Terre Haute Volkers win MSBL 65-and-over-division

The Terre Haute Volkers from Indiana captured the MSBL World Series 65-and-over division championship at Maryvale Park in Phoenix this afternoon with a 24-5 victory over the Detroit 65s.

The Tucson Golden Aces lost to the Volkers last Monday in the series opener, 21-11. As it turns out, the Aces ended up scoring the most runs off the Volkers during the seven days of competition.

Enroute to the championship, the Volkers went 7-0 as they also defeated St. Thomas (15-8), New England (14-3), Ohio (8-7), Canada (8-5), and Sacramento in the semi-finals (7-5). The Aces went 1-4 in the series, but they certainly had their chances to produce runs in all five games, especially against the Volkers in Game 1. Congrats to the Volkers on a job well done.

Arizona ranked #13 in AP poll...

The Arizona Wildcats are No. 13 in the country in the latest Associated Press Poll released today.

Oregon sits atop the standings as the top college football team in the country. Stanford, the Wildcats' next opponent, is No. 10, which sets up quite the matchup next Saturday in Palo Alto. Both teams are 7-1 and 4-1 in the Pac-10. Something has gotta give on Saturday. Win No. 8 will not be easy for the Wildcats.

So, what else is new?

I need to stop the bleeding in my NFL Fantasy League...

I need to stop the bleeding today in Week 8 as far as my NFL Fantasy team goes.

I've lost three in a row, after a 4-0 start. Key games for me today: Arizona-Tampa Bay and the New York Jets and Green Bay, along with the New Orleans vs. Pittsburgh contest. I need good outings from Mark Sanchez, Derek Anderson in relief of Max Hall, a good running game from the Steelers' running back Mendenhall and Detroit's Javid Best. I'd like to see Fitzgerald have a good day and would also like to see his Cards' teammate, Early Doucet, back in the lineup, just in time to grab some passes. And I need Mr. Owens of Cincy to shake off his injuries and catch a few TD passes.

Of course my opponent has some guys on his side, too. And that's the problem. Plus it gets a little confusing. My opponent has Carson Palmer of Cincy, Mr. Tomlinson of the Jets...and the Jets defense on his side, just to name a few. So, as so many Fantasy players discover: it's the game within the game...or better put, it's the fantasy player's performance within the real life NFL game that's on tap.

So wish me good luck...and my NFL Fantasy team, Team Priceless, good luck. And while we're at it, let's put a trick or treat whammy on my opponent, Team Arps, of the UPC Hood Fantasy League.

I'm walkin' like Walter Brennan this weekend...

I'm walking like Walter Brennan this weekend. You all remember Walter that crazy ole coot that won three Academy Awards and a fourth nomination for his supporting roles between 1936-1941.

  remember him most from the TV show, The Real McCoys and from the old John Wayne flick, Rio Bravo, when he played the role of Deputy Stumpy. And if you want to go way back, I can still see that grin of his in The Westerner (1940) when he hobbled around town with Gary Cooper.

Brennan died in 1974 at the age of 80 in Oxnard, California.

Getting back to me, after two weeks of play in the MSBL in Phoenix, I'm hobbling around on my two old legs, just like Walter did on the screen for so many years. It is going to take some time to recupriate. So, maybe I'll insert my old Rio Bravo CD, settle back on the sofa, and watch Stumpy stumble around for a while.

Like I said, "Scott will get it done!"

I know I'm about 50-50 on my predictions. But I'll accept the praise on this one. What was it I said on my previous post? I said Matt Scott will unleash a balanced Wildcats' attack on UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

And sure enough, that is exactly what he did as the Wildcats move to 7-1 (4-1 Pac-10) with a 29-21 victory over the Bruins yesterday afternoon. Oh, I know, I predicted a 31-17 Arizona victory..but that's about as close as I'll ever get to a right-on prediction. Scott threw for 319 yards and rushed for another 71, and yet, it was still a scary fourth quarter.

My heart was a pumpin'. It is never easy. And it is never over til it's over for my heart-stopping Wildcats. Still, the Wildcats got it done without Nick Foles and my hat goes off to Scott for getting the job done, even though he threw in a couple of miscues with an interception and a fumble.

Blue Ridge just two wins away from state soccer title...

The Blue Ridge High School boys soccer team is just two wins away from another 1A-3A state championship. The defending state champs blanked Benson, 3-0, in a quarterfinal matchup yesterday afternoon at the Quail Run Soccer Complex in Mesa. The Yellow Jackets put away the Bobcats early, receiving two first-half goals from Jake Washburn and another from Salvator Ramirez. The win sent Blue Ridge into the semifinals and a matchup next Friday with Tucson St. Gregory. The match will get underway at 7 p.m. at Campo Verde High School in Gilbert. The winner will advance to Saturday's state final at 2:30 p.m.

Getting to the final will be no easy task for Blue Ridge as they go up against the Hawks' prolific scorer, Frankie Mgoblu. Mgoblu scored four goals yesterday in St. Gregory's 5-2 quarterfinal win over Phoenix Country Day. Also waiting in the wings, is Tucson Desert Christian. The Screaming Eagles shutout Holbrook, 4-0, behind the play of Scott Waller and Caleb Steele, as they advanced to the semis and a showdown with Snowflake, a surprise winner over Chino Valley, yesterday.

As for Blue Ridge, the Yellow Jackets shutdown Benson with their outstanding passing attack and hard-nosed defensive pressure. Blue Ridge did receive a scare in the second half when Ramirez, one of the top scorers for the Yellow Jackets, received a yellow card due to a little, pushing and shoving with a Bobcat's defender. The Bobcat's defender received a red card. If the referee's call had gone against the Yellow Jackets then Ramirez would be on the outside looking in in Friday's semi final.

Instead, the Blue Ridge Yellow Jackets will be in full force as they move on to face St. Gregory. It is looking more and more like a state final matchup of Blue Ridge and Desert Christian. The two teams faced each other in early September at Tucson Udall Park and the Yellow Jackets came away with a 3-2 win.

The matchup will set up Dilemma No. 2 for yours truly. Since the Blue Ridge head coach, Bryon Crain, is a family friend, and the assistant coach for the Screaming Eagles, Mike Steele, is also a good friend and is a teammate of mine on my senior baseball team, the Tucson Old Timers. But first things first. The Yellow Jackets will need to get by St. Gregory and Desert Christian will need to come out on the winning side in their matchup with Snowflake. The final four will be digging in next weekend. There's a lot of soccer ahead for the four finalist.

Scott will get it done today..

Matt Scott will get it done today.

Scott will get his turn to frustrate the UCLA Bruins and he will unleash a balanced attack with his running and passing abilities.

Hey, I'm an Arizona fan. What else should you expect from yours truly? My prediction: Arizona 31, UCLA 17. Go Cats!

The Hot Corner...

