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.