Tucson MSBL Blackbirds' season opener set for Thursday night

The Tucson MSBL season opener for the Mountain Blackbirds is just around the corner. The Blackbirds take on the Mountain Red Sox at 7 p.m. at Reid Park 2, Thursday night. After  just a few weeks  of practice, the Blackbirds are ready to hit the field and will send  44-year-old right-hander Sean Flynn to the mound to face the Red Sox.

My son, Michael, 47, and yours truly...well, most of you know my age, are members of the Blackbirds' roster, a group of 40-and-something ballplayers out to make a name for themselves in the MSBL Mountain Division this summer.

Nine teams are in the division. In Week 2, the Blackbirds will face the Phillies, who just happen to have a player on their roster close to my age. It looks like I'm the old guy in the league (at 66), although the Phillies have a 65-year-old by the name of Carl Schwanbeck. It'll be nice to meet Mr.  Schwanbeck in Week 2, and we, the Blackbirds, hope to be 1-0 when we tangle with the Phillies.

Blackbirds' manager Robin Badart, who is the starting catcher, will rely heavily on the pitching arm of Flynn and the hitting of first-baseman Tom Bolen -- who hit one out of the park last week in the Blackbirds' practice-game win over the Mountain D'backs 4-3 --  to get past the Red Sox in Game 1 on Thursday night.

Washington State finishes runner-up in CBI

Pac-12 Basketball

Reggie Moore scored 18 points for Washington State in the College Basketball Invitational finale tonight in Pittsburgh, but the Cougars season comes to an end as the Panthers win the title, 71-65.

The Cougars head home with the second place trophy and finish with an overall record of 19 wins and 18 losses.

Stanford wins its 2nd NIT

Pac 12 Basketball

The Stanford Cardinal beat Minnesota, 75-51, at Madison Square Garden tonight to win the 2012 National Invitational Tournament. Congrats, Stanford. That's one for the Pac-12.

Aaron Bright and Chasson Randle  led the Cardinal (26-11) with 15 points apiece. It was the second NIT title for the Stanford Cardinal.

Cougars have one more to go...

Pac-12 Basketball

The Washington State Cougars lost in Pittsburgh today to the Panthers, 57-53, and will now face them again on Friday in Pittsburgh for the CBI title. The Cougars have now played 36 games this season and have won 19 games.

The championship series is tied at 1-1 as the Panthers battled back from their opening-game loss in Pullman to force one more game. It's been a long season for the Cougars and win or lose on Friday, they are guaranteed a winning season.

Anthony Brown, Stanford advance to NIT Final

Anthony Brown scored 18 points -- 13 in the second half, while Josh Owens chipped in 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Stanford to a 74-64 win over UMass last night at the Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. to advance the Cardinal to the NIT Championship game, while Washington lost a nail-biter in the other semifinal, falling in overtime to Minnesota, 68-67.

Congrats, Stanford. Good try Washington. Stanford will face the Gophers Thursday night for the title.

Aces put up a 12-spot against Old Pueblo Club

The Aces scored 12 unanswered runs en route to a 12-6 win over the Old Pueblo Club in a 60-and-over, old-timers baseball game at Santa Rita Park this morning. Sixty-nine-year-old right-hander Doc Thompson pitched six shutout innings and the Aces had everything going their way until Old Pueblo made the game interesting by stringing together five hits to score six runs -- helped along by a walk, two throwing errors and a couple of fielding miscues -- all in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Sixty-six year-old Ron Petersen went 3 for 3 with two doubles to lead the Aces' attack, while Tim Tolson added two doubles of his own. Dennis Crowley also contributed a bases-loaded double in the second inning when the Aces scored five of their 12 runs. Thompson struck out one and walked just one batter to pick up the win -- the Aces second victory in a row over the Old Pueblo Club.

Price watch: I went 2 for 3 today, but had a scare at third base when I literally dodged a line shot in the bottom of the sixth inning. They say third base is the "hot corner". Well, I saw a ball up close and personal today. I danced around one today. "Ole!"

60-and-over Aces travel to Santa Rita today

Chances are, Mike Morales, the catcher and manager of the Tucson Old Pueblo Club, will have a few things up his sleeve this morning as the Aces travel to Santa Rita for a 60-and-over clash with the OP Club, which lost 12-2 last month to the Aces at Udall Park. Morales, a crafty veteran and a teammate of mine in recent years at the Phoenix-based MSBL World Series, will more than likely do his best to get in a "payback". Back-to-back losses to the Aces would not sit well with Morales, one of the top hitters on the club, who by the way played back in the late 1960s and 1970s with the old Jack Ellis Sporting Goods team, which consistently contained a roster of some of the best baseball players in town. "That was a long time ago," said Morales.