Playing in 12 games in 12 days at the Men's Senior League Baseball (MSBL) World Series takes its toll on a 65-year-old body.

But the real kicker: Game 12. My position at third base lived up to its name "the hot corner" Friday at Fitch Park in Mesa as the Tucson Golden Aces took on the Ohio Classics in a "play for fun" finale for the team from the Old Pueblo.

Already out as a contender for this weekend's post season (so to speak), the Aces (1-4 for the week) took it on the chin again, losing 16-6 to the Classics (3-2). The Classics snuck into the playoffs with the win. They "hammered" the ball my way yesterday at Fitch Park. Four line shots (I caught one...three went off my glove and caromed into left field.

It wasn't exactly a sparking performance from yours truly, and definitely not the way I wanted to finish up my final World Series appearance for 2010. Oh, I can make a lot of excuses: pulled hamstrings, sore groin, battered left hand, jammed trigger finger...you name it, all of which I seemed to come up with, during my two-week stay in Phoenix at the MSBL World Series.

I can only hope that when I return to the Senior World Series in 2011, there will be a better outcome for me...as well as my teammates. The "play for fun" game at Fitch Park yesterday was far from fun and more like your basic "agony" in sports. My Aces' manager and buddy, Mike Morales, told me through out the tournament to suck it up and play, despite the injuries. I did just that, but still it was a shame to head back down I-10, once again with an aching body and no championship ring.

All I can say is, "Suck it up, and prepare for next year.

St. Thomas steals its way to a win over the Aces

The St. Thomas Suns from the Virgin Islands went to the running game at Maryvale Stadium today in Phoenix and edged the Tucson Golden Aces, 14-10. The loss left the Aces (65-and-over division) on the outside looking in as far as qualifying for the Mens Senior Baseball League (MSBL) playoffs, which gets underway Saturday in a six-team single elimination affair. The two survivors will meet on Sunday at Maryvale to decide the 65-and-over champion. The Aces will play tomorrow in their fifth and final game of the week as they go up against the Ohio Classics. A victory over the Classics would leave the Aces with a 2-3 record for the series, which would leave them one victory shy of reaching the playoffs.

 

Tucsonan Chico Bigham pitched five innings for the Aces and Brad Buchan from Chatham, New York hurled two innings in relief, but every inning the Suns had runners on the base paths and before the three-hour affair was over, they had stolen 10 bases. Darlin Brinn pitched five innings for the St. Thomas team. Franklin Sewer pitched two innings in relief and coaxed Aces' first baseman, Jeff Helzel, into hitting a two-hopper to second base, which resulted in a game-ending double play in the bottom of the seventh inning. The clock turned out to be the Aces' enemy as well. Due to MSBL rules no inning can start past the three-hour mark. The Aces could have used another couple of at bats, instead they will swing for fun tomorrow with nothing on the line when they take on the Classics at 9 a.m. at Fitch Park in Mesa. After the game, the Aces will pack their bags and head home.

Photo above includes the Aces members from the TOTS, the old timers baseball organization from Tucson Udall Park. Pictured from left to right are: Ed Eckert, Chico Bigham, Floyd Lance, Danny Price, Jerry Hamelin, Arnie White, Dave Rhoades and Jeff Helzel.

Aces fall to Red Deer; playoff hopes hanging by a thread

The Tucson Golden Aces (65-and-over division) gave up nine runs in the third inning and lost to the Red Deer Snowbirds from Alberta, Canada, 11-3, this morning at the Kansas City spring training facility in Surprise.

A combination of errors and some timely hitting from the Snowbirds led to the defeat, the Aces second loss in the MSBL World Series. The Aces will need wins over St. Thomas on Thursday and the Ohio Classics on Friday to be in the hunt for a playoff spot for Saturday. "We need to toughen up and go out and get it done," said manager Mike Morales, moments after the Aces' loss, which left the Tucson team with 1-2 record in the series. The team from the Virgin Islands, also 1-2, won its first game of the series today with a 20-8 thrashing of the Ohio Classics. "We still have a shot," Morales said. Game time for the Aces-St. Thomas game is 2 p.m. at the Maryvale Stadium in Phoenix.

Provide the setting and they will come...

Provide the setting and they will come.

In my previous post I focused on two 60-something ball players from Tucson -- Mike Morales and yours truly, Danny Price,who, along with 16 other old timers, are on the roster of the Tucson Golden Aces (65-and-over division).

Like the other 300-plus teams that are participating this month in the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series, the Aces not only have players from Tucson, but from New York, Virginia, Florida and Texas. The MSBL has been around for a long, long time and the organization continues to provide the setting for senior ball players from all over the country who converge on Phoenix for a few weeks and play the game they love: baseball.

Every player has a background in the sport of baseball. They come from small towns. They come from the big cities, like New York, Boston and Chicago. They come from Canada and St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. They battle all the aches and pains that come with the territory. Shoulder problems, hamstrings, knee ailments, you name it, they probably have it, or have battled one annoying injury, or another, en route to this year's senior World Series.

 Every player has a story to tell, or, they are a story in themselves. Take for instance, the Aces' oldest player, 85-year-old Floyd Lance of Tucson, who balked at the idea of having someone run for him in the Aces' 23-15 victory over New England yesterday. The players come with pride, with spirit, and the will to play the game...until they can't play it anymore.

Lance, once said: "I'll die on the ball field." Some people say that baseball is no longer America's favorite pastime. Come to the MSBL World Series, and you'll find the sport is alive...and well.

A Badger and a Trojan get it done...

A couple of old timers from Tucson who played ball against each other back in the mid 1960s, in high school and in college, got together today at the Mens Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series and teamed up to account for 8 hits, 9 runs and a hand full of RBIs to lead the Tucson Golden Aces (65-and-over division) to a 23-15 win over the New England Red Sox at Maryvale Park in Phoenix.

Mike Morales (above photo, #7), who played for the Tucson High Badgers (1962-1964) and on the University of Arizona frosh team (1965) went 5 for 5 today to lead the Aces (1-1) to their first win of the series. Yours truly, a grad from Tucson Catalina High School (1962-1963) and Eastern Arizona College (1964-1965) picked up three hits, along with a sacrifice bunt with the bases loaded to add to the Aces' onslaught. Not bad for a couple of guys on gimpy knees and pulled hamstrings. Morales, the Aces' manager, will catch tomorrow and I'll continue to play third base as the Aces go up against a team from Alberta, Canada. A win over Canada would put the Aces in the hunt for a playoff berth. Another win on Thursday against St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and a victory Friday over the Ohio Classics would assure a berth in the playoffs on Saturday.

Tucson Baseball footnote: Back in the 1950s and 1960s there were only a hand full of high schools in the Tucson area (Tucson High, Catalina, Pueblo, Sunnyside, Palo Verde, Amphi and Flowing Wells). Now there's 30 or more. The battles on the court and on the field, at times, were filled with standing-room-only crowds. Those were the gold old days!

