Springers sweat out 12-inning thriller for title in '81

Written for 2002 State Tournament Program

By Tom Elliott
St. Cloud Times

The 1981 state championship reminded the Cold Spring Springers how much they liked Jordan. For, like in 1973, Jordan proved once again to be a place that the Springers could shine.

"What I remember most about that year is that we were short on pitching," said Bill Huls, who the Springers’ manager. "I went with Tommy Arnold as much as I could."

Arnold, a slim, quiet left-hander, became Cold Spring’s ace. He was a student at the University of St. Thomas and would go on to become a dentist. In 1981, however, he was the young, live arm the Springers needed to win their third state championship.

"He was a really exceptional pitcher and a really exception person," said Pete Cheeley, the Springers’ first baseman in 1981, of Arnold. "He didn’t over-power you, but his fastball could be really sneaky."

The 1981 tournament was played at Jordan and Belle Plaine. There were 32 teams in Class B. By this time, Class A was made up of teams from the Twin Cities. Outstate Minnesota was Class B.

The Springers opened play with a 6-0 with over East Grand Forks on Aug. 29 in Jordan.

The next weekend, Cold Spring beat Verndale 7-4 on Sept. in Belle Plaine. On Sept. 6, the Springers beat Barrett 6-2 in the quarterfinals, then defeated Carver.

Cold Spring then beat Dundas 8-5 in 12 innings to win the state championship.

"I tell you, when we went into extra innings, I started thinking about 1970 all over again," said Huls, who played on the Springers team that year that lost in the state championship to Deer Creek in 12 innings.

The storyline was similar, but the ending was much better for Cold Spring.

Bruce Theisen’s suicide squeeze bunt enabled pinch runner Randy Bell to score the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th. Steve Hansen followed with a two-run single to open the floodgates.

Arnold went the distance to earn his third victory of the state tournament. He threw 30 innings in the state tournament, including two nine-inning stints the last weekend. He struck out 24 in the tournament, allowing 18 hits and seven earned runs. A crowd of 1,470 saw Cold Spring edge Dundas in the final at Jordan’s Mini Met.

"I remember Pete Cheeley making a diving catch with the bases loaded to get us out of a jam in the middle of that ballgame," Huls said. "He made that diving catch and turned a double play. Boy, that was a big play."

Mel Huls, Bill’s brother, got the last nine outs of the game for the Springers on the mound to earn the victory.

The lineup, as Bill Huls remembers it, had Cheeley (.262 during the regular season) at first base, Steve Hansen (.345) at second, John "Boogs" Rausch (.337) at shortstop and future Minnesota Viking Rick Bell (.457) at third. Theisen (.239) played left, Dave Fischbach (.227) was in center and Dave Theis (.289) played right.

Jim Arnold (.284) was the catcher, though Jeff Neutzling, a draftee from Avon, caught in the state tournament.

Also on the 1981 roster were Mark Arnold (.250), Mel Huls (.263), Randy Bell (.196), Jim Proshek (.160), Scott Bell (.286), John Theis (.143), Tim Roske (.269), player/coach Dave Bell (.250), Dave Jungels (.196) and pitcher Jim Thelen (.442).

Draftees were Neuzling, Greg Waletzko of Holdingford and Kevin Huls of St. Wendel.

"The first one, 1973, was special because it was the first," Rausch said. "Our last one, in ’86, came at home and you just can’t do any better than that. But 1981 was the kind of the prime of my career and it was for a lot of guys on that team. We were at our peak."