Looking forward to 2013

The final hours of 2012 are dwindling away. It's time for those new year resolutions. You know,  those promises you make to yourself, like: lose weight, stop smoking, stop drinking and exercise more. Or bigger things like: find a job, rid yourself of debt, or win the lottery. This year I think I'll just make a few minor adjustments and the heck with it. First, cut down on the trips to the donut shop, or at least leave out the donuts. After all, I don't smoke, I drink a lot less alcohol (none really, except for an occasional Margarita), and I limit my candy intake, so I think I'll continue with my daily cup of Dunkin' Donut coffee. My biggest Christmas gift this year: a gift card (you guessed it) to be used at any Dunkin' Donut shop.

Secondly, I'll be 68 in July, so there's no reason to look for a job, besides I'm getting the hang of living on social security. My secret: stay at home and don't buy anything. The fact I have socks in my top dresser drawer from the 1970s is something I'll continue to overlook. As for the lottery, I doubt I'll bother. For years now, I've been lucky if I can come up with one number per ticket, much less two, or three. From what I understand, you need to get all the numbers to win. And the winner, well, they historically come from someone 3,000 miles away at a country store in the middle of nowhere in a town  I never heard of.

I have decided to just look forward to 2013. Be happy with just getting up in the morning, let the bones rattle a bit and then have at it. Instead of resolutions, I'll just make some wishes. Stay healthy, keep on playing the game of baseball and hope for the best.

Pac 12 struggling in bowl games

Thanks to the Arizona Wildcats and the Arizona State Sun Devils (did I actually say that in the same breathe) the Pac 12 Conference has two wins to date in the post season. Arizona started things on Dec. 15 with a thrilling 49-48 come-from-behind win over Nevada at the New Mexico Bowl and yesterday afternoon Arizona State rolled over Navy 62-28 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco.

But, it ends there.

Washington falls to Boise State (28-26) in the Las Vegas Bowl,  UCLA gets manhandled by Baylor 49-26 in the Holiday Bowl and Texas edged Oregon State 31-27 in the Alamo Bowl, played in San Antonio last night.

A 2-3 record for the Pac-12 with just three chances left to get back on the winning side of the ledger. USC will get its shot on Monday against Georgia Tech at the Sun Bowl in El Paso. Stanford, of course, will get its shot on New Year's Day at the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin and Oregon will have to wait until next Thursday for its matchup with Kansas State at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale.

The most exciting bowl game so far: Arizona and Nevada. Ninety-Seven points scored...the most points scored by two teams of the 19 bowl games played thus far. It's just too bad the New Mexico Bowl couldn't have been played in 75 degree weather and in front of a crowd of 50,000 instead of 24,610. To put that in perspective, the Alamo Bowl drew 65,277 fans last night.

My Pick: Green Bay vs New England

The final week of the NFL regular season is here. Time to pick a winner. When all is said and done, Houston and Atlanta will falter. Seattle will fall short and those two early-season front runners -- Atlanta and Houston -- will exit the playoffs early. My picks to make it to the Super Bowl are Green Bay and New England. Aaron Rodgers versus Tom Brady. Which team will win it all? My guess is New England will prevail and get a game-winning catch from the former University of Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski, who will come off the injured list and take the Packers to another title.

You think I'm crazy? Could be. In reality, anything can happen. Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos could get in the way and spoil that scenario. And watch out for the Seahawks, winners of six of their last seven games. And what about Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys? Can they steal a win at Washington today and then come all the way back to win it all? Chances are slim. The Cowboys may win today, but will turn the ball over too many times in the playoffs.

Nope, I'm happy with my pick.

But as they say, anything can happen on a given Sunday in the NFL. That's what makes the NFL so much fun to watch. It's win or go home from here on out. Let's tee up the pigskin.