Sometimes it is best to save yourself for another day...

Sometimes it is best to save yourself for another day...regroup and get it done tomorrow.

And so it goes in baseball, too. Yesterday afternoon, the Tucson Golden Aces (65-over-division) took it on the chin in their opening-round game at the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series. The Aces lost to a team from Terre Haute, Indiana, 21-11, at the San Diego Padres training facility in Peoria, Arizona.

When the wheels come off, well...they just come off...and there is nothing much you can do about it, but gut it out and then prepare for the next game. The Aces were quickly burning out their pitching staff when yours truly was forced to move from my position at third base to the pitching mound. Now mind you, I'm not a pitcher...far from it. But thanks to a little luck (and boy did we need it) somehow I survived. Thanks go out to my buddy, shortstop Jay Hayner (see photo above), and the umpire behind the plate, who decided to be generous with the strike zone.

I was able to stop the bleeding and get us back into the dugout for one final at bat. With a runner on second and no outs...and moments after the Terre Haute team had plated its 21st run, I toed the rubber and unleashed my first ever pitch in my short history of the MSBL World Series.

The ball sailed over my catcher's head and bounced off the backstop. I had 'em scared. The batter then hit a line drive to Jay, who fought off a glaring sun, caught the ball and doubled the runner off of second base. Two outs, would you believe!

The next batter hit one of my blazing fastballs (just kiddin') and bounced a slow roller to second base for the final out. And so goes my first -- and probably only -- appearance as a pitcher at the MSBL World Series. Thanks, Jay...I needed that!

The Tucson Golden Aces will try to even their series record today when they take on a team from New England at the Milwaukee Brewers' spring training facility at Maryvale Park. Game time: 9:30 a.m.

From 120 miles away...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: I'm 120 miles away and still hanging in there in the Mens Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series, but I think I heard the roar of the crowd every few minutes during the Arizona-Washington game at Arizona Stadium last night.

Up here in Phoenix, the ASU fans were not happy campers as their Sun Devils lost big time to California.

As for me...and the Arizona fans, well, we are just as happy as we can be. Great Scott! Without Mr. Foles, the Wildcats parlayed a balanced rushing and passing attack to dismantle the visiting Washington Huskies, 44-14. And you all know the story by now, so I'm going to hit the hot tub and get my body ready for the next seven days of baseball at the MSBL as our 65-and-over team, the Tucson Golden Aces, open play tomorrow morning against an Indiana team.

Getting back to football, you got to hand it to Matt Scott who took over for Nick Foles and led the Wildcats to win No. 6 on the season. He passed for 233 yards and rushed for 65 yards. Keola Antolin looked like a freight train, at times, as he rushed, mostly up the middle, for 114 yards. The Arizona defense was solid once again, led by Paul Vassalo, who collected 14 tackles, 9 unassisted. And high praise goes out to Juron Criner, once again, as he hauled in eight passes for 108 yards.

As for baseball, my first week in the MSBL World Series is over and our sixth place finish was not exactly what we were looking for. But we gave it our all. I didn't exactly swing a hot bat the first week. I started out 4 for 5 and it looked I was on my way to a good week at the plate, but I struggled down the stretch, going 0 for 10, with two strike outs. I hope to get it going against Indiana. Health-wise, I'm struggling a bit with a sore back, a pulled hamstring and an aching shoulder. Otherwise, I'm good to go. Go Wildcats, and go Tucson Golden Aces!

Oh, what could have been...

Oh, what could have been. The Tucson Golden Aces were just one starting pitcher short of reaching the championship round of the 60-and-over divison of the MSBL World Series, which was held in Phoenix, Arizona this week.

The Aces, finished sixth in the series, but came close to beating the two finalist, the Red Deer Snowbirds from Alberta, Canada and the St. Paul, Minnesota Saints. The two surviving teams play at 1 p.m. today at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

The Aces battled the Saints earlier in the week, but lost 13-9, after leading 9-7 in the sixth inning. As for Red Deer, well the Aces battled to 11-11 tie with them on Thursday in a game called by the time limit after three hours and 10 minutes of play. "We were there," said Aces' manager Mike Morales. "We needed one more pitcher in the rotation, but our top pitcher bailed at the last minute and we were forced into a three-man rotation." The Aces 3-3-1 record beat out six other teams in the senior World Series. "We had a great group of guy," Morales said. "The type you can compete with and the type that you can have fun with and enjoy playing the game."
 Hats off to my teammates from yours truly and from Bookemdanosports.

MSBL Update: The Red Deer Snowbirds from Alberta, Canada won the MSBL (60-and-over division) World Series today with a 23-7 win over the St. Paul Saints at Tempe Diablo Stadium. The only blemish on the Red Deer record, during the series, was an 11-11 tie to the Tucson Golden Aces. Well done, Red Deer!

El Paso Diablos eliminate Golden Aces at MSBL

The Tucson Golden Aces (60-and-over division) lost to the El Paso Diablos in the opening playoff round at the Mens Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series this morning at Red Mountain Park in Mesa, Arizona.

The Aces, seeded sixth in the playoff round, put in a gutsy performance in its battle against the third-seeded Diablos as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI-single to left field by Ozzie Espinoza. Hector Castillo scored from third on the play. Both players played in the game dispite nagging injuries -- Hector with knee problems...and Ozzie with a pulled hamstring.

It was the seventh game of the series for the Aces, which had a half a dozen players laid up with injuries. Still, the Aces kept its lead into the seventh inning, behind the pitching of Brad Buchan (2-1). Buchan, who already had gone the distance twice in the series...and won, ran out of gas and by his own admission, "I just lost the command of my pitches," gave way to reliever George Gafner.

Before the inning was over, the Diablos plated four runs and then added two more in the eighth enroute to a 6-1 victory. Juan Dominquez pitched the entire nine innings for the Diablos to pick up the win, which allowed the El Paso team to move on to the second round of the playoffs and a meeting with the San Antonio Red Sox. The Aces finished 3-3-1 in the series.

The Tucson Golden Aces (65-and-older division) begin play on Monday and will take on the Terre Haute, Indiana Volkers at 2 p.m. in Peoria at the San Diego Padres spring training facility, field #5.

MSBL game ends with no winner...or loser

The Red Deer Snowbirds from Alberta, Canada had a chance to run the table at the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series today. The Snowbirds had won five in a row and were looking to make it number 6 with a win today over the Tucson Golden Aces.

But the Snowbirds had a surprising ending to their pool play finale at Fitch Park in Mesa. The Aces battled the Snowbirds for 3 hours and 10 minutes and the game ended in a deadheat, 11-11, leaving the team from Canada with a second seed as the playoffs in the 60-and-over division gets underway tomorrow at Red Mountain Park in east Mesa.

