Twinbill Sweep August 24, 2011
Marked Tools 30th Anniversary Playing in Arlington League 

On August 24, 1981, a new entry in the Arlington softball league took the field wearing green and white jerseys, white pants with green stripes and green stirrups. Beecher Tool and Die triumphed in that first game 2-1 over eventual league champion Mable's Pizza. It was the first career win for pitcher Bill Kreykenbohm. We lost the nightcap 17-10 and with a 13-4-1 record, lost that first pennant by just 1/2 game.

On August 24, 2011, just one day after the city was shaken by a 5.8 earthquake, the Tools were rocking as we celebrated the anniversary with a 13-10, 13-3 sweep of Jay's Saloon. The last of the 1981 Tools, coach Mark Sarver, played in his old uniform. Someone remarked that Sarv's pants were older than several current Tools. Sarv pointed out that his pants still fit. [See photo.]

Tools founders Bruce Urban, Bill Anhut and Chris Girolamo could not possibly have imagined that the team they created would still be playing softball 30 years later. The green and white uniforms disappeared long ago and we've worn red jerseys since 1988. An amazing number of players stayed 10 years or more and four played more than two decades.

Sarv missed that first doubleheader in 1981 while on a family vacation. He played his first game on September 4, 1981, getting his first career RBI to put the Tools into the lead of what became an 11-2 win.

To the best of our memory, here are the original Arlington Tools of Fall 1981: Bruce Urban (coach), Bill Anhut, Chic Baboyian (who never appeared), Bill Brown, Craig Crenshaw, Les Davison, Bob Emeritz, Rick Fisher, Chris Girolamo, Bill Kreykenbohm, Mark Sarver, the late great Rocco Saracina, Ken Surprenant, Allen Urban, Billy Walters.