Welcome to the Tools Blog
Forty four seasons have passed since the original players of the Beecher Tool and Die softball team took the field for the first time. Who would have dreamed that we would become so much more than “just another softball team”, but an extended family involving multiple generations of players?  We’ve been through a lot together.  And we have had great success on the field, winning 13 league titles, 11 since 2002.  As each era of Tools softball passed into another, with more than 1,850 games played, the common link has been team chemistry. 

The Tools blog tells our story. We follow the current Tools with player profiles, game results, statistics and photo highlights and we feature our Tools Alumni.  We reconnect friendships among Tools who live all across the country. There’s a treasure trove of memories to be shared.
 
“It’s Tool Time” on line.

The Tools have been fortunate enough to have many teammates who have played for a very long time.  Here's a list of our longest-serving players by years of service.

44, Mark Sarver - 1981-present

31, Doug Walker - 1989-2019

27, Bill Kreykenbohm - 1981-2007

26, Bill Anhut - 1981-1992, 1994-1997, 1999-2008

26, Jay Braun - 1999-present

23, Chris Hamm - 1999-2022

17, Terry Hiebert - 1982-1998

16, Ken Ferebee - 1992-2007

16, Ben Peden - 2008-present

12, Joe Lombardo - 1996-1998, 2000-2008

12, Mark Bultman - 1999-2010

12, Mike Gummey - 2004-2015

12, Mike Sabol - 2009-2021

11, Scott Bresnahan - 1989-1999

11, Matt Doyle - 1993-1999, 2001-2004

11, Mike Giglio - 1982-1991, 1993

12, Jeff Hart - 2013-present

11, Eric Stewart, 2009-2019

10, Jim Rohrbach - 1992-2001

10, Jeff Franco - 1998-2007

  9, Gerry Mello - 1984-1991, 1993

  9, Brian Hurney - 2000-2008

  9, Sam Wallach - 2016-present

  8, Jim Stensland - 1994-2000, 2002

  8, Craig Hughes, 2009-2016

  7, Bruce Urban - 1981-1987

  7, Ken Shoop - 1985-1991

  7, Tony Mason - 2000-2006

  7, John Revette - 2017-2013

  7, Will O'Day - 2009-2015

  7, Chris MacDonald, 2017-present

  7, Ryan Krepp - 2018-present

  6, Ken Surprenant - 1981-1986

  6, Richard White - 1987-1991, 2001-2002

  6, Andy Schultheiss - 1993-1997

  6, Matt O'Connell - 2013-2018

  6, Drew Mitrisin, 2014-2019

  6, Ben Simon - 2019-present

  5, Chris Girolamo - 1981-1985

  5, Allen Urban - 1981-1985

  5, Bob Emeritz, 1981-1984, 1986

  5, Terrence Dolan, 2018-2023

  5, Matt Bailey, 2019-2024

  5, Andrew Klang, 2021-present

Tools Spring to 13th League Title

Seize 7th Playoffs Crown

We experienced a spring of desperate comeback walk-offs, five in all, resilient one run victories, count 'em, seven, and inspired rallies from behind, 11 of those.  Where did it lead?  The Tools 13th league championship and seventh spring playoffs crown!

We faced a very tough schedule, 10 of our first 14 games with our three top rivals.  Yet, we swept Super Feet Sluggers, Head Hunters and Shirlington 69ers in succession, racing to a 12-0 record.  Jeff Hart hit a three run opposite field inside-the-parker for our first walk-off to beat Sloppy Mamas 13-12.  We swept the 69ers again, romping 26-8 but needed a last inning RBI single by Ben Simon for our second walk-off, 11-10.  Head Hunters dealt us our first loss, 9-8, then we were down to our last out trailing, 12-7.  A furious rally ensued for six runs to win 13-12, our third walk-off.  We finished with a 16-2 record and won the spring league title by 1-1/2 games.

Last minute heroics made for a dramatic playoffs run.  We trailed Head Hunters 15-11 in the bottom of the sixth.  Four Tools in a row walked for a run, then Noah Cerrud-Osmer smashed a grand slam homer for a 16-15 win, walk-off number four.  Behind Super Feet 11-10 and facing our last ups, Neil Abramowitz led off with a game-tying homer.  After Cerrud-Osmer reached third on an outfield error, two intentional walks loaded the bases.  Hart again played hero, singling to left center for our fifth walk-off.