As for today's game, Morales adds, "We owe you one." Game time is set for 9 a.m., or there abouts, when all us old timers get our arms warmed up. As for me, I'd like to get a couple of dingers off the pitchers on the Old Pueblo Club. I need to get my average up a bit.

Photo: Mike Morales (7), getting wood on the ball in 2010 MSBL World Series.

Pitt falls to Washington State

Playing without Brock Motum, out with an ankle injury, the Washington State Cougars still managed to beat Pitt last night in Pullman, 67-66, in the first of a three-games series to decide the CBI title.

Abe Lodwick scores 16 to lead the Cougars, who are now at 19-16 on the season.

Tiger wins, but my thoughts turn to Arnie

Tiger Woods finally came away with the win over the weekend as he captured the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Tiger is back and the cameras are back on. Look for the viewing percentages on television to go up. With Tiger on the prowl everybody in the golf world watches.

As for me, my thoughts turn to the King, Arnold Palmer (82), who was missing at the tail end of Sunday's action. I hope he's fine, they say he had some blood pressure issues. Back in the 1950s, Palmer was the one to watch. With seven majors to his credit -- the first one way back in 1958 when he won The Masters, Palmer was a real crowd-pleaser back then and my favorite golfer.

Of course, I was in my teens and never held a club in my hand. Starting playing in my 30s and still can't hit that little white ball straight.

But Palmer could. He was the man back then.

Blackbirds 4, Diamondbacks 3

T

ucson MSBL preseason action

The Price Family took in a ball game Sunday at Tucson Curtis Park as they sat back and watched Michael Price and Grandpa Dan play baseball in a 38-and-over practice game. My daughter-in-law Amber, and grandchildren Jadon, Hannah and Bree, witnessed a victory for the Mountain Blackbirds, who begin play for real next month in the Tucson Men's Senior Baseball League at Reid Park.

The Blackbirds, who received strong pitching from right-hander Sean Flynn and a two-run home run from first baseman Tom Bolen, held on to defeat the upstart Mountain Diamondbacks. My son Michael made an over-the-shoulder catch in center field and helped complete a double play as his relay throw nipped the diving runner at third base. As for me, I'm getting used to the wood bat as I collected two singles -- one to left center and one over the head of the Diamondbacks' third baseman.

Blackbirds manager Robin Badart was pleased with the effort. "We have a lot of work to do, but not bad for our first practice game." The Blackbirds season officially begins Apr 5 at 7 p.m. when they take on the Mountain Red Sox at Reid Park.

Above photos: Bottom photo, daughter-in-law, Amber, granddaughters Hannah and Bree (the little one) take in the ball game. Top photo, grandson Jadon, wiggling on the bench. He plays four or five days a week for the Centerfield Royals, a 12-and-over club team, coach by former major league player George Arias.

Finally, we have our Final Four

Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State and Kansas.

Finally, we have our NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four. There must be a million or two million people out there who picked that fabulous four on their bracket sheets. I'm going to make my prediction now. I'm going to pick....the Ohio State Buckeyes.

We had him...

Back in 2008 when Lute Olson's departure was headline news, there was this 7-footer, well 6-10 at least, that bolted from the Wildcats' program. He headed elsewhere and today that same gentleman scored 15 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and recorded numerous blocks as Kansas knocked off North Carolina, 80-67, to reach the Final Four.

His name: Jeff Withey. And now you know the rest of the story.

Wildcats capture series win in Corvallis

The Arizona Wildcats won the rubber game 7-5 today in Corvallis to win the three-game series over the Oregon State Beavers, improving to 4-2 in the Pac-12 and 18-7 overall. It's the second Pac-12 series win of the young season for the Wildcats, who return home to face the Stanford Cardinal next weekend.

Reliever Matthew Troupe struck out the side in the ninth to preserve the win. Robert Refsnyder went 3 for 3 for the Wildcats. James Farris pitched 7 2/3 innings for Arizona and picked up the win. Alex Mejia had two hits, scored twice and knocked in two runs, while my favorite player, Johnny Field, fails to get a hit in four trips to the plate. After 25 games, Refsnyder leads the team in hitting with a .398 average.