Arizona goes to 12-0

The Arizona Wildcats remained unbeaten with a 68-67 win tonight over 17th-ranked San Diego State in the championship game of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. Solomon Hill, the tournament's MVP, led the Wildcats with 21 points and was assisted off the bench by Kevin Parrom who pumped in 17.

But it was guard Mark Lyons who wanted the ball in his hands with 24 seconds remaining and the game on the line.  Lyons took the inbounds pass with his team trailing 67-66, let 10 seconds run off the clock, and then drove to the bucket. He was fouled on the play, went to the line and calmly sank both free throws to give the Wildcats the lead with 13.1 seconds left on the clock.

The Aztecs had plenty of time to put up the game-winner and they went to their star player Chase Tapley to get it done, but Nick Johnson came up with the play of the game as he blocked Tapley's layup attempt, allowing the Wildcats to improve to 12-0 on the season.

Johnson finished with 11 points with just one turnover, while Lyons ended up with nine points and just three turnovers. Arizona turned the ball over just eight times tonight. Tapley led the Aztecs with 19 points.

The third-ranked Wildcats head home and will begin Pac-12 Conference play on Jan. 3 at McKale Center against Colorado.

Arizona ranked No. 3 in latest AP Poll

The Arizona Wildcats reached No. 3 in the latest Associated Press poll. The poll still has Duke at  No. 1 and Michigan in the No. 2 spot. Congrats, Wildcats! San Diego State moved up a notch to No. 17. So, it's No. 3 against No. 17 on Christmas Day!

Arizona advances to title game at Hawaiian tourney

The fourth-ranked Arizona Wildcats made it look easy in the first two rounds of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. After a 20-point win in the tourney opener over East Tennessee on Saturday, the Wildcats came back tonight in Honolulu and dismantled the Miami Hurricanes, 69-50. The Wildcats hit 8 of 18 three-point attempts and led by any many as 26 in the second half. Coach Sean Miller picked up his 200th career win and his hot-shooting guard Mark Lyons led the Wildcats with 19 points. Center Kaleb Tarczewski had a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with his eight points. The Wildcats improve to 11-0, one of just five unbeaten teams in the country. Arizona will be tested on Christmas night when they go up against 18th-ranked San Diego State in the title game.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Bookemdanosports

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Bookemdanosports!

It looks like another year is in the books. So I'm sending out a special "thank you" to all my readers and especially to all my ball playin' teammates who have endured another season of aches and pains -- another full season for all of us old-timers who take the field every week at Tucson Udall Park and play the game of baseball.

We will take our positions on the field in 2013 and we will continue to play for the love of the game. I have to admit with all the "doomsday" talk going on, there was a chance we'd be moving to a different park  -- to the "big park" high above, the one that has standing room only for every game...to that state-of-the-art stadium complete with a sparkling, smooth infield -- allowing for only the best of "hops" and a soft, green, sweet-smelling outfield that allows the fielder to run...to glide safely across it, in search of a pure white, red-stitched ball with a three-word label engraved on the surface that reads "Made in Heaven."

Everyday the crowd rolls in through the turnstiles. No ticket stubs needed. There are no rain outs -- only bright, blue sky every day as far as the eye can see. And the sounds, well the music is just out of this world, "Take me out to the ball game," bellows through the giant stadium speakers. The umpire yells, "play ball!"  The "crack of the bat" is heard, followed by the turning of the heads as the crowd watches the ball spiral through the air.

No need for a scoreboard. Everyone, wins!

Arizona rolls by Oral Roberts

The fourth-ranked Arizona Wildcats rolled by Oral Roberts at McKale Center tonight. The Wildcats came out firing on all cylinders, getting raining three-pointers from Mark Lyons, Nick Johnson and Grant Jerrett en route to a 89-64 win over the Golden Eagles.  Lyons hit 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, Jerrett 3 of 3 and Johnson nailed 2 of 4 as Arizona finished with 8 of 16 three-pointers. Five players landed in double figures with Lyons leading the way with 17, while Jerrett finished with 15 and Brandon Ashley chipped in 14. Solomon Hill and Johnson completed the double-figure scoring with 12 points apiece.

