Tools Add Talent, Set Batting Mark

A Good Year With More to Come

While the Tools won no titles in 2024, we fortified a solid nucleus with dynamic additions and saw career bests by veterans, climaxing in a year-ending onslaught that shattered our team batting record.  The Tools recent youth movement accelerated with the addition of Noah Cerrud-Osmer and Joe Coopersmith in the spring and Neil Abramowitz in fall.  

We were 14-4 in spring, falling to second as Head Hunters finally harnessed its talent to go 17-1-1.  We were fourth in the playoffs at 2-2.  Our 13-4-1 fall mark left us third behind perennial champs Super Feet Sluggers, 16-1-1, and newcomer Shirlington 69ers, 15-3.         

After starting the year at 3-2, we rebounded to go 11-2 the rest of the way.  However, we lost three of four to rivals Head Hunters and Super Feet Sluggers.  Despite being runner-ups, we were a lackluster offense -- .539 batting average, down 13 points from previous spring, and run production dipping to 13.44 per game. Our greatest run total came in a 23-4 beating of Wet Bandits and our biggest inning was nine runs.  Cerrud-Osmer debuted with a .712 average and veteran Ben Peden hit .636, but only six players were above .500.

We were much better in the fall.  Despite another slow start at 2-2 resulting from devastating losses to Super Feet, we sprinted to the finish with an 11-2-1 mark.  The Tools found our offensive footing with astonishing results -- .610 team batting average, shattering the record set in 2001 by eight points.  Andy Zimmerman leading at .731, with a record-tying 19 hits in a row, and an unprecedented eight Tools besting .600 with four more above .500.

The Tools averaged 17.88 runs per game, just .12 below the team record.  We scored 93 runs in a four game span and 134 in six.  We tallied more than 50 runs in a doubleheader twice and more than 30 in a game twice.  There were rallies of 10 runs or more six times.  The Tools amassed 100 extra base hits.  Noah Cerrud-Osmer and Andrew Klang combined for 23 home runs and 81 RBI.

It was a satisfying year and the Tools future looks bright.

The Tools celebrate the finish of a long season on November 20, 2024.  Front, from left, Noah Cerrud-Osmer, Joe Coopersmith, Ryan Krepp, Chris MacDonald, Rett Richey.  Rear, from left, Andy Zimmerman, Andrew Klang, Sam Wallach, Mark Sarver, Jeff Hart, Ben Peden, John Frauenheim.  Missing, Neil Abramowitz.