Entering the world of Fantasy Baseball

Finally, I have dove into the world of Fantasy Baseball. A teammate of mine on the Tucson Old Timers baseball team, Ron Petersen, has convinced me, with just a little nudging, to join his fantasy league, called the Weekend Baseball League (WBL). This local league has been around for 30 years...let me say that again...30 years. Talk about being a rookie, I will have to learn fast to keep myself out of the cellar, so to speak. Our draft is coming up on April the 1st and boy do I have a lot to learn in the next seven days. My first try at the fantasy leagues was two years ago when I played in an automatic draft, free (just for fun) football league. I never made the playoffs in 2010 or 2011...but you don't pick the players in that league...the computer does it for you.

This baseball fantasy league, consist of 12 owners -- me being the new kid on the block. I wonder what my chances are of getting Mr. Pujols, or the likes of a Adrian Gonzalez, or a Juston Upton? Right now, I just need to take a deep breath and survive the sit-down, face-to-face draft with the other owners. Wish me luck!

Photo above: My friend and teammate that got me into this, Ron Petersen.

Baylor, Kansas...the two teams from west of the Mississippi hang on

As I said in my previous post, the teams from the eastern part of the country are all that's left in the NCAA Basketball Tournament, with the exception of Baylor and Kansas, as they both hang on yesterday and survive another day.

A big day ahead today with Louisville and Florida going at it in Phoenix, and Syracuse and Ohio State set to do battle in Boston. Tomorrow, it's Kentucky and Baylor set to clash in Atlanta, while over in St. Louis a heck of a matchup, pitting North Carolina against Kansas.

Where have all the teams from the western part of the country gone? Well the players from those teams will head for the sports bars, sit back, eye the over-sized television screens and wonder what could have been.

"Go East, young man!"

"Go East young man!" I hate to say this...and I'm referring to this year's road to the NCAA Final Four.

Once again, we'll be lucky if a team west of the Mississippi River survives. As of this moment, Kansas and Baylor are they only two left. How boring for the college basketball fans who live west of the RIVER! We'll be down to the Elite 8 after today's action and if Xavier beats Baylor, and if Kansas fails to end North Carolina State's run to the Final Four, that's exactly what you'll have.

As for the Pac-12, they are up the river with out a paddle!

Stanford, Washington still a playin'

The Stanford Cardinal beat Nevada, 84-56, on Wednesday and are heading for the NIT semifinals and will face UMass, while Washington gets to go, too, as they take down Oregon, 90-86, in the quarterfinals and will take on Minnesota next Tuesday, March 27, at Madison Square Garden. And how about the upstart Washington State Cougars --yea, those guys, knock off Oregon State in the CBI Tournament and are now in the championship finale in that tourney and will face the Pittsburgh Panthers at Beasley Coliseum on March 26, in the first game of a three-game series for all the marbles.

It looks like somebody from the Pac-12 is going to win some hardware.

Wildcats swept!

The Arizona Wildcats lost a two-game series at Hi Corbett Field this week, the first time this season they have failed to capture or tie a series. New Mexico State turns out to be the culprit, capturing yesterday's game 13-8 to complete the sweep.

Arizona falls to 16-6, while NMSU improves to 17-8. I guess we'd better keep an eye on the Aggies from next door. Things are improving in Las Cruces.

Not again...

The Washington State Cougars and the Oregon State Beavers will meet again for the fourth time this season as both Pac-12 teams won games yesterday to advance to the CBI semifinals.

Can this still be fun for the Cougars and Beavers? Probably so! The game will be played in Corvallis. Pick a winner!

Aaron a bright spot for the Cardinal

The Stanford Cardinal stayed alive in the NIT last night as they hung on to beat Illinois State, 92-88, in overtime at Palo Alto. Aaron Bright poured in 29 points and Casson Randle was the difference maker with a crucial 3-pointer in overtime to send the Cardinal to the quarterfinals and a matchup on Wednesday with the Nevada Wolf Pack, who just happened to knock off an old Arizona Wildcats nemesis, the Bison from Bucknell, 75-67.

Huskies, Ducks still hangin'

The Pac-12 is still alive in the National Invitational Tournament. I guess that is exciting for the fans from Oregon and Washington. The Oregon-Washington 2012 NIT quarterfinals game will take place in Seattle on Tuesday. Oregon lost in Seattle 76-60 earlier this season, while the Ducks beat the Huskies at home 82-57 earlier in the year. Stanford is also still alive and kickin' as well and take on Illinois State in Palo Alto tonight. As for Oregon State and Washington State, they are still hanging in the lowly CBI...the College Basketball Invitational, for all you diehard fans out there.

And then there were none...