The Wildcats led at the half 45-31 and showed no signs of a letup after their big win on Saturday over Florida. Coach Sean Miller sent ten players to the court in the second half and rested the starters. All ten players scored, including an eight-point effort from the big fella, Kaleb Tarczewski, who fouled out for the second time in as many games.

Wildcats eye 9th win

On paper, the fourth-ranked Arizona Wildcats should add another win to the win column tonight at McKale Center. Coach Sean Miller will make sure the Wildcats don't look past Oral Roberts (5-4). After back-to-back wins last week -- a road win over Clemson and a one-point win at home over a very good and highly-ranked Florida team, the 'Cats (8-0) are rolling and cannot afford a set back. It wouldn't be the end of the world (that's still three days away) if the Wildcats lose to Oral Roberts, but it would be a downright shame. The two teams have had one common opponent, and there again on paper the game shouldn't be close. Arizona beat UTEP 72-51 a few weeks ago, while UTEP beat Oral Roberts by 20, 69-49. Go get 'em, Wildcats. It should be a fun night at McKale.

Holy, Toledo!

TOTS Senior Sports Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


Efran Toledo singled in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning at the Kino Sports Complex this morning as the Arizona Rattlers knocked off the 60-and-over Aces, 8-7. The Aces once again came out with guns blazing as they pounded out 14 hits and led 7-4 after four innings of play. But the Rattlers kept chipping away, scoring a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to even the score.

In the top of the seventh inning, the Aces went quietly as the Rattlers' right hander Ernie Hernandez coaxed Billy Heiny, Jerry Hamelin and Dennis Crowley into grounding out and the Rattlers came to bat needing one run to clinch the win.

With one out and the leadoff batter on base, the Aces elected to walk Tom Barrow, setting up a force play at first, second or third, but Toledo found a pitch to his liking and sent a Pete Cerenzia fastball over the head of center fielder Jim Sears to plate the winning run.

Cerenzia was saddled with the loss and Hernandez picked up the win. Both pitchers went the distance, pitching all seven innings.

Catcher Tony Contreras,  first-sacker Dick Ducklow and second baseman Chico Bigham provided RBI-doubles for the Aces. The Aces continue to pound the ball every week, but today the bats turned cold down the stretch.

Both teams enjoyed playing at the Kino Sports Complex today and look forward to returning there for future games.

AP poll ranks Arizona No. 4

In light of the Wildcats'  latest win, a 65-64 victory over Florida, the AP poll has Arizona No. 4 this week in college basketball behind No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Syracuse. Way to go, Wildcats!  Louisville is No. 5 this week and Indiana falls from No. 1 to No. 6 after its loss to instate-rival Butler. Ohio State is seventh, while Florida drops three spots to No. 8. Kansas and Illinois round out the Top 10.

Arizona comes from behind to beat Florida

Mark Lyons hit a layup with seven seconds left on the clock as the Arizona Wildcats beat fifth-ranked Florida 65-64 tonight at McKale Center. The eighth-ranked Wildcats trailed Florida from the outset and trailed by 11 when their big man Kaleb Tarczewski fouled out with 5:27 left in the game. The Wildcats football team wins their bowl game over Nevada 49-48 at the Gildan New Mexico Bowl this afternoon and then cap the night off at McKale by taking down one of the top basketball teams in the country.

A great night for the University of Arizona!

Solomon Hill led the Wildcats at McKale tonight with 18 points and Nick Johnson added 15, while Lyons finished with 14 points.

Arizona steals Gildan New Mexico Bowl

Down 48-35 with 90 seconds left in the game, Arizona scores two touchdowns and executes both extra  points to steal a 49-48 win over Nevada this afternoon at the Gildan New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque. It is hard to believe Arizona (8-5) was able to pull off the feat after allowing Nevada (7-6)  to run roughshod over the Wildcats for the first 58 minutes and 30 seconds of regulation.