The Tucson Golden Aces finished pool play with a 3-2-1 record and qualified for the playoffs as the number 6 seed. The Snowbirds (5-0-1) received a bye in tomorrow's playoffs, along with St. Paul, Minn (6-0). The Aces will take on the third seeded El Paso Diablos (5-1) tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., with the winner advancing to the semi finals and the loser will pack their bags and head home. Also in the playoffs are the Chicago Grays (4-2) and the San Antonio Red Sox (5-1). The Aces, with several players nursing leg injuries, battled the Snowbirds for nine innings and had the winning run on third with two outs, but couldn't push home that tie-breaking run. The Aces will need to win two games tomorrow to move on to the title game on Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Aces split doubleheader at MSBL

The Tucson Golden Aces split their doubleheader at the Men's Senior Baseball (MSBL) World Series today in Phoenix, setting up a must win game on Thursday against the Red Deer Snowbirds out of Alberta, Canada.

The Aces knocked off Team America, 7-4, in the early game behind another complete-game performance from pitcher Brad Buchan, who recorded his second win of the series, In the second game, the Aces lost 5-3 to San Antonio, Texas. The split left the Aces with a 3-2 record, which may be good enough to make the six-team playoffs at the MSBL World Series on Friday, but a win over Canada tomorrow will assure another day for the Aces. A loss will set up a tiebreaker to decide the remaining contenders. The tiebreaker rule goes by the won-lost record first and then goes to the total runs allowed by each team. If the Aces win tomorrow and move to 4-2, they can avoid the numbers game.

Currently, two teams -- Red Deer and St. Paul -- are 5-0 and have already qualified for the playoffs. The San Antonio team and the El Paso Diablos are 4-1, while the Chicago Grays are tied with the Aces. The five games in three days has taken a toll on the Aces' players. Five players are either nursing knee problems or have hamstring pulls. The Aces are thin on pitching with just three starting pitchers -- Al Delgado, George Gafner and Buchan -- involved in the rotation. Tomorrow, the Aces will be forced to go with shortstop Arnold Mares who has yet to pitch in the series. The Aces hope to get as many innings out of Mares as possible. If the Aces make the playoffs, they will need to win two games on Friday to make the championship game to be held at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Saturday.

Tucson Golden Aces fall to St. Paul at MSBL World Series

The Tucson Golden Aces (60-over-division) lost their first game of the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series this afternoon at Goodyear Stadium, 13-9, to a team from St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Aces, down 6-0 in the top of the first inning, battled back with two runs in the second, two more in the third, and three more in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead. Tucson picked up another two runs in the sixth, but the bats went cold after that, while St. Paul came back with three runs in its half of the seventh and four more in the eighth to put the game away.

St. Paul moved to 3-0 in the 2010 MSBL World Series, while the Aces dropped to 2-1. Tucsonan George Gafner pitched four tough innings for the Aces. Frank Castillo and Joe Jimenez, also from Tucson, shared the pitching duties the rest of the way. Ernesto "Doc" Escala went 3 for 4 at the plate to lead the Aces, which needs two wins in their next three outings to qualify for the playoffs on Friday. The Aces will play Team America and the San Antonio Sox in a doubleheader on Wednesday and will finish out their pool play on Thursday with a single game against the Red Deer Snowbirds from Canada.

Tucson Golden Aces off to a good start at 2010 MSBL World Series

The Tucson Golden Aces are off to a good start at the 2010 Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series in Phoenix.

The Aces, playing in the 60-and-over division, knocked off Tri Valley, 10-3, in the first game of a doubleheader today and then ripped a team out of Seattle, 16-7, in the nightcap. Pitcher Brad Buchan from Chatham, New York, pitched a complete game for the Aces in the opener, allowing just two earned runs. Pitcher Al Delgado from Laguna Beach, California, hurled seven tough innings in the nightcap and received help in the 8th and 9th innings from two relief pitchers from Tucson, Ernesto "Doc" Escala and Joe Jimenez. The Aces will get a good night's rest before taking on a St. Paul, Minnesota team Tuesday at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Escala provided the big hit of the day with a ground-rule double over the left field fence at the Kansas City spring training facility (annex field #5) in Surprise.

Thank Goodness for Wildcats' defense...

Is the Arizona defense the best in the Pac-10? It certainly is! And the numbers prove it.

The Wildcats have allowed just 80 points in six games, while Oregon ranks a close second with 98 points allowed. The rest of the Pac-10 teams are in triple digits. With cornerback Trevin Wade on the bench Saturday afternoon in Pullman, the Wildcats turned to freshman Shaquille Richardson to lead them as he came up with two key pass interceptions.

Still, it is Brooks Reed, Ricky Elmore, Paul Vassallo and the rest of the defensive line, all of whom are getting the job done every week. The season is half over and the Wildcats' defense must continue to lead the way. Games 7 through 12...will leave little margin for error. The second season begins now.

Go Cats!

Tough night in Pullman...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Nothing comes easy in the Pac-10. Not even when it is  supposed to be a blowout win.

The Arizona Wildcats outscored, but more importantly, relied on its hard-nosed defense en route to a 24-7 win over the Washington State Cougars in Pullman tonight.

Oh, and did I fail to mention the loss of our quarterback, Nic Foles?

Foles left early in the first half with a knee injury. The nature of the injury will hit the daily papers in the morning. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the news will be good...not bad. Oh, and did I fail to mention the play that cost Arizona the services of its starting quarterback? The play was over. A late hit. No penalty flags. It wasn't a bone-crushing hit, instead, it was one of those after-the-pass-is-thrown entanglements than more often than not can cause injury to a quarterback. Foles relaxed for a split second, but the Cougars' defender did not.

The result: Arizona (5-1) could find itself scurrying for win No. 6 next week at home against the Washington Huskies. The Arizona defense got the job done in Pullman tonight with six sacks and a handful of key interceptions. The offense struggled for three quarters with Matt Scott at the helm.

What is in store for the Wildcats and their fans next Saturday at Arizona Stadium?

Should be a nice Saturday afternoon in Pullman...

It should be a nice Saturday afternoon in Pullman, Washington, at least for the Arizona Wildcats (4-1). As for the Washington State Cougars (1-5) they should, on paper at least, lose big to the visiting team from Tucson.

But this is the Pac-10, and the Wildcats need to take care of business, which includes dismantling the Cougars, start a winning streak, improve in the rankings and get the Arizona players and fans pumped up again. The Oregon State loss last Saturday was a downer for the Wildcats, but that doesn't mean Arizona will fold up the carpet at Arizona Stadium and call it a season.

Arizona is a good team and may become a great team by the end of the year. Nick Foles needs to pass for another 400-plus yards and the Arizona running game needs to pound out another 200. The Arizona Wildcats needs to make a statement and they need to make that statement far from home, in Pullman. Step 2: Come home the following week and knock off the Washington Huskies in front of a standing-room-only crowd, including a pumped up student section which produces a collective roar from kickoff to the closing moments. Anything less, will undoubtedly pump up the rest of our Pac-10 opponents and put the Wildcats on the outside looking in, as far as a winning season goes and any bowl game opportunities.