The Colorado Buffs, the only Pac-12 team in the "Big Dance" lost to Baylor 80-63 yesterday in the third-round of the NCAA tournament. After winning the Pac-12 Tournament and knocking off UNLV 68-64 to open the South Regional, the Buffaloes ran out of gas against the Baylor Bears and finish their season at 24-12...just a shade better than the Arizona Wildcats (23-12) who are at home watching the March Madness on ESPN.

Wildcats grab two from the Cougars

The Arizona Wildcats have yet to lose a series this season. They could have lost one this weekend, after falling to the Washington State Cougars in the Pac-12 opener on Friday night at Hi Corbett Field, but they remained tough and did what they had to do by salvaging both games yesterday, 8-7 and 12-9 to improve to 16-4 overall and 2-1 in Pac-12 play.

Robert Refsnyder had the hot hand yesterday,going 6 for 8 to increase his batting average to a cool .397, second on the club to Alex Mejia, who leads the team with a .400 average. My man, Johnny Field, broke out of a mini-slump with a single and two RBI in the nightcap. Johnny is hitting at a .366 clip with 20 games in the books.

Go 'Cats! Next up: New Mexico State in a two-game series at Hi Corbett Field on March 20-21. Both games with a start time of 5 p.m.

The official 2011 stats are in for the TOTS

Old-time baseball at Tucson Udall Park


The official Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club statistics for 2011 show 78-year-old Joe Aparicio as the ballplayer with the most games played. Aparicio played in 117 games during the 2011 season, batting 314 times (48 for 314), which calculates into a .153 average. The iron-man award goes to Joe. With the weather at times causing havoc with the games, vacations coming in to play, and injuries, of course, it is understandable an individuals yearly statistics can suffer a drop off.

Eighty-year-old Jerry Smarik garners the most at-bats award. Jerry batted 354 times (102 for 354, average .288).

Speedster Dennis Crowley (62) led the team in 2011 with runs scored and won the I crossed the plate the most award with 164. Crowley also garnered The top hitter award, collecting 188 hits in 353 at-bats, while playing in 108 games.

Ted Davis (61) led the team in doubles with 29, Crowley in triples with 5, and Tim Tolson, the youngest member of the TOTS led the club in home runs with three round-trippers.

The I walked to first the most award went to 74-year-old Bob Katz, who received 67 free passes during the entire 2011 season, while playing in just 81 games.

Bob Royer (73) and Jack Glickman (85) shared the Take it on the Chin Award . Bob and Jack were hit by a pitch five times.

Eighty-six year-old Floyd Lance led the team in sacrifice flies with eight and won the I Got a run in Award.

The Most RBI Award goes to 73-year-old Chico Bigham. Chico finished 2011 with 102 RBI in just 84 games played.

And last but not least, the Top Batting Average Award for 2011 (based on a minimum of 175 at-bats) goes to 63-year-old Bob Daliege. Bob batted .580 with 134 hits in just 231 trips to the plate.

TOTS footnote: As for me, injuries kept me off the field for three months in 2011, but I managed to go 93 for 197 at the plate for a .472 average with 48 runs scored, 58 RBI, 8 doubles and five walks in just 57 games. A far cry from my best season in 2009 when I avoided the injury bug and went 186 for 317 (still missed 30 games) and batted .587. It was just one year following my heart surgery (Jan/2008), when I had some legs under me, scoring 126 times with 27 doubles and two triples to go along with 94 runs batted in. I'll take those stats for 2012. With a little luck...maybe I can.

Two top-10 teams split in Houston

The Arizona Wildcats and the Rice Owls, both currently ranked in the Top-10 in collegiate baseball, split a two-game series in Houston, with the Owls winning the opener 5-1 on Wednesday and the Wildcats salvaging the final game of the series on Thursday, 8-5.

My man Johnny Field goes 0 for 7 in the series as his average drops under .400 for the first time this season. Field is hitting at a .383 clip, 20 percentage points behind the new team leader Alex Mejia.

Arizona takes a 14-3 record into this weekend's series at Hi Corbett Field with Washington State.

Bucknell 65, Arizona 54

The game they didn't want...

The Arizona Wildcats bowed out of the NIT tonight at McKale Center. Bucknell pulls the upset and wins it, 65-54. The Bison move on to the second round and the 'Cats clean out their lockers...their season at an END! Arizona finishes 23-12, 12-6 in the Pac-12. Solomon Hill scores 17 points, grabs 10 rebounds, adds four assists and two steals, but it just wasn't enough to overtake Bucknell.

Kyle Fogg scores just five points in his final game in a Wildcats' uniform. It's back to the drawing board for Sean Miller and all the returning Wildcats...the 2012-13 season awaits. Needed for next season: An inside game, more depth and an outside shooter who can get the ball in the hole. One thing is for sure, this Wildcat fan will be back...and ready to cheer on the Arizona Wildcats!