Heroes a plenty in this one. Ka'Deem Carey rushes for 172 yards and scores three touchdowns. Matt Scott throws three touchdown passes, rushes for another and amasses 382 yards through the air and another  21 on the ground. Austin Hill catches nine passes for 175 yards and two scores -- including a 2-yard TD pass with 42 seconds left in the game and Tyler Slavin catches the game-winner from two yards out with just 19 second left.

What a way to start the postseason bowl games!

Congrats to Mega Powers, the top dog in UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

My Fantasy Football League


Congrats to Mega Powers for winning the regular-season title in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League and to Blitz, Three Feet Right and Nut Rub for qualifying for the four-team playoffs which begin next week. Mega Powers goes in as the top seed and will tangle with fourth-seeded Nut Rub, while second-seeded Blitz battles third-seeded Three Feet Right. Mega Powers, with superstar Adrian Peterson on its roster, goes in as the favorite to win it all. Good luck to all four.

Fantasy Update: (12-23-12) Fourth-seeded Nut Rub upsets second-seeded Blitz, 135-90 for the UPC Fantasy Football League title.

Sometimes it's not how fast you throw it

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


Sometimes it's not how fast you throw it. Right hander Billy Heiny, 83, is -- how should I say it -- not known for his blazing fastball. Instead, Heiny, a retired dentist, puts plenty of bite (or something) on the ball and more times than not can cause a TOT (Tucson Old Timer) hitter fits. Case in point: Today at Udall Park,  Heiny (photo below) threw seven innings, allowed nine hits and didn't walk or strike out a batter...and won! "I just try to throw strikes," says Doc Heiny. "Some days I'm on and some days I'm not." Heiny pitched for Team Blue today and the final score: Team Blue 7, Team White 2.

While "Doc" Heiny was busy getting the job done on the mound, his teammates were busy scoring runs for him. Team Blue scored a run in the first, added four in the fourth and scored two more down the stretch. Dick "Big D" Ducklow and Pigpen Price led the Team Blue hitting barrage. Ducklow and Price went 3 for 3 and both players drove in three runs apiece.

Another gorgeous day at the ball park. The sky was blue, the air was crisp, and the temperature hovered around the mid to high 50s. Winter is coming soon, according to the local weather reports. Till then, the TOTS baseball club will continue to pile up the games in December.

Two more games are scheduled for this week at Udall -- at 9AM on Wednesday and again on Friday. For all you Easterners, well what can I say. Bundle up!

Not much to cheer about up in Phoenix

There's not a lot to cheer about at the moment if you're a die-hard Phoenix sports fan. My goodness, did the Arizona Cardinals stink it up Sunday or what? I have a hard time just pressing the number keys 5-8-0. That's Seattle 58, Arizona 0. Wow! Nine straight losses. And the Phoenix Suns, well they aren't doing much better. Suns lose to Orlando in Phoenix last night, 98-90 -- the Suns' seventh straight loss, their worse losing streak since 2004. We can't turn to baseball yet. It's only December! Let's hope the brass in the Arizona Diamondbacks' organization make some worthwhile trades in the coming months. Come April, the residents in Phoenix will need something to cheer about.

Way to go, Nick Foles!

Way to go, Nick Foles. The former Arizona Wildcat completed 32 of 51 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another as the Philadelphia Eagles beat Tampa Bay on Sunday, 23-21.

Foles hit Jeremy Maclin on a 1-yard scoring toss as time expired.

Maclin is on my fantasy football team. Foles is not. Too bad.

The Foles to Maclin heroics in the last-second of the game gives my fantasy team a 107-86 edge over the Blitz as we head into Monday Night Football. Unfortunately, I do not have any players involved in tonight's action but my opponent has two -- Houston running back Arian Foster and New England tight end Aaron Hernandez.

