Date: Fri 14-Aug-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Quick Words:

DeCarlo-Wyatt-Hall-Fame

Full Text:

Tony DeCarlo: Sports Hall of Fame 1998

BY TOM T. WYATT

Sometimes athletic greatness transcends what actually goes on "between the

lines." In the case of Newtown's Tony DeCarlo, it all began in 1973, the third

year of the Newtown Slo-Pitch Softball League. For it was that season, as a

player/ coach, DeCarlo assembled a recreational softball team in town that

would go on to achieve legendary status.

Though his team would take on several different names and sponsorships over

the next 23 summers, one thing always held true to form. Tony DeCarlo's team

was always one of the best in the league, never missing out on the playoffs

and competing for the league title in an amazing 21-of-23 years.

When Tony walked away from the Newtown league, after the 1995 season, he did

so with a career record of 417 wins and only 113 defeats. His team won the

league championship 15 times, including an unprecedented or since duplicated

stretch of six-straight (1980-85). Between 1973 and 1989, DeCarlo was left

sipping victory champaign 14-of-17 times.

Tony DeCarlo started his own team in the advent of the Newtown league in 1971

and sponsored it himself. Along with his brother Greg and the likes of players

like Jeff Robertson and Bob Barrett, they struggled through those first two

seasons, narrowly missing out on the playoffs before putting together a

tremendous run.

After winning his first championship in 1973 as Honeychurch Realtors, DeCarlo

began acquiring some of the players that would make his dynasty tick; namely

the Matern brothers.

Legend has it that in 1974 DeCarlo traded a six pack of beer to the 1972

league champions, a team called Solly's Wayside Tavern, for 16-year-old Jack

Matern. That trade turned out to be a historic one because Jack's brothers -

Rick, George, and Chris -- later came on board to form a team that was

virtually unstoppable.

DeCarlo took over presidency of the league, running everything from the

scheduling of umpires to the preparation of ballfields. If it rained, DeCarlo

and his boys were out on the field the first thing on Sunday mornings, raking

and spreading. The games must go on.

DeCarlo guided his team to three-straight titles in 1973, 74, and 75, before

changing over to Matty's Restaurant and losing the 1976 title game to Gastop.

Matty's recaptured its league crown in 1977 and defended it again in '78.

In '79, though, under the sponsorship of Hertberg Associates, DeCarlo's boys

were upset in the finals by Gastop, after having been 16-0 during the season.

This loss was one of the toughest to take for DeCarlo and his squad and, as a

result, they turned on the burners.

As Hertberg Associates, DeCarlo won back the trophy in 1980. He then switched

uniforms again, becoming Hawley Manor, and won in 81, 82, 83, and 84 before

switching to McLaughlin Vineyards in 1985 and clipping off a sixth-straight

championship season.

In 1986 DeCarlo's boys fell to that old rival Gastop (now Heritage Pensions),

but then came back to conquer the league three more times as McLaughlin

Vineyards (1987, 88, and 89).

In 1990, the DeCarlo Dynasty came to a close. For the first time in 18 years,

the team failed to reach the championship game. Those Gastop boys (now

sponsored by Gervais Bros Roofing) took their turn at the top winning the

title in 1990, 91, 92, and 93.

The only thing left for DeCarlo to do was prevent the upstart Gervais Bros

from matching his record of six titles in a row. And in 1994, under the

sponsorship of Newtown Exxon, he did it the only way he knew how.

DeCarlo coached his team to its final championship in 1994, upsetting the

four-time defending champion Gervais Bros 15-1 in the league finals.

Hedging about retiring from the softball league that had for so long consumed

his summers, DeCarlo decided instead to return and try to defend his league

title one more time. He got his boys to the finals again, but they handed the

crown back to Gervais.

Following the 95 season, DeCarlo stepped out.

His teams played to a regular-season record of 367-96 in 23 years and went

50-17 in the post-season. His 23-year-run of 15 championships will never again

be approached.

As testament to what he meant to the softball league, the 1996 season saw a

team other than his or Gastop's win the championship. Then, in 1997, for the

first time ever, two brand new teams met to decide the crown.

In addition to what Tony meant to the men's softball league, he did nearly as

much for girls' youth softball. For years, as his daughter Kim (one of Newtown

High School's all-time best pitchers) went up through the town's programs,

DeCarlo ran and coached the travel team - the Nuggets, and conducted various

indoor camps for the girls in the winter time.

DeCarlo's numerous contributions to Newtown sports over three decades didn't

go unnoticed. He becomes the first recreational athlete/ coach to be inducted

into our Hall of Fame.