August 6th, 2026
FULTON MARKET BUTCHERS SELECT THE CONTRACT OF ERIC “TWEED” LINDERMAN
written by BBN Staff
In one of the more highly contentious moves of the offseason, the Fulton Market Butchers have succeeded in signing the highly sought-after free agent, Eric “Tweed” Linderman. Linderman is the first ever free agent signing in the history of the Chicago Bocce League. It would seem that he is positioned to join the Butchers’ shooting squad, currently led by Vito Buonsante and Patric Gerstmayr.
In an unconfirmed story broken by the “@boccnonymous” Instagram page, it was reported that a bidding war of sorts had broken out between the Butchers and the Highwood Stallions, with both teams looking to sign Linderman for the upcoming season. Whether or not there was truth to the rumor, the roster move was submitted to Commissioner Scialdone minutes after the FA Pool became accessible to teams on August 3rd and with that, the Butchers had officially signed seemingly the hottest free agent on the market.
Linderman made his splash in the Tuesday night league at the Chicago Bocce Club, helping lead the Shocknessy Triple Trucks to a combined 23-5 regular season record over his two seasons with the team. When asked about the move, Linderman said “I’m beyond thrilled to be in the CBL! It’s great to have hard work recognized, but that’s just one part of the journey though. I’m looking forward to continued growth in the sport, stay tuned!”
Butchers’ Player-Manager Vito Buonsante added “We noticed his drive and potential to be a weapon in the CBL. We felt like his compatibility with our team was a great intangible to get along with raw talent and dedication. Feels great to be able to get this done and focus on season preparation."
Linderman added “The Butchers are a talented squad. I’m hoping to add some shooting depth off the bench and contribute in any way that helps the team win.”
With that signing, here is the current Fulton Market Butchers Roster:
Vito Buonsante
Lauren McDermott
Patric Gerstmayr
Rob Schroeder
George Dousmanis
Sean Tovson
Tweed Linderman
August 4th, 2026
ELMWOOD PARK EAGLES SELECT THE CONTRACT OF KENNY DACIOLAS
written by BBN Staff
The Defending North Division Champions have officially selected the contract of former practice squad player, Kenny “Rivers” Daciolas. Daciolas spent the majority of Season 1 on the Eagles’ practice squad, being called up for a short stint mid-season in which he recorded 4 good rolls on 10 attempts. He aims to make an impression, however, in his first season on the active roster.
When asked about the decision to call up Daciolas, Eagles’ Player-Owner Anthony Martocci said “Unfortunately Kenny missed most of the preparation time leading into Season 1 recovering from some health procedures. So putting him on our practice roster at that time made the most sense for the Eagles. But we have no doubt that Kenny will be one of the best pointers in the league. He’s been putting in the work and looking real good. Be ready to say his name.”
No stranger to these Eagles players, having played tournaments under the GEM Bocce team name, Daciolas added “My first thought when being called up was I’m very honored to play with the Elmwood Park Eagles and I’m very excited to prove that I belong in this league and that I can compete with the best and I’m here to bring the Eagles a championship. I played in a lot of tournaments and on a lot of teams with Anthony, Julian and Tocchi, these are some of the best guys that I know both on and off the courts and I can’t wait to contribute as best I can.”
With the addition of Daciolas, here is a look at the current Eagles roster:
Anthony La Barbera
Julian Batula
Anthony Martocci
Danko Dykyj
Robert Bertoncini
Franco DeLuca
Kenny Daciolas
July 28th, 2026
CHICAGO’S DEFENDING CHAMPS SELECT THE CONTRACT OF JESSIE MORRIS
written by BBN Staff
The Highwood Stallions have officially selected the contract of Jessie Morris. The elite pointer is coming off of an incredible performance at the 2026 USBF Nationals, where she earned herself a gold medal in women’s doubles. She joins a roster packed with talent and seems slated to have a shot at earning herself the role of starting lead pointer. She will see competition in the two starting pointing positions from the Stallions’ Tim Tolari, Steve Thornberry, and Kyle Kuebler but Morris is well known as one of the top pointers in Chicago and looks to continue to build on her already much-improved shooting skills, in her quest to contribute to a Season 2 title run for the defending champions.
When asked about the decision to promote Morris, who had spent the previous season on the Stallions’ practice squad, franchise co-owner Tim Tolari said “Jessie has earned this opportunity through years of hard work and outstanding performance. She brings an exceptional combination of precision rolling, accurate shooting, and the poise to perform in key situations—qualities that make her an outstanding addition to our roster. With the league expanding to seven players this season, we had the opportunity to add another outstanding player, and Jessie proved she was ready for that role. Her recent USBF Women’s PRV Doubles National Championship is just the latest achievement in an impressive career, and we’re excited to welcome her to the Highwood Stallions.”
Morris echoed that excitement when talking to BBN, saying “I couldn’t be more excited about joining the team as a rostered player. There’s a lot of added pressure joining a squad that’s already proved themselves to be the best of the best. It’s a huge vote of confidence that they see me as a player who can contribute to the goal of winning back to back championships. I’ve watched the way Tom, Todd, and Tim played over the last few years. I really admire the way they see the game and how they play. It’s an honor to be one of the Highwood Stallions.”