With a win tonight, my fantasy team, Team Priceless, would finish at 7-7 on the season, finish in a tie for fourth, but fail to make the UPC Hood Fantasy League playoffs due to overall points scored this season.

Oh well, I'll try it again next year.


Fantasy Update: Foster and Hernandez combine for 30 fantasy points on MNF as the two players put the final nail in the coffin on my fantasy season. Team Priceless finishes 6-8 and ends up in eighth place in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

'63 revisited

It's time for holiday parties, get-togethers, and social gatherings as we prepare to celebrate Christmas and the fast-approaching new year. I went to a house party last night and struck up conversations with a handful of sports-minding fellas who especially love the game of baseball. I enjoyed myself immensely. As the evening approached, I shook hands with a man sitting in the corner of the room. We briefly talked about Arizona basketball, and then I asked him his name. "My name is Cliff Myrick," the man said.

I was taken aback. In the spring of 1963, I sat in the outfield grass at my high school with the other tryout hopefuls and listened attentively to my baseball coach as he unleashed words of wisdom about the game. The coach was in his early 30s, tall, slender, and fit, and as he uttered his every word, I could see the man knew what he was talking about.

There were two men during my high school years who I remember the most and gave me a nudge from time to time, trying to push me in the right direction. I was just a kid -- a seventeen-year-old who knew very little about baseball...about life in general. One of the men was my journalism advisor and English teacher, John G. Carlton, and my baseball coach, Cliff Myrick.

I haven't seen John G in 50 years and often wonder what happened to him. And before last night, the last time I saw Pima County Hall of Famer Cliff Myrick was that lazy spring day in 1963.

Coach Myrick is a Tucson sports legend. He coached baseball at Catalina High School for 27 years. Now 84, Myrick is still involved in the Tucson sports scene. He has officiated basketball and football games for 50 years and looks fit enough to run up and down a football field with his whistle.

Myrick was a star baseball player at Tucson High School in 1945. He batted .533 his senior year and led the Badgers to the state title. He went on to play outfield for Frank Sancet at the University of Arizona and finally ended up as the head baseball coach at Catalina, where he won a state title in 1967.

A lot has been written about Coach Myrick over the years, and I'm happy to add this tidbit. I told Coach Myrick my name as we ended our brief conversation. I'm not sure he recognized me; probably not. I was a curly-headed, dark-haired kid back in 1963. Last night, I was a 67-year-old gray-haired man, smiling from ear to ear as I said "hello" to my Catalina High School baseball coach.

Arizona gets it done at Clemson

The Arizona Wildcats get it done at Clemson. Mark Lyons leads the way with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and one steal as the Wildcats slip by Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum, 66-54. The Wildcats held the Tigers to just five points in the first ten minutes, let them battle their way back and then put the claps on down the stretch to pick up their seventh win of the season and second road win. The Tigers score just 24 in the first half and 30 in the second half in front of their home crowd. Mission accomplished for the Wildcats as they head home and prepare for Florida. Congrats, Wildcats. Way to go!

Tigers known for its Tiger Paw footprint; Wildcats need to leave their footprint at Clemson

The Clemson Tigers are known for its Tiger Paw footprint and they certainly have left plenty of them behind after successful collegiate wins in all sports at one time or another. But tonight, it's the Arizona Wildcats who need to leave their footprint behind as they take on the Tigers in a basketball game at Clemson. The Wildcats have certainly gotten off on the right foot this season with an 8th in the country ranking and a 6-0 record.

Tonight, in front of a national TV audience and an up-close-and-personal hostile hometown crowd, Arizona needs to prove to the collegiate basketball world that they're worthy of the early-season accolades.

