They call him "Mr. Blue"

One of the best all around players on the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball team is 70-year-old Baxter "Chico" Bigham.

Chico can still bring it as a pitcher, play a mean shortstop and is one of the top hitters on the squad.

When Bigham is not playing ball, he is usually on the road...somewhere, umpiring high school baseball games. According to Sherry Villasenor, who is a board member for the local chapter (Tucson Umpire Association)of the AIA (Arizona Interscholastic Association), Chico is the cornerstone of the umpires in the southern Arizona division. "He's been an umpire for almost 30 years and he's still at it," said Villasenor. "You'll still find him traveling out of town to umpire games in such towns as Winkleman, Safford or Morenci. Whereever he's needed he'll be there."

Chico grew up in Monroe, North Carolina, but spent some of his adult years in Flint, Michigan and at one time worked for Fisher Body, making 1957 chevrolets. He even worked in Pittsburgh for a short time. "I worked the night shift all the time in Pittsburgh. I had a chance to go to Forbes Field once to see the Pirates play. We got there just in time to watch it rain. The Pirates never got to play that night...rained out." Chico, who retired from the state of Arizona after 28 years, still knocks the cover off the ball. He finished the month of June with a .692 batting average.

They call him "Blue" when he's behind the plate -- umpiring high school games. They call him the "stud" when he's performing on the field for the TOTS.