86 -year-old TOT returns

He's back! Floyd Lance, the oldest member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club, announced in January that he was retiring from the sport and would no longer lace up his spikes, grab his glove and take his normal position at first base. Lance, 86, has changed his mind. He's pulled a Brett Favre! He's breaking out of retirement! Lance rejoined the TOTS this week and looks as fit as ever. The recovery from hip surgery normally takes about six months of rehab, but if anyone can bounce back in less time, it would by Floyd.

In 2011, Lance played in just 33 games, but he made his presence known, banging out 42 hits in 99 at bats for a .424 average. He scored 29 runs during the year and knocked in 23 runs. Floyd also collected seven doubles, walked seven times and led the team with eight sacrifice flies.

Welcome back, Floyd!

MoMo Jones out, too!

Iona made it to the Big Dance but were ousted last night by the Cougars from Brigham Young University. The Cougars down 25 points at one point, came roaring back to beat MoMo Jones and Iona, 78-72, in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Jones went 3 for 14 from the field, missing all of his 3-point attempts and finished with just six points.

Rattlers get one back

Aces Baseball


The Arizona Rattlers took one on the chin last time they visited Udall Park and were handed a 14-5 loss. Today, however, the Rattlers got one back as they knocked off the Aces, 12-4, in an early morning 60-and-over baseball game at Mission Manor Park. It just wasn't the Aces day as the Rattlers jumped out to a 6-0 lead and cruised to an easy win behind a complete-game performance from righthander Tino Naverez. Tino mixed in a roundhouse curve ball with a dancin' knuckler to get the job done.

The Aces' lead-off batter Dennis Crowley went 3 for 4, but was left stranded all four times he reached base. A double by the Aces' Pete Peters produced two runs in the sixth, but the Rattlers added four in the 7th inning and two more in the 8th inning to win going away. Third baseman Bob Daliege singled in a run, as did Aces' shortstop Tim Tolson, but some timely hitting by the Rattlers through out the game and a handful of errors by the Aces took its toll on starter Arnie White, who went six innings, allowing 10 runs, but just two were earned.

Price watch: As for me, I scored twice, but went 0-4 as I continue to get thrown out or reach on a fielder's choice. I also pitched two innings, allowing two runs, while walking four and striking out just two batters.

Arizona fans get ready for Bucknell

Bucknell is coming to town...so brace yourself all you Arizona fans and deal with it.

The Wildcats (23-11) garner a top seed in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament and will tangle with 8th-seeded Bucknell on Wednesday at McKale Center. Tip off slated for 6 p.m. By the way, the Bison are 24-9 and this will be their first-ever appearance in the NIT.

The Bison and the Wildcats, go figure!

Wildcats grab another series sweep

The Arizona baseball team captured its second consecutive series sweep with a 9-8 win over Eastern Michigan today at Hi Corbett Field as they improved to 13-2 on the young season, the best start to a season under head coach Andy Lopez in his 11 seasons at the school. Robert Refsnyder won the game for the 'Cats today with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The 7th-ranked Wildcats head for Houston for two games with Rice on March 13-14. Rice is currently ranked No. 5 in the nation.

Aces to tangle with Rattlers at Mission Manor

The 60-and-over Aces will travel to the south side on Tuesday to take on the Arizona Rattlers at Mission Manor Park. In February, the Aces took care of business beating both the Rattlers and the other south side team, the Old Pueblo Club. We'll see what March has in store for us, we can only hope the windy days are over for a while as the Aces will send 70-year-old righthander Arnie White to the mound against our old nemesis.

The Aces' starting lineup and probable positions for Tuesday:

Dennis Crowley - CF
Ted Davis - 1B
Arnie White - P
Tim Tolson - SS
Danny Price - 2B
Lloyd Barzell - LF
Bob Daliege - 3B
Pete Peters - C
Jerry Hamelin - RF
Joe Dinich - OF/sub
Billy Heiny - OF/sub

9 A.M. warmup, 9:30 start, location near Valencia/12th Ave.

Madness in March!

Arizona made it to the Pac-12 tournament final, unfortunately, all hope ended there for any chance of the Wildcats making it to the NCAA tourney. It was "madness in March" on Saturday, March 10, instead of a trip to March Madness next week as Arizona falls to Colorado, 53-51, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The Wildcats go 18 for 49 from the field and make 10 of 18 foul shots, those two stats alone will make a Wildcat fan cringe. Kyle Fogg scores 14 points for Arizona and Solomon Hill mustered up 13. And now it's on to the National Invitational Tournament.

