Blackbirds look to get even in Tucson MSBL standings

 


The 38-and-over Blackbirds (3-4) will try to get to the .500 mark this Thursday in the Mountain Division standings of the Tucson MSBL when they take on the unbeaten A's at Reid Park, beginning at 7 p.m. The Blackbirds enjoyed a bye week and should be ready to roll with the exception of reserve infielder Dan Price (yours truly) who will be out for the season after having foot surgery last Friday.

The Blackbirds added two players to the roster this week -- 40-year-old Carlos Pargas, an infielder, and Jaime Cuesto, 47, who pitches and plays infield and outfield. Both new players will come in handy as the Blackbirds continue their surge to the top of the standings, after winning three of their last four games. The A's have a team batting average of  .501, so it's easy to see why they're in first place. As for the Blackbirds, Hector Iglecias continues to lead the team in hitting with a .592 average. Iglecias has 16 hits and also leads the team in runs scored with 13.

Wildcats get Missouri in regional opener

The top-seeded Arizona Wildcats baseball team draws the 4th-seeded Missouri Tigers in the first round of the NCAA Tucson Regional. New Mexico State, the two-seed, take on  Louisville, the three-seed, Friday night at Hi Corbett Field. Game time set for 4 p.m. The Wildcats play the Tigers at 8 p.m.

Go Arizona!

More bad news regarding my fantasy baseball team

You don't replace Roy Halladay, but the Phillies soon could be confronted with the burden of finding someone to fill in for their ace after he left Sunday's 8-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals with shoulder soreness.

And wouldn't you know it, Halladay is a member of my rotation on my fantasy baseball team. Now that I'm laid up for the next six months (recovering from foot surgery) I guess I can focus on my fantasy team. I'm currently in 10th place in the 12-team WBL (Weekend Baseball League). I've got a lot of work to do. I'll keep you posted.

Arizona D'backs win 2 of 3 over Brewers

The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Brewers 4-3 today at Chase Field and capture two of  three games over Milwaukee this weekend to improve to 22-26.

Paul Goldschmidt, who is my first baseman on my fantasy baseball team, finally went yard with his third homer of the season. I wish he'd get hot and hit a few more. My fantasy team could certainly use more production out of him and it would make the Diamondback fans a lot happier.

Way to go Wildcats!

Johnny Field singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning today at Hi Corbett Field as the 13th-ranked Arizona Wildcats edged ASU 8-7 and will share the Pac-12 title with  the ninth-ranked UCLA Bruins. What a Pac-12 race! And as an extra treat it was announced today that Arizona will host the regionals next week.

Congrats, 'Cats!

First 48 hours is a killer

It's been 48 hours since my surgery on my right foot. I put the surgery off for a year...and now I wish I'd waited another year. The doctor shaved off the fractured bone spur in my right heel and worked on the Achilles tendon. The rumor is he may have done a little extra. I'll find out what that's all about in 10 days when I hobble into the Tucson Orthopedic Center for a visit.

It is painful, guys...make no bones about it.

Arizona beats Dodgers

The Arizona Diamondbacks salvage Game 3 against the LA Dodgers last night at Chase Field. Joe Saunders gets his third win of the season as the Diamondbacks cruised to an 11-4 victory over the Dodgers, thanks in part to home runs by Ryan Roberts and Juston Upton. Arizona remains in third place in the National League West with a 20-25 record as they take on the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game series, beginning Friday at Chase Field. It's a struggle.

Good news: Chris Young is back. Bad news: The Dodgers are still 10 1/2 games ahead of the Diamondbacks in the standings.

The Doctor says I'm done

I've been nursing a fractured bone spur in my right heel for about nine months. I  took some time off from playing baseball last winter, hoping the injury would somehow go away without surgery. And for a short time it did. I played fifty or so games this spring, including the last seven weeks with a team in the Tucson MSBL, the 38-and-over Mountain Division Blackbirds.

Last Thursday, I came up limping after a double play attempt at second base. By Sunday night, the pain in the heel was back and on Monday morning I made an appointment with my foot and ankle doctor. It didn't take long for the doctor to set up the surgery for this Friday.

The fractured spur is pushing on the Achilles tendon, which is the main reason I haven't been able to beat out those infield hits. According to the doctor, if I end up injuring the Achilles, I'll  really have problems. As it stands, I'll be off the playing field for six months! And that means no MSBL World Series in October, once again, for yours truly. But, I'll be back.