In short, the Wildcats need to put their foot down against the 5-2 Tigers, hit the outside shot, score from underneath and come away with their 7th win of the season. A showdown with unbeaten Florida awaits next week at McKale Center and the game will be a must-see affair. But first things first. Arizona has been in front of the ESPN cameras before on a hostile court, or field (if you're talking football) and have come away on the short end of the stick.

Tonight's game is not a must-win. After all, it's the victories in the PAC-12, which are just around the corner, that matter the most. But still, tonight is a big opportunity to showcase just how good the 2012-13 Wildcats are. Come on, 'Cats. Stomp the Tigers!

Photo: We need a lot of the above from Nick Johnson (#13) tonight at Clemson.

Playing for the TOTS keeps an old-timer fit

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)


60-and-over baseball


I had an extra cup of coffee this morning, and I got to thinking. I know that usually means trouble, and the words that follow could be a bunch of meaningless jabber, or maybe a word or two of wisdom will follow, which will transcend from my laptop keys to my computer screen. At any rate, here goes.

The Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club members play all 12 months of the year at Udall Park. Each member's annual dues are $60.00. That's five bucks a month. Compare that to a gym membership that runs 1,000 dollars or more. Or, compare that to the sport of cycling. A thousand bucks wouldn't even buy you a good racing bike.

Where I'm I going with this?

Well, the other day, I sat in the dugout and eyed each ball player -- the players on the field and the players preparing for their next at bat. Twenty-four had showed up for the game -- one of three games played each week at Udall -- maybe four games if you consider some of them also play for the Aces, a team consisting of TOTS members closer to the age of 60 than 70! There wasn't one player overweight. In fact, with their baseball caps on, some of them looked 20 years younger. The youngest player on the field was 60, and the oldest was 87!

How do they stay so fit? Well, let's calculate the following.

Last month, the players took advantage of the beautiful Arizona weather, playing 15 games (including games with the Aces). The weather will continue through December as another 13 TOTS games are scheduled. That's 28 games in eight weeks. So, let's look at the numbers. A player who bats 1 through 5 in the lineup, if he played all 12 months and didn't miss an at-bat, would bat on an average of four or five times a game and saunter up to the plate over 700 times a year.

Compare that to New York Yankee great Derek Jeter, who batted 683 times in 2012!

For an old timer on the TOTS, you must run the ball out once you hit it. If you're fielding the ball, you must run it down and make the play. If you're a runner, you may need to put on the after-burners and go first to third or first to home. To top that, you get to the ballpark an hour before game time, warm up, stretch and take batting practice off a pitching machine. Follow that up with a two-hour game.

You do this three days a week for 52 weeks. I don't know what will if that doesn't keep an old ball player young. One of the TOTS' regulars is 85-year-old Jack Glickman -- the second oldest in the club. Jack gets the minimum at-bats every game. He bats low in the lineup, but he's there every game, week after week. He's certainly not a speedster, but he runs out every ball he hits. "I don't know what I'd do for exercise if I didn't play for the TOTS. I love every minute of it."

Glickman (see photo) rarely misses a game. He pulls into the parking lot, opens up the trunk of his car, and pulls out a four-legged stool. He sits down and proceeds to put on his baseball shoes. He gets to the field, warms up, and gets his usual seven cuts during batting practice. Jack bats typically last in the lineup, but when he does step the plate, he uses the biggest piece of lumber he can find.

And to top it off, Jack pulls the ball. We affectionately call him "Jack the Ripper."

Bottom line:  Jack says, "Forget the gym. I'd rather play baseball."

Note: As far as the TOTS' at-bat calculations go, most old-timers on the team deal with sick days, injuries, family happenings away from the ballpark, vacations...you name it, so 400-plus at bats for a lead-off batter is more of an actual number -- if he played every game. Still, that's a lot of swings for an old-timer.       