It's time for the Wildcats to win and to win BIG! My Prediction: Arizona 40, Washington State 10.

I'm up against it this week in Fantasy Football...

My Fantasy Football League: I'm up against it this week in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. Sure, I'm in a four-way deadlock for first place, but the team I'm facing, the Mega Powers, won the league in 2008 and this year the owner, Jerad, is piling up the fantasy points.

And it is no wonder. His quarterback, Kyle Orten of Denver, has thrown eight touchdown passes already this season and if that's not enough he has the ground game of Minnesota's Adrian Peterson on his side as well. In fact, every player on his roster from the QB to the bench players have a knack for collecting fantasy points with their individual performances. For instance, last week Mega Powers tallied 213 points. In five games, Jerad's team has amassed 889 points. Compare that to my measly 733 points. I need for the New York Jets and Mark Sanchez to go into Denver and shutdown Orten and the Broncos for my Team Priceless to have a chance. And, even then, I'm going to need a lot of help.

See, I'm learning about this Fantasy Football stuff...I'm already crying and it is only Week 6.

Fantasy Football Update: Team Priceless scored just 99 fantasy points over the weekend. Lost by 23 points to Mega Powers, now in first place in our UPC Hood League at 5-1. Team Priceless falls to 4-2.

Fantasy Football Update: Lost again! This time to the Big Dawgs. Team Priceless falls to 4-3. That's three straight losses...going into Week 8.

Michael Edward Rife

I play baseball three days a week with a bunch of guys I admire. We are a strange group of old coots and we take the field at Tucson Udall Park to fulfill our passion and desire to play America's favorite pastime. We range in age from 60 to 90. As the years pass quickly...and they certainly roll by similar to the speed of a Boeing 757 on a coast to coast flight. There are times when we lose one of our Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) and it is a sad day for the family involved and for all the team members.

But Tuesday was filled with a double sadness when we lost not a player, but a player's son. Taken from us was Michael Edward Rife, the son of TOTS' player, Ed Rife, and his wife, Nancy. Michael passed away after a long illness at the age of 51, ten days shy of his 52nd birthday. In the local paper this morning it was written that Michael, like his father, was a classy individual. He was born in Santa Maria, California and raised in Akron, Ohio. Like his dad...he loved baseball. Michael also loved horses, music, soup, butterflies, angel food cake, tattoos and something that seems to fall in the category of "what I like to do in my spare time" among many of the TOTS' players: watch bad Westerns.

Rest in piece, Michael. As for you Ed, I hope to see you soon, on the field, alongside me in the infield, at Udall Park.

Tucson Golden Aces beef up roster for MSBL WS

The Tucson Golden Aces added eight players from out of state in order to beef up its roster for next week's Mens Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series in Phoenix. Twenty-two of the ballplayers are from Tucson and include members of the southside Old Pueblo Club and the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) from the eastside of the town.

The locals include Mike Morales (manager and player), Joe Banner, Frank Castillo, Lou Russo, George Gafner, Marc Sewell, Joe Jimenez, Ozzie Espinoza, John Nowotny, Danny Price, Ernesto Escala, Ron Ward, Arnold Mares, Hector Castillo, Jerry Hamelin, Larry Armstrong, Jeff Helzel, Chico Bigham, Dave Rhoades, Floyd Lance, Arnie White and Tom Barrow.

The out-of-state players include Jay Hayner (New York), Roger Miller (Virginia), Brad Buchan (New York), Ken McGruther (Florida), Tom Hawkins (Virginia), Allan Long (New Jersey), Al Delgado (southern California) and Miguel Barraza (El Paso, Texas).

Play gets underway Monday, Oct. 18, for the Aces in the 60-and-over division and play commences on Oct. 25 for the players involved in the 65-and-over division. The Golden Aces' players participating in both weeks are Morales, Banner, Price, Buchan and Hayner. The oldest player on the Golden Aces this year is Floyd Lance, 85, and he will compete in the 65-and-over division. Lance, a first baseman, would have preferred to play in the 70-and-over division -- the oldest of the MSBL divisions, but was unable to hook up with a team. "There's just not a lot of players in that division," Lance said, recently at a Golden Aces' practice. "I believe there's only four teams participating this year." Lance was born in Glen Gardner, New Jersey on September 6, 1925 and has been a member of the TOTS since 1999.

The Aces kickoff the MSBL World Series on Monday when they tangle with the Tri-Valley Hawks, a team out of southern California, at 10:00 a.m. at the Kansas City Royals spring training facility (annex field #6) in Surprise, Arizona. Bookemdanosports will post the scores and highlight some of the individual accomplishments of the Aces' players as well.

Remembering Bobby Cox as a player...

Bobby and I go back a long way. I never met the man and chances are I never will. But we still go back a long, long way.

Last week, Bobby Cox retired from active duty as the manager of the Atlanta Braves. It's been a long haul for him...and for me that matter. Bobby is 69 years of age and I'm 65. But I still remember the man when he played for the Yankees in 1968. I was 23 and I guess, if my math is correct, Bobby Cox was a 27-year-old major league player with his whole baseball life ahead of him. I would love to meet him and spend just one hour at his home...in his den, surveying all the memorabilia that is pasted on his walls and throughout all his trophy cases.

I have lived a life with baseball, while Bobby Cox has lived his in baseball. My goodness, he played on the field and along side Tom Tresh, Greg Nettles, Joe Pepitone, Mickey Mantle and even, in 1969, the great catcher Thurman Munson -- just to name a few. Bobby took his spot at third base and watched such guys as Mel Stottlemyre and Bill Monbouquette throw the pea.

See, I told you, Bobby and I go back a long way.

Streak over in Fantasy League

My Fantasy Football League: Team Big Red took down Team Priceless and Team Smith upset the Big Dawgs in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League in Week 5 to throw the family league into a four-way tie for first place.

The Big Dawgs, Team Priceless, Mega Powers and Team Smith are the league leaders, all at 4-1, as we head into Week 6 in our make-believe league and the National Football League. Team Big Red moves to 3-2 after edging my Team Priceless, 137-130 in fantasy points. It came down to MNF once again, only this time it wasn't in the cards for my team, thanks mainly to Minnesota's Percy Harvin, who collected 21 fantasy points for Team Big Red. It looked like I was going to pull it out and move to 5-0 as my fantasy kicker and former Arizona Wildcat Nick Folk booted five goals and two PAT's for 19 fantasy points. But Mark Sanchez, my fantasy quarterback, collected only seven points on the night and that turned out to be the difference, allowing Team Big Red to escape with a 7-point win to send the fantasy league into a four-team pile up at the top.