Wildcats advance to Pac-12 tourney final

A 14-3 run to start the second half, spearheaded by three long-range bombs from Nick Johnson, Brendon Lavender and Kyle Fogg brought Arizona back from a dismal showing in the first half as the Wildcats went on to beat the Oregon State Beavers,72-61, in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament tonight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Down 34-27 at the half, the Wildcats led 54-42 midway through the half and held on down the stretch to knock the surprising Beavers out of the tournament. Jesse Perry played a big part in the Wildcats' comeback as well, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half. Fogg did his thing as usual -- scoring 22 points, 17 of them coming in the final 20 minutes of action. And now it's on to the tourney final and one win away from a Pac-12 title...and another trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Red-eye report: Up early...just couldn't sleep...just had to know. Colorado upsets California. We play the Buffs! Go figure!

Wildcats' baseball team takes on Eastern Michigan

With another win yesterday, this time 6-4 over Cal-Davis, No. 7 Arizona (10-2) carries a five-game win streak into this weekend's series against Eastern Michigan. My man Johnny Field continues to lead the Arizona hitters with a .439 average. Field has 18 hits on the season. Robert Refsnyder has 20 hits to lead the 'Cats and carries a .408 average into the Eastern Michigan series. Joey Rickard also has 18 hits, but has a few more official at bats and is third in batting with a .367 average.

All three are very good players and fun to watch.

Hill, Perry and Fogg lead the Cats to the Pac-12 tourney semifinals

Solomon Hill scored 25 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to lead Arizona to a 66-58 win over UCLA at the Staples Center in Los Angeles today to advance to the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament.

Hill, with an Oscar-like performance, received plenty of help from a couple of players in supporting roles --Kyle Fogg with 13 points and Jesse Perry with 16 points, including 12 of 13 from the free throw line. Perry crashed the boards as well ending up with a dozen for the game.

And can you believe it? Oregon State upsets the top-seeded Washington Huskies, 86-84, earlier today and will take on the Wildcats tomorrow night.

Go Wildcats!

Nothing but bad news...

Nothing but bad news on the front page of the sports section in our local paper this morning, with the exception of the story at the bottom of the Arizona Daily Star concerning the victory in the first-round of the Pac-12 women's tournament by our Wildcats (Arizona 61, UCLA 57).

Four Arizona football players arrested at a UA-area party...and the little clip on another suspension for basketball player Josiah Turner. I decided to fix me another cup of coffee, throw the paper aside and play with my new i-phone for a while. Of course, it is only five in the morning and I have a good 10 hours to settle down before the Wildcats take on UCLA in the second round of the men's Pac-12 tournament.

We will wait and see what bad news...or good, comes our way by late this afternoon. Oh, the joys of a Wildcat fan!

The Clarence Fieber Memorial Game a close one...

TOTS Baseball

Team Blue hung on to beat Team White today 4-2 at Tucson Udall Park in the Clarence Fieber Memorial Game. The good news: I finally got some wood on the ball as I knocked in both runs and went 3 for 3, while playing third base for the White Team. The bad news: Team Blue came out the winners today, behind 73-year-old Chico Bigham who collected two hits and drove in two runs, while pitcher Billy Heiny -- the 82-year-old right-hander, went the distance and picked up the win.

Right-hander Ed Rife, 75, took the loss and all four runs were unearned as the Blue Team committed five errors. The gusty winds played havoc on the players and onlookers today, but approximately 50 people gathered after the game to honor Fieber, who passed away last May at the age of 91, the oldest TOT to take the field in the 45-year history of the Tucson Old Timers Baseball club.

Ceremony honoring Clarence Fieber set for today at Udall Park

After the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) dress out game today, a ceremony honoring Clarence Fieber, the oldest player to ever take the field of play for the organization, will have a bench, behind home plate, dedicated in his honor. Fieber passed away at the age of 91 on May 28,2011. Clarence will be missed and thought of often by his family, his friends, and his TOTS' teammates. Clarence was, and as I had said in a previous post, the "Energizer Bunny"... he never quit...and never stopped playing baseball, til the very end of his fabulous life.

Photos: Clarence (top photo) and the Memorial bench in bottom photo.

Added Photos (after the ceremony)

Enjoyed the Az Wildcats' game at Hi Corbett

I

 had a chance to get away from the house yesterday and watch the Arizona Wildcats play Cal-Davis at Hi Corbett. Despite the wind, it was a great way to watch a college baseball game. Moving to Hi Corbett was a great move for the 'Cats...and the hot dogs were only a $1.00 and if you wanted a beer you'd need to dish out $4.00 (no suds after the fifth inning).

