Eighty-nine year old Clarence Fieber is a phenomenon. He's a freak of nature.
He's 89 years of age and three days a week he shows up at Udall Park in Tucson, Arizona, straps on the catching gear and plays baseball with his teammates on the Tucson Old Timers Baseball (TOTS) team. On May 15, he turns 90 and he will honored by his teammates during a special game set up in his honor and chances are the local media will be on hand to film the event -- they've been there before.
It's an Energizer bunny story. It's a story of longevity, on and off the field. The man keeps on ticking and keeps on playing. In January, Fieber played in seven games. He hit safely three times during the month, walked twice, and even knocked in a run. Fieber is by far the oldest player on the Tucson baseball club, which has been in existence since 1968, and when he takes the field on May 15, he will become the first 90-year-old to play for the TOTS.
Fieber's teammates are always asking him how he's kept in such great shape over the years. "I've just led the good life," that's all Fieber will say about it. The fact that he is a catcher, and can start and finish a two-hour game behind the plate, is mind-boggling. Of course he does not run well, and he does get a little frustrated when he's thrown out at first base. He also takes a lot of good-natured flack from his teammates. But the jokes and jibes go only so far. How can you get on a guy, nearing 90, who is trying his best to beat out a hit?
I've been playing for the TOTS for three years and I'm one of the younger players. At 64, I will have to play another 26 years before I can even think about walking in Clarence's baseball shoes. On second thought, Clarence Fieber is better than the Energizer bunny. I expect, that in 2020, we will be celebrating his 100th birthday!
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