Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)
60-and-over baseball
The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers are a rare group of baseball junkies, a "family of not over-the-hill" ballplayers who gather at Udall Park three days a week to play America's Favorite Pastime, but more importantly, keep the historic baseball club running.
The club has been around since 1968, and in 2026, the club membership is at its peak. It's not unusual to have 25 players warm up and participate in a seven-inning game that may last upwards of two to three hours, depending on how many pitches are thrown and how many hits are recorded inside the confines of their home baseball diamond, located behind the Udall Senior Center.
In March, nine players saw action in all 11 games played, and they include, along with their hitting stats: Bob Daliege (9 for 32), Brack Whitaker (1 for 23), Doug Harding (14 for 34), Jerry Callen (7 for 26), Jon Beady (16 for 25), Pete Peters (the ump), Randy Livingston (20 for 33), Steve Parks (3 for 25) and Ted Roberts (scorekeeper).
Playing in 10 of the 11 games were: Joe Opocensky (13 for 29), Ken Nebesny (5 for 16), Mike Dawson (13 for 27), Mike Steele (5 for 23), and Tim Tolson (7 for 14).
Livingston led the club in March in hits (20) and runs-scored (14), while Beady collected the most RBI (19).
Of course, a few 60-somethings are still working for a living, and they include a couple of doctors, Che Guevara, and Herb McReynolds. When those two are at the ball park, they are doing double duty, offering advice (Guevara is a urologist), and McReynolds does the on-site mending when needed. Guevara was 0 for 6 in three games, while Dr. McReynolds was 1 for 3 in four games.
Of course, the walking wounded were on hand and managed to get in a few games despite their ailments.
The old-timer Danny "Pigpen" Price, 80, played in six games and went 3 for 16, David Byars, 78, went 6 for 26, Steve Parks, 77, went 3 for 25, and Carl Schwanbeck, 79, went 6 for 19.
Other notables who collected 10 or more hits included Spiro Roberts (11 for 22), Sam Dean (11 for 25), Reed Palmer (11 for 20), and Dave Musavi (11 for 21).
As a club, the TOTS batted .382 (248 of 649).
On the mound, it was Dawson leading the way again. Dawson went 4-0. Livingston was the strikeout king with 10.
With over 50 active members, the TOTS are still adding members. The newest addition is Paul Montes, who received his TOTS hat this month. Montes, 68, went 5 for 13 in five games.
"We are a family," said Pigpen Price, the oldest active player, who turns 81 in July. "Its such a pleasure being a member of this organization. "I've been a member for two decades, and I'm still swinging."
April will be a busy month for the organization. On April 3, the TOTS will don their blue jerseys and head for Hi Corbett Field for its annual trip to support, as a group, the Arizona Wildcats, who take on the Arizona State Sun Devils at 6 p.m.
On April 9th, the TOTS will hold its annual luncheon/award ceremony at the Sonoran Dance Hall, located at 4231 S. Pauline Lane. The event gets underway at 11:30 a.m.
The dance hall is located off Harrison Road, between Golf Links Road and Irvington (access off East Millmar Road).
Photo: The TOTS