Head Hunters, smoking hot after demolishing Super Feet to reach the finals, raced to a 8-0 lead over the Tools in the top of the first and were up 12-4 when we hit in the bottom of the fifth.  They must have sensed what was coming.  With one out, 12 Tools in a row reached base and they all scored for a 16-12 lead.  The stunned Head Hunters went out with a whimper in the sixth and we won our seventh playoffs crown.

A slew of records were shattered in the spring, mostly by Andrew Klang:  815 batting average, 19 homers, 53 hits, 119 total bases and 59 RBI.  Noah Cerrud-Osmer hit .710 with 16 homers and set a record 1.565 run production average.  With Andy Zimmerman hitting .707, this was the first Tools team with three players besting the .700 mark.

The spring, exciting yet stressful, took two extra months -- rainouts, a heat-out, a rescheduling and three byes.  With no break for fall ball, motivation was missing.  We stumbled to a 2-5-1 mark.  After Sarv announced "breaks over" we took off, going 8-1-1 the rest of the way, ending well with a tie and an easy win vs. first place Super Feet and a double thumping of second place Dudley's Dingers.  We finished with a 10-6-2 record.

We were only the third Tools squad with 30 wins in a year without playing a tournament.

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.

Player Profiles

Mark Sarver 2        Coach/Infielder          

Although  Mark Sarver rarely played in 2024 he had fun moments.  The Tools were leading 3-0 when Ben Peden headed for the restroom.  We loaded the bases with two outs and it was Ben's turn but he hadn't returned.  A surprised Sarv pinch hit and after working the count full, lined a single to right for a run.  As he reached first base, there was Ben, now in the coaching box, a sheepish grin on his face.

Sarv had just five hits on the year, with three RBI and five runs scored, but slightly advanced his impressive career stats.  He has 552 hits (9th), 41 triples (tied11th), 457 singles (8th), 214 walks (1st), 1,009 total bases (7th), 338 RBI (11th), 493 runs (7th) and 777 games (1st).  With playoffs and tourneys, Sarv has appeared in 907 games with more than 2,200 plate appearances.

Having coached the Tools for 39 years, 1,490 games, Sarv has a record of 882 - 564- 44.  Since 2001, an era in which the Tools have been one of the county's dominant teams, he is 563 - 254 - 24.

 

Ben Peden 32                              Infielder                                           

A storied record fell on May 1 when Ben Peden hit a fifth inning single to center for RBI #804, passing Ken Ferebee as lifetime leader.  He had 830 by the end of his season 16.  Ben passed Ferebee's 1,693 for second in total bases on April 17.  He finished with 1,765. 

Ben excelled when he took over the lead-off spot starting midway through spring and boasted a .636 batting average, with 10 multi-hit games and 28 in all.  He had a four hit game vs. Super Feet Sluggers and a pair of three hit games, drove in 12 runs and scored 18.  

With 31 hits in the fall, Ben batted .564, knocking in 20 runs and scoring 32.  Hitting streaks extended to 17 regular season and 21 overall.  The last game of the year was one of Ben's greatest, as he crushed a triple and four doubles for eight RBI, his second most ever.  Ben is about to make a run for the most career hits.  He's in third place with 971, just 45 short of Jay Braun's 1,016.

Jeff Hart  16                              Infielder

Consistency is one of the marks of a great player and Jeff Hart is remarkably consistent.  He had hits in 23 of 24 games and since 2017, Jeff has hit safely in 176 of 179 regular season games and 201 of 207 overall.  "Hit Streak Guy" is at it again as he stands at 59 regular season and 65 games overall heading into 2025.

In the spring Jeff batted .553 with 16 RBI and 124 runs in 12 games.  His seven multi-hit games included a four hit dousing of Wet Bandits.  He was on fire in the playoffs, with 10 hits for a .714 batting average, two triples and three RBI.  In the fall he played only eight games yet had 19 hits, batted .633 with a .688 on base average, five doubles, 10 RBI and 14 runs.