As for the Wildcats, they are a very, very good team. The Wildcats beat the Aggies, 6-0, and will play a second game today at 1 p.m. The wind kept the ball in the park yesterday. As for my favorite player, Johnny Field...he's a ballplayer. Currently leading the team in hitting, Field had a bunt single yesterday, walked once and scored a couple of runs. Defensively, the 'Cats whip the ball around with speed, agility, strong arms...etc. The Wildcats are currently ranked 7th in the nation...and I can see why!

Photo: From section K, Row 10, Seat 1...my seat for the game, a gift from a TOT teammate.

Another practice in the books with 38-and-over Tucson MSBL team

I got through another practice Sunday afternoon with the Mountain Blackbirds, along with my 47-year-old son, Michael. We both made it through Week 4 with just a few minor scrapes. The 38-and-over Tucson Men's Senior Baseball League (TMSBL) team, which begins its season in April, has some big dudes...and all very, very young, compared to this old timer. Michael and I got our hats yesterday, pretty cool...on the front of the black and orange hat is a blackbird, perched on a yellow bat. Our jerseys will have "Orioles" embroidered across the front. Another practice is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

We will see if my body can withstand another workout.

And the Pima Cup goes to...

There was a big youth soccer tournament this weekend and my granddaughter and her team, the CDO Comets, came within a goal of winning the Silver Division of the Pima Cup in the 11-and-under group. After winning their first three games, Hannah and the Comets (sounds like a rock group ), lost in their finale to the Tucson Soccer Academy Blue team, 2-1, Sunday at Jacobs Park. The difference in the match turned out to be a kick by the TSA's goalie, who kicked the ball the length of the field. Somehow the ball scooted, right, then left, bounced up and around and through the Comets' goalie. The championship of the Pima Cup so close for the Comets, but they would settle for runner-up. Way to go Hannah and the Comets!

Photo captions: Photo 1, granddaughter Bree getting advice on the sidelines from Papa, while her sister, Hannah, plays in the Pima Cup. Photo 2, granddaughter Hannah, on the end of the bench, taking a much-needed break from the match.

Congratulations to the 'Cats on a series sweep this weekend

It wasn't good news for the Arizona Wildcats in basketball today, but the baseball team, now that's a different story. Arizona sweeps Harvard in a three-game series this weekend to improve to 8-2 on the season. Three players continue to pound the ball for the Wildcats. Johnny Field had three hits today to increase his team-leading batting average to .457 for his first 10 games of action. Robert Refsnyder is next in line at .415 and Joey Rickard is hitting at a .366 clip.

Next up for the Wildcats, Cal-Davis on Tuesday at Hi Corbett Field.

The bubble burst!

The Arizona State Sun Devils pulled off the shocker today in Tempe. I must admit, I saw it coming. The Sun Devils, with nothing to lose and a chance to stick a dagger in the heart of the Wildcats...and their fans, did just that as they beat Arizona, 87-80. The Wildcats fall to 21-10 and finish the Pac-12 regular season at 12-6.

Now it's on to the Pac-12 tourney and a matchup Thursday against the UCLA Bruins or the USC Trojans. Arizona needs to win the Pac-12 Tournament, or forget a trip to the NCAA Tournament and settle for an NIT bid. Unless, the powers-to-be on the NCAA committee pull out another shocker..and pencil Arizona in. Don't see that happening.

TOTS' newcomer throws underhand...

TOTS Baseball


Pete Peters, 62, joined the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club in 2011. He is one of the newest members of the club, which has had a flux of just-turned-60-something ball players recently join the organization. Peters, formerly a fastpitch softball pitcher, back in the late 1970s and early 1980s -- playing for such teams as Davis Monthan Air Force Base and Hays Roofing, has been forced to return to his underhand, throwing motion in recent TOTS' games, due to a rotator cuff injury. Peters, a catcher, can fire the baseball underhand back to the mound, just about as fast as some of the pitcher's tosses, which are coming his way.

He can even sail a one-hopper to second base with ease. "Yep, I played a lot of fast pitch softball, still kinda miss it," Peters said, following today's game, held at Jesse Owens Park. "I played mostly on the base (at DMAFB) and down at Santa Rita Park. There was a lot of men's fastpitch in Tucson 30 to 40 years ago." Peters seems right at home playing baseball. He's a consistent hitter and fields his position well. It's okay with me...as long as he doesn't throw me out at first base (underhanded), if...and that's a big if, I were to lay down a bunt, which I don't do very often with the TOTS. I like to hit too much.