Of course, in real life, Sanchez and the Jets held off the Vikings and escaped with a hard-fought 29-20 win on Monday Night Football. It was an exciting game as Minnesota's Brett Favre connected on three TD passes -- number 500, 501 and 502 in his illustrous career. As for Folk, his five field goals, one of which was 53 yards helped seal the win for the Jets. Back in 2005, Folk helped the Wildcats beat USC when he booted a 52-yard field goal, a personal-best in his four years at the UofA.

In another close battle in the UPC Hood League, the Grey Ghosts(2-3) held on for a 141-140 win over Team Army (0-5). It was a real nail-biter as the Vikings' Randy Moss piled up 14 fantasy points. He was the only player involved for the two fantasy teams on MNF...another pass reception or two would have given Team Army its first win. Fantasy Football can sure be cruel!

Tucson Tinfoilman Triathlon

My oldest son, Michael, is 45 years old. And of course, he does things I can only dream of. At 65, I do pretty well when it comes to playing baseball. It is pretty well documented by previous blogs on Bookemdanosports, that I take the field and continue to play the sport I love. And, I like to think I'm not too shabby for an old timer...going up against other old coots in my age group, of course. But Michael, he is over the top and gets involved in all kinds of stuff. His latest adventure: The Tucson Tinfoilman Triathlon, held this morning on the University of Arizona campus.

For Michael, it all started at 7 a.m. as he nervously prepared for the first event, a leisurely swim (just kiddin') at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center. My goodness, 825 yards of swimming (that's eight football fields...plus a couple of first downs). I would need the fire department to pull me out, after that event alone! Of course Michael is a Captain with Rural Metro Fire, so I would have an in there, at least. Next up: He crawls out of the pool, races over to his lightweight, European cycle and takes off on a 12 mile bike-ride around the UofA campus. He battles his way in and out of traffic, completes the race, scoots into the transition area, takes off some of the gear he no longer needs and then proceeds to boogie by foot -- off on a 3-mile run thru the UofA campus.

At this point, I would not only need a fire department to my rescue, but probably an undertaker. Michael completed the triathlon with only a minor hitch -- a muscle spasm at the end of the running event. Still, he reached his goal of 1 hour and 28 minutes. Pretty darn good for his first attempt at a triathlon. I'd still be back at the Hillenbrand pool...coughing up water! Michael, job well done!

Triathlon Update: The Tucson Tinfoilman Triathlon is sponsored by Holualoa Real Estate Properties and is put on by Trisports of Tucson. The race is a USAT sanctioned event. Read more about such events at www.TriTucson.com or at trisports.com.

Lookin' for a miracle...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: At the very end, in the closing moments of the Arizona-Oregon State game, the 56,000 plus at Arizona Stadium were looking for a miracle.

Instead, like I said in my previous blog, it turned into a pre-Halloween nightmare. How do you lose a football game when your quarterback throws for 440 yards and three touchdowns at your home, on your own field with everyone in attendance pulling for you.

That's college football and you've got to hand it to the Beavers...and to Jacquizz Rodgers, he's got the heart of a lion. Score OSU 29, Arizona 27. What was my prediction? Well, it was Arizona 34, OSU 31. Wrong again, Bookemdano!

I remember Mr. Rogers' neighborhood...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: The only Mr. Rogers I can remember off the top of my head is the one that had an impact on my children way back in the mid 1960s. Children all over the country sat down near the family TV and watched Fred Rogers perform on his weekly television show for kids. It was all about Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood. The show certainly got the full attention of the younger set from all over the world for that matter.

Fred Rogers died in 2003 of stomach cancer at the age of 74. And where am I going with this on Saturday morning, October 9th?  Well, this a stretch...but fun.

This afternoon, another Mr. Rogers will show up in our neighborhood at Arizona Stadium. Okay, so you spell his name Rodgers as in Jacquizz Rodgers, the fleet-footed running back for the Oregon State Beavers. That's who the Wildcats need to stop this week. Rodgers will try to turn our neighborhood into a pre-Halloween nightmare as the Beavers will be trying their hardest to knock off the ninth-ranked and unbeaten Wildcats.

Rodgers has rushed for 398 yards and six touchdowns this season. Compare that to the Wildcats' Nic Grigsby, Greg Nwoko and Keola Antolin who have combined for 437 yards and seven touchdowns this year.

Still, my prediction: Arizona 34, Oregon State 31.

Seven TOTS players prepare to grind it out at MSBL World Series

As we edge closer to the MLB World Series (my goodness its only a couple of weeks away), seven 65-and-older members of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club will head for Phoenix, Arizona, next week to participate in the other series: the Mens Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series.

Representing the TOTS in the Phoenix affair are: Arnie White, Chico Bigham, Dave Rhoades, Floyd Lance, Jeff Helzel, Jerry Hamelin and yours truly, Danny Price. Five of the seven have been nursing one injury or another through out most of September, but all seven are ready to do battle and participate in the annual series, which will once again involve more than 3,000 players and somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 teams.

The MSBL World Series, which not only includes the real old timers, but the much younger groups from 18-and-over to 55-and-over. Of course, the younger the teams, the quicker the game becomes, and by the time you get to say the 50-and-over teams, well, let me just say, it's a wee bit slower brand of baseball. But believe you me, it remains just as competitive as the play of the younger studs, who show up in Phoenix to represent their city or state...or country for that matter.

The oldest TOT participating in the MSBL World Series this year is Lance, who at the age of 85, can still pick it at first base. Lance, a member of the TOTS since 1999, batted .385 during the month of September. He played in 11 games and led the TOTS in runs scored with 12. Bigham,72, catches, pitches and plays the infield for the TOTS. He batted .630 last month and led the team in hits with 17 to go along with his nine runs-batted-in (RBI).

Helzel,70, also plays first base for the TOTS, but has been nursing a knee injury for the past two months. The injury has kept him out of the lineup, but he recently returned to active duty and swears that he's ready for action. Helzel, a lefty, has a sweet swing and when he joined the ball club in 2009, he quickly showed off his batting skills as he popped a round-tripper out of Tucson Udall Park in his third at bat as a member of the team.

Hamelin, 69, batted a hefty .667 during the month of September and was second on the team in hits with 16. White, 68, and Rhoades,66, saw limited action last month, due mainly to away-from-the-ball-park issues, but still made their presence known. White, who pitches and plays the infield, batted .375 during September, while Rhoades, an outfielder, batted a hefty .444.

That leaves yours truly,65,who is still nursing a back injury, but just like my teammates, will be ready to gut it out for the two weeks in Phoenix from Oct. 17 to the 31st. I managed to play in nine of the 12 games, during the month of September, collecting 10 RBI, scored 10 times and batted .680.