Jeff passed Mark Sarver twice on our all-time career chart, now standing 10th with 358 RBI and 7th with 479 singles.  He has been a top performer in a bunch of categories -- 614 hits (8th), .616 batting average (3rd), 29 home runs (tied 10th), 42 triples (10th), .660 on base average (5th), 455 runs (8th) and 271 games (15th).  Jeff's record hitting streaks are 100 regular season games and 72 games counting playoffs and tournaments.

Sam Wallach  42                    Infielder       

One of the Tools elite hitters, Sam Wallach was as good as ever.  He had 30 spring hits with a .588 batting average, one homer, three doubles and a .685 on base average.  Sam knocked in 17 runs and scored 24.  When Sam's wife and two kids attended their very first games it was a big moment and Sam was up to it.  He ripped a line drive home run over the Virginia Highlands 3 left field fence but, alas, it went unseen as his wife was behind the stands changing their daughter's diaper.  It was hilarious.  

Sam smacked a bases clearing double to drive in three runs against Jager Bombers to begin the fall and never looked back. He batted .627 with 32 hits, two triples and five doubles. Sam had five hits against Badabing and three hits on four occasions. He had 16 RBI and scored 21 runs.  Sam has ongoing hitting streaks, 37 regular season and 16 games overall.

Our third sacker is lifetime leader in on base average (.696) and is second in batting average (.618).  After eight years as a Tool, Sam is climbing the career lists with 520 hits (11th), 88 doubles (5th), 772 total bases (12th), 259 RBI (14th) and 413 runs (10th).

                                           

Ryan Krepp  35                                            Outfielder 

It is a pleasure to observe the evolving Tools career of Ryan Krepp.  Once simply a "speedster", he now is a well-rounded ball player having worked his way into the outfield rotation and become a more productive hitter.  This has converted Ryan's speed into a potent weapon, whether he's chasing down an outfield fly ball or racing around the bases for an extra base hit.

Ryan had a good spring season with 20 hits, .543 on base average, 13 RBI and 13 runs plus seven multi-hit games.  He emerged at a new level during the playoffs, with eight hits in 11 at bats, a .727 batting average and eight RBI.  There was an eye-opening career high six RBI in our win over Wet Bandits.  

Ryan had a terrific fall, with 26 hits, a career high batting average of .542, 21 RBI and 22 runs.  He leveled his swing and hit the ball harder for a personal best eight extra base hits.  Ryan had his first five for five game vs. Badabing, hit his first career home run, a three run inside-the-parker against Jay's Saloon, and added three triples and four doubles.  Even fly balls were productive -- six sacrifice flies.  

Andrew Klang  58                      Outfielder              

Every player hopes, as a season moves along, for continual improvement.  Andrew Klang had just that kind of year -- strong spring, super playoffs, fantastic fall.  He batted .568 in the spring, powdering the ball for eight home runs and a pair of doubles and knocked in 33 runs.  He stomped on Super Feet, two homers, four hits and six RBI, and battered Badabing, two homers, four hits, eight RBI.

Andrew was a force in the playoffs, socking three homers among eight hits and notching 11 RBI.  When we narrowly beat Walk Kings 18-17, Andrew was the difference with a grand slam homer and a three run job, good for seven RBI.

Saving his best for last, Andrew upper his fall totals with 33 hits, .635 batting average, 11 home runs (first Tool to reach double figures and not lead the team), three doubles, 39 RBI, 25 runs scored and a 1.231 run productive average.  He extended ongoing hitting streaks to 27 regular season and 31 overall.  Andrew ranks seventh with a lifetime batting average of .579 and his 61 homers is fifth.  He's tops in career RBI average (.772) and run production average (1.228).

Chris MacDonald 49              Pitcher       
   

Pitcher Chris MacDonald only played spring ball this year but in that limited time tossed several gems.  While the Tools were slugging Wet Bandits 23-4, C-Mac was in top form, allowing only five hits and zero earned runs.  (They had a four run rally enabled by three Tools infield errors.)

He dominated Arlington Mouse Jigglers, scattering a dozen hits and ceding only two runs in the first game, then pitched a five hitter in the night cap, yielding only one earned run in a 16-3 win.

