TOTS a hit at Kino Stadium

Members of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club took the field at Kino Stadium last night, prior to the Triple-A contest between the Tucson Padres and the visiting Reno Aces. It turned out to be a pleasant experience for the TOTS' players, a group of old-time ball players, ranging in age from 60 to 82. The TOTS' Blue team scored three runs in their final at bat of the night and knocked off the TOTS' White team, 3-0, in the rain-shortened exhibition game. A desert storm eventually delayed the start of the Padres-Aces game by 40 minutes, but the rain shower didn't dampen the spirits of the TOTS and their fans in attendance for the senior-citizen exhibition game. The TOTS received a good 15 minutes of infield practice, prior to the start of the game, as they moved the ball around the diamond, displaying to the fans their ability to still play America's favorite pastime. Right-hander De Lon "Doc" Thompson,69, pitched for both teams, while his battery mate, 60-year-old Chuck Sabalos, a former Pima County Superior Court judge,did the catching. Thompson,who pitched in the minor leagues back in the 1960s, struck out six players and didn't walk a batter as he displayed his control on the mound, offering mostly fastballs to the hitters, while mixing in an occasional slider and a "roundhouse" curve ball. The TOTS' White team had a chance to score in the second inning, but 82-year-old Billy Heiny, a retired Tucson dentist, was thrown out at the plate on a double-relay play from 72-year-old shortstop Chico Bigham to 66-year-old third baseman Danny Price to Sabalos. In the final inning, the TOTS' blue team scored three times thanks to singles by Bigham, 69-year-old first baseman John Petrick and a two-run double by Price. Key defensive plays in the game included a nice bare-handed play at third by 63-year-old Mike Steele and a couple of excellent defensive gems by 61-year-old shortstop Dennis Crowley as both players kept the TOTS' blue team from scoring in the early innings. By the way, the rain stopped and eventually 2,001 fans streamed into Kino Stadium to watch the Padres beat the Reno Aces, 9-5. Former Diamondbacks starter Barry Enright gave up eight runs and 11 hits in five innings for Reno as the Padres improved their Pacific Coast League record to 58-73. Thompson, during an interview after the exhibition game remarked that he was pleased with the overall event and happy with the efforts of the TOTS players. "We didn't get as many hits as I thought we'd get, but overall it was a good time and a fun time for everyone involved," he said. "We hope to return next year and do it again."