With Morris’ elite pointing leading to her being seen largely as a specialized player, the format change for Season 2 played a role in the Stallions’ decision to elevate her to the active roster. “In the switch to the 4-person walk format, you only get one ball to do your job each frame,” said Morris. “It adds another layer of precision and pressure to the game that I’m looking forward to. I think my ability to stay calm and put good points on the court under those constraints will be my biggest contribution as a rostered player.”
Come September, Morris will look to continue to climb the ranks of Chicago’s bocce elite. Before then, you can watch her play LIVE on BBN at the upcoming ABC Open, September 10-12 in Lake Orion, MI.
July 21st, 2026
BUCKTOWN BILLY GOATS CALL UP DUSTIN HOLSINGER
written by BBN Staff
The Bucktown Billy Goats have officially selected the contract of Dustin Holsinger. The lefty hybrid player spent the first season of his career on the Billy Goats’ practice squad but this fall, he will begin the season on the active roster. When asked about the decision to call up Holsinger, Billy Goats owner Scott Altpeter said “Dustin has shown a dedication to improving his game that deserves to be rewarded with more opportunities. His history and relationships with several of the Billy Goats made it a natural move when rosters expanded to put him on the official squad.”
With the format change that was announced on July 10th, every team’s roster expanded by one spot. Subsequently, we will see a lot of roster moves being made in the coming weeks as we prepare for the roster finalization deadline on August 23rd and eventually Opening Day on September 23rd.
When asked about his call-up, Holsinger said “It means a whole lot to me, and, truthfully, I'm just excited to get to spend more time alongside a great group of people that I grew close with in the previous season. Whether or not there's a ball in my hand, I'm happy to do whatever the team needs and I think that feeling is shared amongst everyone on the roster.”
When speaking to BBN, the Billy Goats’ newest addition also said “Having watched every game from the bench last season, I'd say I was able to get a different perspective on things. High-pressure moments felt a lot less stressful knowing you won't be the one rolling/shooting. The pace of play is quick, and watching from the bench slowed the game down for me. That'll undoubtedly help me to be more ready and level-headed when I need to come in for high-leverage shots in the new format.”
BBN also spoke to both Altpeter and Holsinger about Holsinger’s offseason work and its effect on the decision. “His whole skillset has improved steadily with access to the (Chicago Bocce Club) courts and participation in the house leagues,” said Altpeter. “His shooting, in particular, is an area where we see potential for him to get on the court and make his presence felt next season.” Holsinger added “Since the Chicago Bocce Club opened, I've simply been determined to become a better bocce player. While I still have a ton of room to grow, being added to the Billy Goats' roster affirms that I've made some progress. I couldn't imagine a better team to be on, particularly with leadership and expertise of Alex and Andy, to help me maximize my potential.”
When asked about the roster move, Billy Goats’ Player-Manager Alex Gara said “What are you talking about? Is Dusty on my team?”
Yes. Yes he is, Alex. Now let’s see what he does with the opportunity.
July 11th, 2026
CBL FORMAT CHANGE, ROSTER EXPANSION, FA REGISTRATION
written by BBN Staff
It’s official! All 6 franchises have voted unanimously in favor of a format change for Season 2 of the Chicago Bocce League. Our triples no-walk format served its purpose of getting us off the ground and through Season 1. It made for some interesting storylines and some high stakes singles matchups but it is now a thing of the past.
For Season 2, we will be playing Four Man (and Woman) Walk! This is a format that is familiar to most. You’ve seen it played in the first two seasons of the Ohio Bocce League, as well as at high profile tournaments across the country, including the World Series of Bocce (broadcasted live next week on BBN) and the Cleveland Challenge Cup. It’s a simple format. Each player will throw one ball per frame and play from both sides of the court. After much consideration, this change was approved unanimously for several reasons. Four Man Walk optimizes player performance, team cohesion, exciting strategic substitutions, and elevated energy, among other elements.
Along with this format change, rosters will be expanding from 6 players to 7. Teams now have until the 17th of July to make roster changes, utilizing the current pool of free agents and practice squad players. Any player not selected to an active roster by the 17th will drop to the Free Agent Pool. At that point, Free Agent registration will open up to the general public and remain open until the 31st of July.
To register as a Free Agent, fill out the form on BocceBroadcast.Network/cbl. If you had already previously registered prior to Season 1, there is no need to re-register. If you would like your name to be removed from the Free Agent Pool, send us an email at chicagobocceleague@gmail.com.
During this registration period, teams will not be able to make any roster moves. On August 1st, the updated Free Agent pool will be posted publicly. On August 3rd, rosters will be unfrozen and teams will be able to make moves again. Rosters for Season 2 will be set on August 23rd and the Season will begin in late September. The Season schedule has not been made official yet, but that will be published by the end of July. Season 1 All Star Game, Battle of the Benches, and banquet will be held at CBC on a date TBA, shortly preceding Opening Day of Season 2.
July 10-17: Rosters expand to 7 players and teams can make moves.
July 17-31: Free Agent registration opens to the public. Rosters are frozen during this period.
August 1: Update Free Agent Pool is made public.
August 3: Rosters are unfrozen and teams can make roster moves, utilizing the updated FA Pool.
August 23: Season 2 rosters are set.