White is a professor at the University of Arizona; Lance is a retiree from the U of A; Rhoades is still working and is a Financial Planner. Hamelin is a retiree from IBM; Helzel is a retired salesman from New York; while Bigham is a retired state of Arizona employee and is currently, when called upon, an umpire in Tucson and the surrounding area, working mainly on the high school level -- handling games as far away as Hayden-Winkelman and Casa Grande.

And that leaves me, a retired state of Arizona employee; a retired airline worker and a former sports writer in Phoenix (the writing job -- my favorite undertaking -- occurred during the mid 1990s). So there you have it. Seven old timers off to battle. We all hope to come back in one piece with some stories to tell. Wish us luck!

I watched it in black and white at 11...in living color at 65

I was 11 years old, a wide-eyed young boy, who thought there was nothing better in life than to grab my glove, my bat and my ball, hop on my bike and head for the park. The only thing that came close was to sit in front of our black and white Zenith or Curtis Mathes television set (don't hold me to which came first in our family, I just can't remember) and watch the Game of the Week, or better yet, the World Series.

And now you know where I'm going with this.

There I sat, in 1956, not on the sofa, but on the floor, three feet away from the tube, as I watched the New York Yankees' Don Larsen hurl a perfect game against my favorite team, the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series. Fast forward 54 years and I just saw it again, yesterday afternoon, another no-hitter -- not a perfect game -- but the second no-hitter ever thrown in postseason play. This time, I saw it in living color, in HD, on my Vizio. Every pitch from the 7th inning on seemed to jump out right at me...and no, I was not three feet away this time, but maybe 20 feet away, sitting in my favorite chair with my feet dangling over the coffee table.

The Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Halladay was perfect in my book, despite one lone walk to the Cincinnati Reds' Jay Bruce --it was just downright perfection. It's close to impossible to throw a no-hitter in any league, much less two in the same season (as Halladay has done). The only thing harder that I can think of: it is hitting a baseball.

At 65 years of age, I'm still trying to hit that pea, that piece of cowhide...that little dart that's coming at you, which moves left or right...up or down at speeds up to 100 mph (well, in my league 55 to 60 at the most). I'm sure you old timers out there get my drift. Hitting a baseball has been and always will be the hardest thing to accomplish in sports. No matter what league you're in, if you fail two out of three times you step to the plate, you're an all star at 1 for 3....a hefty .333 batting average. Hats off to Mr. Halladay and to all those major league players that step to the plate every day and fail one out of three times. They make it look easy when they rip the ball up the middle for a hit.

Believe me...it is not that easy!

27 Days In October...

Back in 1964, the year my first child was born, I was 19 years old and I went to see a movie called Seven Days In May. The plot involves the President of the United States as he discovers a military coup, which is being plotted by one of his Joint Chiefs and he must find a way to dismantle it. The movie stars Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Frederick March and the beautiful Ava Gardner.

Where am I going with this?

Well, it's five o'clock in the morning, so prepare yourself...there's no telling. Let's just fast forward to what I'm going to call: The 27 Days in October. Things are happening in my world of sports and at the age of 65, I'm beginning to wonder if I can keep up. This high-tech stuff leaves most of us old coots behind...and I'm certainly right in the middle of that category. I'm beginning to think I should change my nickname from "Dano" to the "Blog Hog" or the "Twitter Freak".

I find myself either playing third base or I'm sitting in a chair, pecking away at my computer. Thank goodness, I'm playing baseball three to five days a week, which allows me to turn off this old Inspiron E1505 laptop, grab my car keys and head for the ballpark.

Getting back to the 27 days in October, well that has already started...two days ago. From now til the end of the month, it's going to be all baseball for me, or let's say 90 percent baseball and 10 percent laptop. So, if you, my readers, are wondering where I'm at, well I might as well tell you ahead of time. I'll be heading off to the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series in just ten days. From October 17 to October 31, I'll be playing ball in Phoenix with the Tucson Golden Aces as we once again battle every old-time baseball nut from Canada to St. Thomas...from Boston and LA...from North Dakota and San Antonio, Texas.

I know it's hard to believe, but there are 300 to 400 over-the-hill ball players like me just stomping at the bit to take the field in Phoenix and go for the gold -- gold medal, that is. Actually, it's a trophy -- a slim piece of hardware, and to win it, it may take upwards of 14 to 16 games (in my case as a member of the Aces). So, what I'm trying to say: the blogging and the twittering...and my Facebook updates will have to take a backseat. At least that's my plan. Of course, I'll have my trusty old laptop with me, so chances are you'll hear from me now and then.

Why? Because the 27 days of October is filled with stuff to write about: The MLB playoffs and the "real" World Series; the Arizona Wildcats; Fantasy Football; the NFL, well you get the idea.

As you may have already figured out, I'm on my third cup of coffee this morning. I'll talk to you later. It's six o'clock and I play baseball in two hours!

Let me tear myself away from Fantasy Football to give you my MLB predictions...

The numbers are in on my Fantasy Football League this week, so with another win under my belt (sorry, I don't mean to sound so uppity, I do realize I can lose the next 12 games) I can at least take a moment and focus on Major League Baseball.

Baseball is my favorite sport and everyone that has ever come in contact with me knows that. But this Fantasy Football thing has taken a lot out of me. It takes some concentration figuring out all the numbers, the players, who to bench, who to play, and on and on...and on. Also I'm in a quiet, family and friends league where there's no green stuff involved. It's just for fun, but still it doesn't take long to get wrapped up in it. This is my first try at being the owner of a Fantasy team...it's a real kick. And besides, I can't get fired whether I win or lose.

As for baseball, well I've said all along that the Yankees and the Phillies will tangle in late October to decide the champion of the 2010 World Series. The Giants will fold. Braves and Twins out early. The Rangers will falter without Josh Hamilton at 100 percent, and the Rays have fought off the Yankees all season and things won't go their way in the playoffs. Now the Reds, they're the sleeper, but Mr. Chapman, the Cincinnati reliever who throws 105 miles an hour, can only pitch so many innings. Could it be the Reds and Yankees? Nah!

By the way, I've always said that I'm not very good at this crystal ball stuff. Predictions just aren't my thing. I must admit, it would be good for baseball to see a couple of newcomers emerge and battle it out for the big prize. Baseball is a tough sport...a bad bounce, a Texas leaguer, a bad call by the ole ump -- anything can happen. That's why they play the game. Football is a brutal sport and the outcome of a contest on the gridiron can be brutal for the losing team. Baseball is not as brutal. But the outcome can be just as devastating for the loser, especially after playing 162 games, add some hair-raising playoff games, and then a seven-game series to decide their fate.

Batter up! Let's play ball.