Chris had 17 hits in the spring regular season, with a four hit game against Walk Kings and had three hits vs. Super Feet Sluggers.  In the playoffs he batted .500 with five hits including a pair of doubles and had seven RBI in four games.  With 20 home runs in his career, C-Mac is tied for 20th among team sluggers.

Andy Zimmerman 99                  Infielder

Shortstop Andy Zimmerman was on a mission, intent on extending a consecutive hits streak.  Looking perfectly relaxed, he hit it where it was pitched, mostly shots up the middle, a bunch pulled to left and a few to right.  He tied Mark Bultman's record of 19 hits in a row on a liner to left center at Quincy Park on Thursday, November 7 vs. Kylie's Cakes.  Andy was unsure how many he'd had until he struck out swinging on his next turn.  Sarv confirmed 19.  "What's the record?" asked Andy hopefully and again heard, "19".  He couldn't believe it and his teammates could not stop laughing.  

Andy had a decent spring season, with a pair of three RBI games and five with multiple hits.  It was in the playoffs when he began to heat up, with eight hits in 11at bats, a .727 average, three doubles, four RBI and six runs.

His hitting streak in the fall led to his achieving a .731 batting average, 8th best ever, and he won his second batting title.  He was co-leader with 38 hits, had multiple hits in 13 straight games (a pair with four, five with three).  He had 19 RBI and 29 runs scored.  Andy's lifetime batting average of .601 is 6th all-time while his.643 on base average is 8th.

Ben Simon 30                
Infielder          

Ben Simon must have thought he was living in Metropolis in 2024 after going through such a strange softball season.  It appeared he had been handed a block of kryptonite during spring play, one in which he had only seven hits, a double, two RBI and four runs.  Ben could play in just eight games, in part due to travel, but startlingly from the shock of have emergency surgery..

However, Ben showed what he was made of when he said post-surgery, "I'll probably be good for next week."  Huh?  He did return and got two hits in six at bats, pretty amazing considering.   

Things turned really upbeat in the fall, as Ben became the newly minted Un-Clark Kent, a superman when he put on his eyeglasses.  He did not miss a game.  His bat was explosive, everything a hard smash.  Ben posted a career best .605 batting average, 26 hits and a pair of doubles, nine multi-hit games, four with three hits.  He drove in 23 runs and scored 16.  He had a mighty .907 run production average.  With his newly keen eyesight and health returned, Ben can see good things ahead for 2025. 

Rett Richey 38                 
Outfielder          

Rett Richey had a strong sophomore season and was a steady performer throughout the year.  He batted .583 in the spring, launching four homers and three doubles, 28 hits in all and with 10 multi-hit games.  Rett's .708 on base average was superb, second best on the team.  He was a solid run producer, driving in 18 and scoring 29.  In the playoffs he had six hits.

Rett had hitting streaks that he carried over from the previous year that were stopped at 21 regular season games and 28 overall.  Then he immediately started on another streak, this one lasting 16 regular season and 20 games overall

Upping his game in the fall, Rett bolstered his .576 batting average with 34 hits, five home runs, seven doubles and a team-leading seven walks.  He had 22 RBI and a second best 34 runs.  His on base average was .687.  An unselfish player, Rett volunteered to take the ball when we were short-handed in the fall and pitched to a 5-3 record.

John Frauenheim 39
Outfielder/Infielder           

With 2024 off to a great start, the season for John Frauenheim came to a crashing halt from a shoulder injury and surgery (not softball-related).  In just eight games he had 12 hits and a .571 batting average.  He had homered twice, hit a double and built a .640 on base average.

John had seven RBI and scored 10 times.  His pair of three hit games were against our toughest opponents, Head Hunters and Super Feet Sluggers, the 2024 spring and fall league champions. 

In his brief 78 game Tools career so far, John has had 42 extra base hits -- 24 home runs, one triple and 17 doubles.  On May 22 against Head Hunters, John's two run homer produced his 100th (and 101st) career RBI.  Although notorious for hitting more "over the fence" outs than anyone when we are at the home run limit, often unable to restrain his power, John is 15th on our career home run list.