TOTS footnote: Finding players 60-and-over who are willing to strap on the catching gear and venture behind the plate are hard to find, but the TOTS have a handful of young (I mean young as in 60 to 65) players willing to do so. Chuck Sabalos (62), Dennis Crowley (62), Mike Steele (64) and John Petrick (69...70 on Monday) see there share of action behind the plate. The TOTS even have a trio of 75-and-over members willing to put on the gear and go the distance. The three: Ron Kwart (78), Dick McAnally (79) and Billy Heiny (82). And for my new readers out there, who are reading my stuff for the first time, I'm not making this up. Hats off to all the above!

It was a good day for Teddy Davis

TOTS Baseball

The youngest member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club had a great day at Jesse Owens Park this morning. Teddy Davis, 61, pitched a complete game, struck out three and walked only two, and topped the game off with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 7th inning to drive in the winning run. The final score was 3-2 as Davis and his TOTS' teammates beat 69-year-old starting pitcher Doc Thompson, who pitched well for five innings (six strikeouts, only one walk), before giving way to 82-year-old reliever Billy Heiny in the sixth inning.

With the score deadlocked at 2-2, 70-year-old Arnie White doubled to left field and Bob Daliege, 63, reached on an infield single, sending White to third. Davis then sent a Heiny change up to left field, deep enough to score the game winner. The TOTS are having their home park at Udall repaired and have spent the week with games at Jesse Owens, where it is over 410 feet down both the left field and right field line. The TOTS return to Udall next week, and it is alright with the players. The Udall fences measure in at 300 feet down both the left and right field lines.

TOTS' footnote: As for me, 1 for 2 today and scored a run. I'll take it. That's .500 for the month of March. Unfortunately, I was on the losing team today.

Just beat the Sun Devils!

The Arizona Wildcats just need to beat the Arizona State Sun Devils on Sunday in Tempe. Take a gander at the Pac-12 standings this morning:

Team/Pac 12 record/overall record

Washington 14-3 / 21-8
California 13-4 / 23-7
Oregon 12-5 / 21-8
Arizona 12-5 / 21-9
Colorado 11-6 / 19-10
UCLA 10-7 / 17-13
Stanford 9-8 / 19-10
Oregon St 6-11/ 16-13
Wash State 6-11/ 14-15
Arizona St 5-12/ 9-20
Utah 3-14/ 6-23
USC 1-16/ 6-24

Standings footnote: Four teams with 20+ wins, eight teams with winning seasons.Only the Atlantic 10, Big East, Big 10 and SEC currently have more teams with more wins overall than losses.

Metal versus Wood...

I played with the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) yesterday at Jesse Owens Park, our temporary home field as our diamond at Tucson Udall Park is being resurfaced, so to speak. Seems a little weird playing at a different park, but it all worked out and it was quite a game by the way, 9-8.

The winners had to overcome an end side the park home run by 61-year-old Teddy Davis, but once again the winning pitcher was Billy Heiny (82), who teamed up with battery mate John Petrick -- who just happens to turn 70 on Monday, by the way -- to hurl another complete game. Seventy-year-old Arnie White was saddled with the loss, but pitched well, also going the distance.

As for me, I grabbed my wood bat out of my bag and used it for the first time this year. If I'm going to play in the 38-and-over wood bat league in April, I'd better start trying out the timber. Of course, most all of the TOTS use metal bats -- the ball goes a lot further, and believe me, the shots hit off the metal bats can be a lot harder to handle, even when the hitters are 60-and-over. Somehow, I did manage a single, a double and knocked in a couple of runs...and was on the winning team for a change. I walked...and struck out as I got caught looking on a great curve ball, thrown by White.

I guess you can strike out with a metal or a wood bat! Fortunately, I keep the strike outs to a minimum in the old timers' league. It may be a different story, come April when I face the 75 to 80 mph offerings from a 38 year old! Still love the sound of the wood bat...but I have to admit the results off the metal bat are a bit more pleasing.

Finally, March 1...

Finally, March 1! It won't be long now before March Madness begins. But, today at least, the Arizona Wildcats and their fans get to sit back and watch the other Pac-12 teams knock each other off...and again on Saturday. Of course, it'll be our turn on Sunday up in Tempe.

It'll be interesting, to say the least, what the Pac-12 standings look like before the Wildcats take to the court against our rival, the Arizona State Sun Devils. Let's hope the pieces fall into place for the Wildcats. Should be another heart-throbbing 31 days in March for all of us Wildcat fans.

Go,'Cats!