Team Priceless, Big Dawgs 4-0 in UPC Hood Fantasy League

My Fantasy Football League Update: It's official. My Team Priceless remains unbeaten at 4-0 along with the Big Dawgs in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

The big move of the week, goes to Team Smith, now 3-1, as Team Smith takes down previously unbeaten Mega Powers. Detroit quarterback Shaun Hill (39 points) and the New England defense (33) ended up the top fantasy-point leaders for Team Smith as they won easily 169-125. As for my Team Priceless, Cincy's Terrell Owens led the way with a whooping 50 fantasy points. Wow! I needed that. Thanks also go out to Mendenhall, Sanchez and Zach Miller -- a pleasant surprise on the latter as the tight end amassed 18 fantasy points. By the way, Team Priceless outscored the Meat Eaters, 149-73. The Meat Eaters downfall: Chicago's Jay Cutler with a minus-2 in fantasy points. Of course, the Big Dawgs rolled again with Peyton Manning collected 51 fantasy points, although the A-Team (0-4) put up a fight, but in the end were outscored, 164-144. Grey Ghost (1-3) and Big Red (2-2) were the other big winners this week. Aaron Rodgers and Sam Bradford gave the Grey Ghost a big boost this week in its win over Team Arps (2-2). Big Red knocked off winless Team Army, thanks mainly to top performances from Chad Henne and Antonio Gates.

Can you believe it? Week 5 is just around the corner.

A copy of Billy's Victory shows up at a thrift shop...

It's a small world after all. I have a buddy named Ed, he's the nicest guy. In fact Ed volunteers as a behind-the-plate umpire at most of our Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball games. Rain or shine, he's there just about everyday.

Ed takes a lot of flack from us old timers, because our strike zone is sometimes different than his. Of course, he can see...and most of us have less than 20/20 vision. He does a darn good job. We're lucky to have him. It's not an easy job due to the fact that many of the TOTS will argue about anything...and talk about anything. But, that just adds to the fun of it all at our weekly baseball games. It makes for a lively dugout.

Getting back to Ed, he loves baseball and he's a pitcher and an infielder in a wood-bat league on Friday nights (his baseball league, mind you, consists of players who are 50 to 60 years younger than most of the TOTS). At any rate, Ed and his fiance went shopping the other day. They stopped in at a thrift store to buy a few things -- including a book or two.

Ed, who is also a blogger, mentioned on his blog recently that his fiance grabbed a book from the shelf at the thrift store and brought it to him. Well, the book turns out to be Billy's Victory, the children's fiction novel I wrote back in 2007. My only book, I might add (it obviously wasn't a best seller, but I did get a kick out of writing it).

Ed and his fiance bought the book. Talk about finding a needle in a haystack. It is a small world after all.

Terrell Owens makes my Sunday special!

My Fantasy Football League Update: The complete Week 4 results will be out early Tuesday morning, but I can tell you right now that thanks to Cincy's Terrell Owens my Team Priceless will remain atop the leader board in my UPC Hood Fantasy Football League as we head into Week 5 of the NFL schedule.

The man went crazy yesterday, catching 10 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown against the Cleveland Browns. Somehow, the Bengels lost the game 23-20, but you couldn't blame "Mr. T" for the outcome. The Browns obviously double teamed Chad Ochocinco and for the first time this season Owens went wild -- including being on the receiving end of what turned out to be a 78-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer.

Owens said on his Twitter account, following the game, that someone was passing around a rumor that he had blamed the Cincy defense for the loss, but he put that rumor to rest by saying: "We lost as a team! We didn't play well.!" Whatever...it turned out good for me as I salvaged a 149-73 win over my fantasy competitor (the Meat Eaters) this week. Owens produced over a third of my points.

I'll give you all a complete rundown on Tuesday, but it's safe to say Team Priceless is 4-0, due to the fact that both Team Priceless and the Meat Eaters used all its players on Sunday and we both will not need to sweat out the results of Monday Night Football.

Thank you, Mr. Owens!

Ready for a day of Fantasy Football...

My Fantasy Football League Update: Today's the day to see if I have what it takes to stay in first place in my Fantasy Football UPC Hood League.

Two teams will be battling to go 4-0 along with my team, Team Priceless. I need a lot of help today from my key players, mainly: Fitzgerald, Mendenhall, Best, Sanchez and Eli Manning...with a little added support from guys like Walter, Clayton and the ole guy Mr. "T" Owens.

It's almost time for the first kickoff...let's get it on!

Mid-season Soccer Match at Udall Park a doozie!

As I had mentioned in my previous blog post, I faced quite a dilemma when the defending state champion 1A-3A Lakeside Blue Ridge Yellow Jackets rolled into town to take on the Desert Christian Screaming Eagles this afternoon in a mid-season soccer match at Udall Park. The contest was the second match of the day for the two schools -- Blue Ridge had already shutdown Benson, 2-0, and Desert Christian had walloped St. Johns, 10-0, earlier in the day, as the annual Old Pueblo Soccer Tournament got underway -- under clear skies and a blazing temperature, reaching 100 degrees, I might add.

My dilemma, of course, was the fact that I'm a friend of both coaches -- Bryon Crain, the head coach of the Yellow Jackets and Mike Steele, an assistant coach with the Screaming Eagles. Blue Ridge went into the game, unbeaten at 10-0 and Desert Christian with their easy win over St. Johns had improved to 9-2 on the season. Wow! What a battle it turned out to be. It seemed more like a state final matchup, rather than a mid-season, no trophies awarded, come-on-down and have some fun tournament. Blue Ridge took the early advantage with two first half goals -- one by Salvador Ramirez and the other by the Yellow Jackets' top scorer Trey Cavanaugh.

It seemed like Blue Ridge was well on its way to victory number 11 on the season, but early in the second half Desert Christian's Mackie Thompson scored on a chip shot from 10 yards out and two minutes later Scott Waller launched a screamer from 40 yards out to even the score at 2-2. But it was all Ramirez down the stretch as he booted two goals in the waning minutes of the game (one was disallowed due to a foul called by the referee at the other end of the field) and the Yellow Jackets escaped with a hard-fought 3-2 victory.

If there's two 1A-3A teams out there better than the two I witnessed today, I'd sure like to see them play. I'm betting Blue Ridge and Desert Christian will meet again, say in Phoenix around Nov. 7 in a state final matchup. Both teams are filled with outstanding athletes that go all out -- leaving it all on the field.

Waller is a feisty little devil and plays aggressively, while his Desert Christian teammate, Caleb Steele, my friend's son, is a handful as well. As for Blue Ridge, they seem unstoppable at times led by Cavanaugh, Ramirez, Korey Wilcox, Luke Traeger and Jake Washburn -- just to name a few.

They move up and down the field with ease and you get the feeling they could score at any moment. Coach Mike Steele, my buddy, stated after the game, "They're not only big...they're fast." As for my friend, Bryon, he's certainly a happy camper after watching his Yellow Jackets move to 11-0 on the year. The bus ride back to the White Mountains should be fun.

Good luck to both teams. One thing is for sure, whoever has to play these two teams down the road, better lace up their shoes, take a collective deep breath, and prepare for battle.