Wildcats win 2 of 3 at USC

The Arizona Wildcats beat the Trojans 6-1 today at USC and capture the three-game series two games to one and head into next weekend's three-game series at High Corbett Field needing to sweep the Sun Devils to have a chance at the Pac-12 title. Even then the Wildcats will need a little help from the Oregon State Beavers in order to capture the conference championship. Oregon heads into its final conference series with the Beavers with a one game lead in the Pac-12 standings over the Wildcats.

The Ducks are 19-8 in conference play, while Arizona, after its win today over the Trojans, are 18-9. The Wildcats are alone in second place in the conference thanks to the California Bears. The Bears beat UCLA, 6-5, in Berkeley today as the Bruins drop to third in the standings with a 17-10 record.

D'backs return home after 4-3 road trip

The Arizona Diamondbacks pick up a series win today in Kansas City as they blank the Royals 2-0 behind a strong seven-inning performance from pitcher Wade Miley. The D'backs finish 4-3 on their current road trip and return to Chase Field for a six-game home stand with the LA Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers. Miley goes seven innings, strikes out three and walks just two batters as he improves to 5-1 on the season.

The Diamondbacks improve to 19-23 on the year. Way to go, D'backs! Keep battling.

Blackbirds blast D'backs

The Blackbirds banged out eight extra base hits en route to a 11-7 win over the Diamondbacks last night at Reid Park to pick up their third win of the season in the Mountain Division of the Tucson MSBL. The  "Flyin' Flynn" led he Blackbirds' attack by going 3 for 3, including two doubles and a booming triple. Left fielder Sean Flynn also drove in two runs and was a thorn in the side of the D'backs all night, while David Delk added to the Blackbirds' onslaught with a bases-loaded  double. Right hander Hector Iglecias singled in a run and also hit an inside-the-park home run, while going the distance on the mound for his third win of season. Iglecias struck out six and walked four, while giving up six hits. Rick Rochon, coming off a leg injury, added a double and a triple in three at bats, while first baseman Tom Bolen  singled and doubled.

Alex Oropeza and Michael Price also singled as the Blackbirds recorded a total of 12 hits to improve their team batting average to .340 and their overall record to 3-4 on the season. The Blackbirds have a bye week and then take on the division leader, the A's, on Thursday May 31.

Price watch: I walked in my first at bat in the second inning and scored a run, but in the third on a double play attempt at second base I collided with the runner and reinjured my right heel. I lined out to the shortstop and grounded out to the pitcher in my final two at bats as my batting average dips to a cool .227.

Journey thru the MABL/MSBL

My goal this year may simply be unattainable. In honor of the 25th year of the Mens Adult Baseball League (MABL) Mens Senior Baseball League (MSBL), I will attempt to play in the 60-and-over division, the 65-and-over division and even the 70-and-over division at the organization's annual World Series, which will be be held in Phoenix, beginning on October 15. I have been granted a waiver to play in the over 70s and will play for the Arizona Scorpions. According to the Scorpions manager Dohrman Sinclair, the team has been awarded three waivers for players under the age of  70, with the only restriction being the player may not pitch in the playoffs, which will take place after all the teams have played five qualifying games. The trick is to stay healthy through out the process. The first leg of my journey is already unfolding as I have played six weeks in the local Tucson Mens Senior Baseball League (TMSBL) with the Mountain Blackbirds, a 38-and-over team. I will need to stay injury free the next three months in the local wood-bat league as 12 games still remain to be played on Thursday  nights at Reid Park. If I survive the summer in the Tucson MSBL, I should be ready for the MSBL World Series in October. In order to complete my goal in the World Series, I would need to play possible 24 or 25 games during that  three-week span. Am I crazy?

Diamondbacks are on a downward spiral

The Arizona Diamondbacks are on a downward spiral. The D'backs lose again today, falling to the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field.  Arizona's offense produces only five hits in a 7-3 loss to the Giants as the D'backs fall to 15-20 on the season. Not pretty!

Wildcats sweep Cal

The Arizona Wildcats kept pace with the Oregon Ducks in the race for the top dog in the Pac-12 Conference race by sweeping the California Bears this weekend. Johnny Field went 4-for-5 with a home run as the 14th-ranked  Arizona baseball team completed a three-game series sweep of California with a 7-4 victory today in Berkeley. Arizona improves to 33-15 overall and 16-8 in Pac-12 play and remains tied in the loss column with first-place Oregon. The Ducks (37-14 overall, 18-8 in conference play) finish off a three-game series tomorrow against the USC Trojans in Eugene, Oregon. Way to go, Wildcats!