Wildcats struggle against Southern Miss

The Arizona Wildcats struggled at McKale Center tonight and it took a season-best of 23 points from starting guard Nick Johnson to nail down a 63-55 win over Southern Mississippi. The Wildcats needed all of Johnson's points and 14 more off the bench from Kevin Parrom to get by the pesky Golden Eagles (6-2). The Wildcats trailed at the half 35-27 and were down 37-27 just one minute into the second half when Arizona put together a 6-0 run and got back into the game. Still, the 'Cats struggled offensively until Parrom hit a three-pointer with 4:50 to go, giving Arizona a 54-51 lead. The 'Cats extended their lead to 10 at one point down the stretch and held on for their sixth win of the season. Arizona certainly didn't look like the 8th-ranked team in the country tonight and coach Sean Miller will have his troops at full throttle when they hit the practice court tomorrow. A trip to Clemson awaits on Saturday.

8th-ranked Wildcats take on 6-1 Southern Mississippi

The Arizona Wildcats basketball team moved up to No. 8 in the country this week as the latest AP Poll was announced on Monday. Tonight at McKale Center the Wildcats will put their high ranking to the test as they host Southern Mississippi, a team which started out 6-0, but saw its streak busted Saturday night in Las Cruces 68-60 by New Mexico State. Southern Miss found out rather quickly that playing in Las Cruces is no picnic and they should find the going even rougher as they venture into McKale.

Go get 'em, 'Cats!

Aces slip by Old Pueblo Club

TOTS Senior Baseball Network


60-and-over baseball


The 60-and-over Aces came from behind with a four-run fifth inning and went on to beat the Old Pueblo Club, 8-5, at Tucson Udall Park today. Down 4-3, the Aces used four consecutive singles by Chico "Rubber Arm" Bigham, Arnie "Cowboy" White, Dick "Big D" Ducklow and Bob "The Kayak Kid" Daliege to take a 7-4 lead into the sixth inning.

The Aces added a run in the sixth as Dennis "Wheels" Crowley (above photo) singled for the fourth time in the game and scored from third later in the inning on a fielder's choice play. Crowley reached base four times and scored four runs.

Old Pueblo took the lead in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a bases-clearing triple by shortstop Enphulmi Vidal and maintained a 4-3 lead until the Aces' uprising in the fifth. The Aces played their best defensive game of year and starting pitcher Lloyd "Baby Bull" Barzell went the distance to notch his first win for the Aces.

Pete "Lefty" Cerenzia, Danny "Pigpen" Price and "Pistol" Pete Peters had two hits apiece as the Aces make it two in a row over the south-side 60-and-over teams. The Aces knocked off the Arizona Rattlers 10-6 two weeks ago. Outstanding plays were turned in by right fielder Jim "Scrap Iron" Sears, Pigpen Price and Ducklow. Sears threw out a runner at first base, Ducklow made an over the shoulder catch at third base and Price made a diving catch on a pop fly.

The Aces manager Jerry Hamelin (below photo) was a happy camper following the win today. "We are playing well of late," Hamelin said. "That's six wins in our last seven games.We're getting the hits and playing well defensively."

Hamelin, 72, recently took over the Aces' managing duties as long-time manager Floyd Lance, 87, stepped down as the field general of the club. Lance is still active with the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) and is the oldest active player in that organization.

The Aces will return to action in two weeks and will travel across town to take on the Arizona Rattlers.

Four teams battle for final fantasy league playoff spot

My Fantasy Football League

My Team Priceless lost 94-89 in Week 13 of the UPC Fantasy Football League. I needed Eli Manning to connect with Hakeem Nicks for at least one score and a half a dozen passes. I get five receptions for 43 yards as the New York Giants fall to Washington tonight on MNF, 17-16. Nicks gets four fantasy points, not nearly enough for me to overtake the Assassins tonight, instead I drop into a four-way tie for fourth place in the league with Nut Rub, suh-nami and trojan girl. One of us will survive in Week 14 and sneak into the playoffs with a 7-7 record. Mega Powers, Blitz and Three Feet Right are 1-2-3, respectively, heading into Week 14, leaving just one spot open for the fantasy league playoffs, which begin on Week 15. Team Priceless will have to beat Blitz next week and then wait and see how the fantasy points fall. Even with a win, it could come down to a tiebreaker in points-scored for the season. Win or lose, it has been a very competitive season. I made some good moves and some bad moves. My latest blunder was not starting Dallas running back DeMarco Murray this week. Murray came off the injury list and scored 15 fantasy points -- including a rushing TD.

