| On April 25, 1979 the Gaffers, sponsored by the Gulf and Fraser Fishermen's Credit Union and managed by Darcy Grendus and Patti McNeil, played their first exhibition game at Emily Carr Field against VanFed Credit Union. The Gaffers won 16-13 and thus started the dynasty that played for twenty-six seasons in the Credit Union Softball League. While many of the other members of the league in '79 — Greater Vancouver Catholic, I.W.A., Printing and Supply, Edelweiss and The Bay — have long since disappeared, the team that started with Gulf and Fraser, switched sponsors when manager Grendus went to Elco Credit Union in 1981. In its present incarnation the team is known as the Veterans, is competing in its 29th season. The Gaffers ended the '79 season in 2nd place with a 10-3 record & set several team records that still stand today. Two players from the original roster are still with the club.
Second Baseman DOUG WALLS is the elder statesman of the V's at 72, and also the oldest in the league, had his most productive season in 2000 hitting a career high .800. Walls still holds the mark for the most hits in a game (7), which has stood for 31 years and also holds the Iron Man record, playing in 76 consecutive games (1992-98).
Player-manager, DARCY GRENDUS, returned to the roster in 2000 after a ten-year absence in Mississauga, Ontario. The Great Grendus holds many of the team's single season batting records, including hits (41), triples (9), home runs (10), runs batted in (57), extra-base hits (33), and runs (37). His potent bat is one of the main reasons the club enjoyed one of its most productive seasons during the 2000 campaign.
After two years under the sponsorship of Gulf and Fraser, the team switched to Elco Credit Union in 1981. The team was affiliated with Elco for the next 15 seasons where they put together an impressive winning percentage of .603 en route to the league championship (1991), winning two division championships (1991 and 1993) and finishing in second place seven times.
Before the start of the 1990 season, Darcy Grendus, the manager of the team through its first 11 seasons in the league, moved to Ontario and was replaced by Al Jackson. Al managed the team through the 2002 season but the 2003 campaign saw Darcy Grendus resume the managerial duties. In 1994, the team became known as the Elco Veterans (signifying their place as the oldest team in the CUSL). In 1996, the team ended their 15-year association with Elco Credit Union, and became simply the 'VETERANS'.
Disenchanted with the Credit Union Softball League — the Veterans Softball Club — moved to the Vancouver Recreational Softball League in 2005.
The Vets finished their sophomore season in the VRSL by winning the 2006 MatBall-Rec Championship, their first league championship since 1991. |