Blackbirds find a way to win despite key injuries

The 38-and-over Blackbirds have won two games and lost four in the Tucson Mens Senior Baseball League, but if  last night's 12-8 victory over the Reds at Reid Park  is any indication, look for them to move up in the MSBL Mountain Division standings in the coming weeks. Last night, the Blackbirds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Reds scored five in the bottom of the inning and looked like they were going to take control of the game. And to make matters worse, the Blackbirds' starting pitcher Sean Flynn came up with a hamstring pull in the second inning and  had to be replaced by Hector Iglecias. Instead of folding up, the Blackbirds fought back. They scored 10 more runs in the middle innings as everyone in the lineup chipped in and when the Reds came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning, for their final at bat, the Blackbirds had a four-run lead and needed just three outs to win their second game of the season. Iglecias coaxed the Reds' batters to go quietly as hard hit ground balls to third-sacker Allen Gillespie, shortstop Sean Rollins and second baseman Danny Price resulted in a 1-2-3 inning. The Blackbirds started the game without two starters in the lineup. Dave Delk and Rich Rochon are nursing injuries, causing manager Robin Badart to change the lineup around, but to the Blackbirds credit they still didn't fold and found a way to win. Iglecias, who leads the league in hits with 14, went 4 for 5 last night, while first baseman Tom Bolen knocked in three runs and is now second on the club with six RBI. Badart leads the Blackbirds in runs batted in with eight. The Mountain A's are the only undefeated team in the division. The Blackbirds are in seventh place and take on the winless D'backs next Thursday at Reid Park.

Price Watch: My son, Michael, went 1 for 3 last night and knocked in a run. He also walked once. Yours truly went 1 for 3, walked once and scored twice.


The Tucson MSBL Mountain Division (Wood Bat) standings:

Team          W      L

 A's              5      0 


Yankees       4     1

Phillies          4     1 

Braves          3    2 

Beantown
Bombers      2.5  2.5

Reds            2.5  3.5 

Blackbirds    2    4

RedSox        1    4 

Dbacks        0    6 

60-and-over Aces top Rattlers

Super Senior Baseball


The 60-and-over Aces banged out 22 hits and scored in every inning today at Mission Manor Park en route to 19-14 win over the Arizona Rattlers. The Aces jumped out to a 10-2 lead after three innings and cruised to a super-senior victory over the Rattlers as every player in the lineup hit safely. Right-hander Tom Barrow was saddled with the loss, while Doc Thompson pitched the first three innings for the Aces and  Arnie White came on in relief and pitched the final  four innings.  Dennis Crowley and Ted Davis combined for eight of the Aces 22  hits, while Lloyd Barzell, Jerry Hamelin, Pete Cerenzia, Pete Peters, Billy Heiny, Thompson, White and yours truly contributed to the onslaught. Aces' manager Floyd Lance was pleased with the effort. "I think that's the most runs we've ever scored off those guys," Lance said. The Rattlers used three pitchers to try to cool off the Aces  --  including knuckleballer Tino Naverez, who relieved Barrow in the third inning, but the visiting Aces kept on rolling and has now won three of the last four games over their crosstown rivals.

Game note: I went 2 for 5 today, but for the second time in the last three weeks, I broke one of my wooden bats. All of my teammates used aluminium today ( with the exception of Jerry Hamelin, who always uses a wood bat). I should have left my Louisville Slugger in my bat bag today. Tom Barrow, the Rattlers' starter, said after the game that he threw me his best slider of the day and heard the bat crack. I tried to get Tom to throw in a couple of bucks, but he wouldn't bite. Oh well, it's back to Sports Authority for another Louisville Slugger. 

Diamondbacks go 5-5 on the road

The Arizona Diamondbacks head home tonight after losing another series. This time, they fall to the New York Mets 3-1 today and end up losing two of the three games to finish with a 5-5 record for their latest road trip. The Diamondbacks (14-15) head back to Chase Field, looking for some answers.