Noah Cerrud-Osmer 44          Outfielder 

The Tools like adding young talent, but few have matched the sensational sudden impact of Noah Cerrud-Osmer.  In his first twin bill the outfielder had seven RBI, homering in each game.  He went on to lead in both spring and fall in hits, home runs, doubles, total bases, RBI, runs and run production average.  Noah was tops in the spring with a .712 batting average, 11 home runs, seven doubles, 37 hits, 787 total bases, .731 on base average, 35 RBI, 32 runs and 1.288 run production average.  He hit safely in every game of the spring season and playoffs, with a four hit game and five three hit games 

In the playoffs, Noah was nine for 14, .643 batting average, four homers, two doubles, nine RBI and seven runs scored in just four games.  That included a pair of long balls and five RBI as we were eliminated by The Pigeons.  

In the fall Noah increased his output to 38 hits, 12 homers, 88 total bases, 42 RBI, 37 runs and 21 extra base hits.  He hit .613, had four hits twice and a half dozen three hit games.  He hit two home runs and had six RBI as we beat Last Call.  In only one year, Noah already is 16th in career home runs with 23.

Joe Coopersmith 55

Infielder

Rookie  Joe Coopersmith singled up the middle on his first Tools at bat and never stopped running, giving us energy, hustle and head first slides.  An outstanding second sacker with a cannon for an arm, Joe turned three double plays in one game, four in the doubleheader.

He had 19 spring hits with a home run, triple, four doubles, 14 RBI and 13 runs.  His three hits against Arlington Mouse Jigglers was one of five multi-hit games.  He had five hits in the playoffs with four RBI and six runs.

Joe tweaked his hitting approach in the fall and the result was dynamic.  He boosted his batting average to .647, second on the team, and on base average to .709.  He had 33 hits with five doubles, drove in 23 runs and scored 22 times.  Sadly, Joe moved to another region after the season.  When we last saw him, the wannabe comic had grabbed a microphone at the Crystal City Sports Pub and treated us to his first stand-up routine.  It was the last of his Tools hits.

Neil Abramowitz 52 
Infielder/Outfielder           

An exciting new piece added to the fall line-up, Neil Abramowitz put up great numbers, with a strong .591 batting ave4rage and hearty .688 on base average.  He had 31 hits, blasted four home runs and was co-leader with seven doubles.  Neil drove in 19 runs and scored 25 times.  Defensively, he performed ably at both first base and in the outfield.      

In his first game on September 4 at Barcroft Field, Neil's fifth inning single was his first career hit.  He seemed to make solid contact every time and hit safely in all 14 games that he played.  That resulted in seven multi-hit games, one with four hits and a trio with three.   

Neil's first career homer, good for two RBI, came at Gunston Park vs. Super Feet Sluggers on September 11.  He had a homer, two doubles, six RBI and four runs in a 31-7 routing of Badabing, notching nine RBI in the twin bill.  He had a three RBI game vs. The Dukes.  Neil is the first Tool born after 9/11.

Matt Bailey 23

Outfielder

Since Matt Bailey joined the Tools in fall 2019, he'd been a fun presence on the team with his happy go lucky attitude, occasional goofiness and fervent desire to play the game. This year would mark his last, though, as he managed to play six games before marrying and departing southward.  In those few appearances he had a home run and a double among eight hits and drove in four runs.

In his five seasons as a Tool, Matt homered 21 times, tying for 19th on the career list.  He also hit five home runs in the playoffs, tied for 10th all time.  His .384 RBI average is 14th best.

Matt was one of our best outfielders, displaying terrific range while playing mostly left field and throwing out so many runners trying to take an extra base that they became hesitant to challenge his arm.  

 

Jay Braun 1 
Outfielder           

For Jay Braun, his 25th season with the Tools was very brief as he played only sparingly.  However, in those few moments he still left a lasting imprint.  In our fall season opening game on September 4, Jay crushed a home run in the fourth inning at Barcroft 4 off a Jager Bombers pitcher to tie Doug Walker for the most career hits with 1,014. 

He broke the record with a single in the first inning of game two and later added another to set a new mark of 1,016.

While Jay appeared in only six games all year, his career records are breath-taking.  He is our all-time leader with 210 doubles, 2,105 total bases and 824 runs scored.  He is second with 127 home runs and 123 triples, third with 797 RBI and fourth with 565 games played.  Jay also has the most hits, 192, and total bases, 399, in playoffs and tournaments.