurs played with Peoria & Pekin Union Railway, Illinois Power & Light, Peoria Life Insurance, and Cohen Furniture.  During his nine seasons playing with Cohen, he helped the club to four League Championships.  He served as the Player/Manager for the back-to-back-to-back Championships in 1932, 1933, 1934.  Saurs was the first individual to be inducted into the Peoria Sunday Morning League Hall of Honor in the Inaugural Class of 1975.

Harold Lintz

1930-1942 Player & Manager

1978-1979 League President

From Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame Bio: When he was 19 years old, in an era when managers of semi-pro baseball teams were often grizzled and gruff veterans, Harold Lintz managed the E. N. Woodruff team in the Sunday Morning League.  But that wasn't even the beginning and was very far from the end. For over 50 years, Peoria baseball was a vital part of his life, and certainly he belongs in the front row of those select few in our town who should be called "Mr.  Baseball."  You name the level of baseball in Peoria, and Harold Lintz has been a part of it.  He played at both Spalding and Bradley; he's in the Bradley Athletic Hall of Fame. When he was just 16, he managed the Woodruff team in a Junior League. 

In 1928, he won the Peoria City Championship with his young team, then the regional, and finished second in the state tournament played at Wrigley Field.  He served on the Peoria Park District baseball committee and on the Illinois High School state baseball tournament committee. 

At a time when the Sunday Morning League was thriving, drawing big crowds each Sabbath, he was a player, manager, and league officer for a half-century.  He played a major role in developing Little League baseball in Peoria in 1951. He was on the board of directors of the Peoria Chiefs of the Three-I League from 1953 until pro ball left town in 1957. Later, he served on Mayor Dick Carver's committee to bring professional baseball back to Peoria.  Fittingly, he has received the Neve Harms Meritorious Service to Sports Award. This award goes to unselfish people who have given great amounts of their time without compensation to a sport they love.  

During his 13 seasons as a Player & Manager in the Peoria Sunday Morning League, Lintz played with the Allen Lumber Co, E.N. Woodruff Colts, and Commercial Solvents.  He spent 11 years with the Woodruff Colts.  His career batting average was .213.  He finished his career with 107 hits, 59 RBI’s, and 18 SBs.  Lintz was inducted in the Inaugural Class of the Hall of Honor in 1975

W. Lewis Williams

1928-1945 Player & Manager
(and 40 years as secretary-statistician)

From Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame Bio: Lew Williams, a former standout Bradley and semi-pro baseball player who has served for 40 years as secretary-statistician of the Sunday Morning League, has won the 1984 Neve Harms Meritorious Service to Sports Award of the Peoria Ad Club.  Williams will receive his award at the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet set for Feb. 16 at the Continental Regency Hotel. The award is given annually to a Tri-County sports figure who has toiled for many years at a particular task without compensation. 

He has serviced the Sunday Morning League for 54 years as player, manager, and officer, putting in countless hours supervising the League's scorekeeping and keeping complete batting and pitching records of every player throughout the season.  He also handles all advance publicity for the League and is the League's contact man for all local media.  Williams is a physical science technician at the Northern Regional Research Center.

During his 18-year playing career in the PSML, Williams achieved a career batting average of .259. He finished with 212 career hits, 819 at-bats, 112 RBI’s, and 31 doubles.  Williams spent nine seasons with E. N. Woodruff Colts.  In addition, he also suited up with Jackson-Keenan Sports for three seasons, Keystone Steel & Wire for two, and finished his career with four seasons on the Commercial Solvents club.  Williams was inducted into the Inaugural Class of the Hall of Honor in 1975.