Wildcats can say so long to first place in Pac-12 for now

Pac 12 Conference Baseball

The Arizona Wildcats can say so long to first place in the Pac-12 conference standings for now. Oregon  held off the Wildcats at Hi Corbett Field today to win the rubber game of the three-game series, 3-1.  Arizona falls to 30-15 overall and 13-8 in the conference. The Bruins (34-14), by winning two of the three games,  takes over sole possession of first place in the conference with a 16-8 record.

Blackbirds to face Reds in TMSBL matchup

I'll get a chance to play against some of my old teammates Thursday at Reid Park. The Mountain Blackbirds will take on the Mountain Reds in a 38-and-over Tucson Mens Senior Baseball League matchup. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The Mountain Reds have four players on their roster who are teammates of mine on the Tucson Aces,   a  60-and-over MSBL World Series team. The Aces, who competed in the annual Phoenix senior baseball tournament in 2010 but failed to make it to the championship rounds, almost won it all in 2011 as they won their first five games to reach  the playoffs and then went on to finish second at the World Series, losing in the championship finale to a team from El Paso. The four players, Ozzie Espinoza, Joe Jimenez, Marc Sewell and Arnold Mares -- all TMSBL Hall of Famers, are currently members of the Reds, a team which has a game and a half lead over the Blackbirds in the standings as we head into the sixth week of action in the wood-bat league at Reid Park.

Yankees fly by Blackbirds

The 38-and-over Yankees of  the Tucson Mens Senior Baseball League have some "big boys" in their starting lineup. If they aren't the best team in the TMSBL, they are certainly close, but one thing is for sure they parade a starting unit to the plate which will get your attention. The Yankees muscled their way to their fourth win of the young season Thursday night at Reid Park as they overpowered the Blackbirds, 12-6.

The Blackbirds dropped to 1-4 in the Mountain Division of the TMSBL, while the Yankees moved to 4-1. The Yankees had trouble with the Blackbirds early on and led just 4-3 after four innings, but in the fifth the Yankees flexed their muscles with a two-out three-run rally and never looked back. The Blackbirds, thanks in part to a two-RBI single up the middle by catcher Robin Badart, put together a three-run rally in the eighth and final inning, but that would be all they could muster off of the Yankees' ace Butch Washington.

The Yankee right hander threw an assortment of pitches,  mainly a hard-breaking curve ball and a nasty slider, while changing speeds on his fastball to keep the Blackbirds at bay. When the dust had settled, the Blackbirds were able to record just eight hits, while the Yankees finished with 18 hits. Every player in the Yankees lineup hit safely, except for Washington, who went hitless in four trips to the plate.

The Blackbirds face the Mountain Reds next week.

Price Watch:  As for me, a pretty uneventful night. Walked once and struck out once, while my son, Michael, went 1 for 3 and scored a run.

Crowley, Rhoades sizzle in April

The "old boys of summer" pounded out a lot of hits at Udall Park last month.

Dave Rhoades, 67, led the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club in hitting for the month of April. Rhoades collected 15 hits in just 23 at bats for a .652 batting average, while Dennis Crowley, 62, finished second with 20 hits in 32 at bats for a .625 average. Lloyd Barzell, 61, finished third with 20  hits in 36 plate appearances, while Bob Daliege ended up fourth with 14 hits in 23 trips to the plate.  Barzell batted  .556 and played in 10 games, while Daliege, 62,  played in just seven games and finished the month with a healthy .609 average.

That left yours truly in fifth place as I picked up 18 hits in 36 trips to the plate to finish at an even .500. I did top the leader board in RBI with 12, while three players -- Peter Peters , 63, Ted Davis, 61, and Daliege -- knocked in eight runs apiece. (stat leaders based on a minimum of seven games played).

My fantasy team takes a hit

Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria is my main man on my Weekend Baseball League (WBL) fantasy team. Longoria has been the most productive player on my fantasy squad with four home runs, 19 RBI and a healthy .329 batting average during the month of April. He'll be on the DL for all of May and maybe into June as he nurses a hamstring tear and I'll be hard pressed to find a player to fill his shoes.

I do have Atlanta's Chipper Jones on my roster and will have to count on the Braves' third sacker to carry the load at that position for the next few weeks. Oh well, the life of a fantasy baseball owner. I'm already struggling to stay out of the cellar in my fantasy league as I continue to get very little production out of my other position players. And my pitching, well I've taken in on the chin there as well. The leader of my pitching staff, the Phillies' Roy Halladay, has lost two in a row. That's enough complaining, let's see what happens next week.