What will 2011 bring?

Happy new year, everyone!

What will 2011 bring to the table? Will my body hang in there and allow me to play another year of baseball? I start my fourth season as a member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) Baseball Club and probably my 60th season overall. I was six years old when I first started playing organized baseball. I'll be 66 in July, but my new year resolution is to play smart. Less diving...less running and more importantly, I'll try to remember I'm an old guy. That's hard to do, sometimes.

Once you take the field, step over the white line, and head for your position, us oldtimers forget about age and have one common purpose: make the play. Yes, it is more of an adventure now. Those high fly balls off an aluminium bat become harder and harder to camp under. Getting in front of a sizzling one-hopper becomes a 50-50 proposition. Throwing to a target more than sixty feet away seems futile at times. But, there we are week after week, month after month, doing our best to make the play.

Hats off to the TOTS, the MSBL (Men's Senior Baseball League) and to all the organizations that promote baseball for guys and gals in their senior years. Let's play ball!