Diamondbacks breathing down the neck of defending champs

Keeping pace with the defending champs isn't easy.

The San Francisco Giants, going into today, maintain their three-game lead over the the pesky Arizona Diamondbacks. The D'backs, at 58-49, could knock off the LA Dodgers today and head for San Francisco tomorrow for a three-game series with the Giants and a shot at knotting up the NL Western Division.

Of course, the best scenario would be for the Giants to lose to Cincinnati today and our Diamondbacks to win not only today, but capture the three-game series in San Francisco -- a tall order and highly unlikely. The Giants are 61-46, but they have lost two in a row and if ( a Giant if, that is) they could lose their next four, the Arizona Diamondbacks would find themselves in first place in the division. Here's hoping for the above scenario. We will know soon enough. The D'backs will end their three-games series in San Francisco with an afternoon game on Wednesday.

Good luck, D'backs!

Centerfield Royals found the going rough in Xtreme WS

My grandson,Jadon,and the Centerfield Royals found the going rough at the Xtreme World Series this past week in San Diego. The 11-and-under Tucson team lost all four games to four southern California opponents which turned out to be simply bigger, stronger and faster than the Royals, normally a solid bunch of young baseball players capable of holding their own against teams from Arizona. What is it with the southern California area? The area has a history of producing exceptional talent, no matter what the age group. The southern Cal kids who step into the batter's box are not 5-feet-1 and weigh in the neighborhood of 80 pounds, instead, they are six feet tall and weigh in with triple digits. When they take a swing and connect, the baseball travels 300 feet or more! Ground balls to the infielders are hit harder, fly balls are hit higher, pitchers are faster and the southern California kids seemed to have glue in their gloves -- the ball simply seems to find their mitts as if they are using a hidden magnet of some sort. If Jadon learned anything this week, it's the fact that you're always going to run into someone, or some team, that's simply bigger, stronger and faster. But if there's one piece of advice I can give my grandson this Saturday morning it would be this: Enjoy the surf, take a gander at the ocean, and remember you're only eleven years old. Jadon, take solace in the fact that there will come a time when you'll be bigger...stronger...and faster than the other guy. Seven years from now, you'll step to the plate. You'll be in a high school game, the outcome will be on the line and you'll knock in the the game-winning run. Oh my, the dreams of a young ball player. I remember those days of yesteryear. Go get 'em, Jadon. There's plenty of at-bats ahead of you!

Diamondbacks pick up a game on the Giants

The Arizona Diamondbacks closed to within three games of the San Francisco Giants tonight with a 6-1 win over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Lefty Joe Saunders went the distance to pick up the win and Justin Upton spanked a solo shot over the left field fence to lead Arizona to its 56th win of year. The Giants lost one earlier today as they fell to the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-2.

Congrats to the D'backs on a great start to their road trip.

Practices begin in August for MSBL 65-and-over World Series

It's that time again. It is time to prepare for the 2011 Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series. This year, I'll be playing in the 65-and-over division and the games will take place at those beautiful spring training complexes in Phoenix, Arizona, Oct. 24 through Oct. 30.

Two years in a row I have battled one injury or another, so I'm hoping the third time is a charm, and that this will be the year I'll be able to put it all together, along with my teammates on the Tucson Golden Aces. Last year, it was the team from Canada that kept us out of the playoffs and chances are we'll meet up with the Canadians again this year. The Aces will be coached once again by Mike Morales (from the Old Pueblo Club)and we will have players on the roster from as far away as Saratoga, New York, Ft. Myers, Fla., and Rapid City, S.D.

We begin practice next month, every Saturday morning, at Reid Park, field #5.

Grandson and his 11-and-under teammates head to San Diego for Xtreme Diamond Sports World Series

My grandson, Jadon, and the Centerfield Royals head for San Diego on Monday to participate in the Xtreme Diamond Sports World Series. The Royals,  an 11-and-under team, coached by former major leaguer George Arias, will take on the Apple Valley Spartans on Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the Sweetwater Complex in Bonita, and will play again at noon, facing a team called the RC Bulldogs. On Thursday, the Royals will compete at the same complex against a team from Vancouver, B.C.

Good luck to Jadon and the Royals!

60-and-over baseball game at Kino Stadium in the works

It's a strong possibility that 32 senior baseball players, between the ages of 60 to 85, will get to play at Kino Stadium on Aug. 24. The exhibition game will take place at 5:20 p.m. prior to the 7 p.m. Tucson Padres' encounter with the Reno Aces.

According to Doc Thompson, a member of the Tucson Old Timers baseball team and the spokesperson for the senior circuit all star team, tickets are now being sold for the event. "I've been working with Mike Feder on this project for quite a while and it looks like we have a good shot at getting this squared away."

Tickets are available and can be purchased through members of the four 60-and-over ball clubs in town -- The Tucson Old Timers (TOTS), The Tucson Aces, The Old Pueblo Club and the Arizona Rattlers. Box seats are $6.00 and general admission is $4.00. Selected ball players from the four clubs will make up the two teams. Yours truly will be one of the 32 players on the roster. It should be a fun time and the event should spike some interest in the community for senior baseball.

Finding the strike zone

With the monsoon rains playing havoc with the surface of our ball field at Udall Park, it is hard for the members of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club to get in a lot of playing time during the month of July. I probably have 15 at bats this month.

If you play three times a week, there's a good chance you could step into the batters box 50 times on a good month if the frequent afternoon downpours would stay away from the area. Tucson residents are used to the monsoon season and know first hand that a downpour could occur on the east side of town, while the west side receives not a drop of rain. Or, it may go the other way, with the west side getting all the action and the east side left with nothing but a lot of grumbling of thunder and lightning. But we did get in two games this week, one on Monday and one on Friday.

Yours truly took the mound in both morning games. Both days were hot and sticky, but somehow I managed to go the distance in both and with the help of my teammates picked up two wins. Still having trouble with my consistency. Finding the strike zone isn't easy, especially when you're 66 years of age. Finding that rhythm, releasing the ball at precisely the right time, working the corners of the plate, developing a curve ball, a good four-seam fastball and a decent change-up isn't easy at any age, but at 66 years of age, it is a bit more difficult.

Maybe I'll toe the rubber again next week and give it another shot...weather permitting, that is.

Drew-less D'backs in for a tough fight

The Arizona Diamondbacks' chances of carving out the National League Western Division title got a little harder due to the fact shortstop Stephen Drew is now out for the rest of the season, after suffering a leg injury earlier in the week during the four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers.

With 100 games in the books, the Diamondbacks remain four games behind the San Francisco Giants and will count heavily on Willie Bloomquist to fill in for Drew. At 53-47, I estimate the D'backs need to win 37 of their remaining 62 games to get the job done. Of course, the Giants and the Colorado Rockies need to help out the D'backs by going south in the standings (a couple of 10-game losing streaks by both clubs would certainly help).