Are you ready for some bowl games?

Are you ready for some bowl games? Get the old icebox filled up with goodies, because there is a lot of college football coming your way. Seventy teams and 35 bowl games on tap, beginning with our own Arizona Wildcats versus Nevada at the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 15 and ending on Jan. 7 with the  BCS National Championship, pitting Notre Dame versus Alabama. I doubt I'll see all of the 33 games in between those two -- I'm not too interested in the New Orleans Bowl (East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette), or the Independence Bowl (Louisiana-Monroe vs. Ohio), or even the Belk Bowl (Cincinnati vs. Duke). But I will try to keep tabs on the Pac-12 teams and see how they end up. For instance, the Las Vegas Bowl will have Washington locking horns with Boise State and I'll take a gander at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego which pits UCLA against Baylor. The Kraft Hunger Bowl up in San Francisco will have the Arizona State Sun Devils up against Navy and the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio will be a good one with Oregon State taking on Texas. The Sun Bowl in El Paso on New Year's Eve pits USC against Georgia Tech and of course the two biggies for the Pac-12 -- the Rose Bowl (Stanford vs. Wisconsin) and the Fiesta Bowl (Oregon vs. Kansas State), will be fun to watch. I may check in on the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 to see what all the fuss is about. Northern Illinois (who are those guys?) vs Florida State!

Let's tee it up!

It's up to Mr. Nicks on MNF

My Fantasy Football League


It's come down to this. I need a big night on Monday Night Football from the New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks to notch a temporary hold on fourth place in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. If Nicks can come through in Washington against the Redskins and score at least one TD and/or come up with 100 receiving yards, my Team Priceless would edge my opponent, the Assassins, in Week 13 and keep me in the running for the fourth and final playoff spot with just one week to go. Once again I received a good fantasy-point production from Dallas quarterback Tony Romo on Sunday. This time Romo garners 31 fantasy points as he throws three touchdown passes against  Philadelphia as the Cowboys beat the Eagles, 38-33. I head into Monday night trailing the Assassins 94-85. In our fantasy league, a touchdown and 80 receiving yards by Nicks would be good enough for 10 fantasy points and give me a one-point win. Needless to say, I''ll be cheering for Eli Manning to get the ball to Nicks. If he doesn't, chances are I'll be outside looking in when the fantasy playoffs begin on Week 15.

Wildcats to play Nevada in Gildan New Mexico Bowl

The Arizona Wildcats have their bowl game and they won't have to go too far. Arizona accepted an invitation today to play in the 2012 Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Dec 15. The site: University Stadium on the campus of the University of New Mexico. The game will pit two of the top five collegiate running backs this year in Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey and Nevada's Stephon Jefferson. Carey has gained 1,757 in 12 games this season, Jefferson has amassed 1,703. Way to go, Wildcats! Now go get 'em!

Wildcats roll in Lubbock

Arizona rolled to an easy 85-57 win in Lubbock tonight over Texas Tech as five Wildcats scored in double figures. Nick Johnson led the way with 18 points and Kaleb Tarczewski took care of the boards, grabbing 13. Johnson hit 7 of 11 from the field as the Wildcats shot 56 per cent from the field and completely dismantled the Red Raiders. Solomon Hill and Mark Lyons chipped in 14 points apiece. The ninth-ranked Wildcats made their first road win look easy and move to 5-0 on the season. Arizona led 45-28 at the half and outscored Texas Tech by 11 in the second half.