Braves sweep D'backs

Atlanta made it three in a row and a clean sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks, winning 6-2 today at Turner Field. The D'backs had the bases loaded in the seventh inning and had the tying run at the plate, but no late-game heroics today by Arizona, winners of just 12 games in the month of June. They lost 15 games and look for a new start in New York tomorrow night against the Mets.

The Mets are 33-45 on the season and are 13 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East. New York will send Shaun Marcum (1-9, 5.08 ERA) to the hill in the opener of the four-game series, while the Diamondbacks will counter with Wade Miley (4-7, 4.55 ERA).

The Diamondbacks will be looking for better results in July.

D'backs still struggling on the road

The Arizona Diamondbacks' struggles on the road continue.

The Atlanta Braves beat the D'backs again Saturday. The Braves scored seven runs in the eighth inning and went on to demolish the Diamondbacks, 11-5. Arizona falls to 42-38.

The Diamondbacks will try to salvage the getaway game this morning (10:35 Tucson time) as they send Trevor Cahill (3-9, 4.29 ERA) to the mound to face the Braves (47-34), a team that has a 6 1/2 game lead over second-place Washington in the NL East.

As for the NL West, the Diamondbacks are the only team in the division above the .500 mark. The Colorado Rockies are two games back at  41-41, San Diego 2 1/2 back at 40-41 and the San Francisco Giants are four back at 38-42. The LA Dodgers, at 37-43, remain in last place.

The Diamondbacks reach the midway point of the regular season today. On the positive side, the D'backs are closer to full strength with the return of Aaron Hill, Eric Chavez and J,J. Putz. Can they make a run in the second half?  One thing is for sure, they need to distance themselves from the .500 mark.

The rest of the teams in the NL West are not going to sit back forever.

Diamondbacks shut out for the first time this season

The Arizona Diamondbacks aren't hitting.

The D'backs were shut out in Atlanta tonight, 3-0. Arizona had gone 78 games this season without being blanked, but the Braves' pitching staff allowed the Diamondbacks just four hits and kept them from plating a run tonight. Arizona falls to 1-3 on its current 10-game road trip and their season record falls to 42-37.

The last time the Diamondbacks were shut out was on Sept. 26, 2012 -- 85 games ago.

Arizona still has six games remaining on the road trip -- two more games with the Braves and four with the New York Mets, plenty of time to string some wins together. But, first things first. The D'backs need some hits...then some runs and the wins will follow.

My goodness, how long has it been since a Diamondback starter has won a game? It was June 5th -- 20 games ago. Wade Miley was the winning pitcher in a 10-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

And when was the last time Patrick Corbin (9-0) won a game? That was the 2nd of June! Corbin beat the Chicago Cubs, 8-4, for his ninth win of the year.

But somehow, some way, Arizona remains in first place in the NL West. Amazing!

On a hot day at Udall Park, TOT tosses a 4-hitter

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

With the temperature rising rapidly on the ball field at Udall Park, 83-year-old right-hander Billy Heiny (above photo) was as cool as a cucumber.

Heiny tossed a four-hit shutout this morning as Team White blanked Team Blue 6-0 in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball game. Heiny, a retired dentist, took a big bite out of the opposing hitters with his slower-than slow curve ball and relied on his defense as he cruised through a six-inning game, cut short due to the weather forecast, which predicted a high of 112 in Tucson by mid afternoon.

"We made the plays today," Heiny said, after the game.

Heiny walked just one batter in his six innings of work. His only scare occurred in the bottom of the sixth inning when Joe Aparicio and Bob Royer reached base -- Aparicio on a single to left and Royer on an infield hit, but Heiny worked his way out of trouble, leaving both runners stranded.

It was that kind of a day for Team Blue.

"It was a strange game," said Team Blue third-sacker Doc Thompson, who had one of the four hits for the losing team. "We hit right at them."

The temperatures will continue to rise next week as the heat continues to blanket Arizona.

But a little heat won't stop the TOTS. They'll be back at it on Monday morning.

TOT takes a tumble

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Seventy-six year old Carl Brutovsky can still flat out run.

Brutovsky (above photo) is by far the fastest among the members of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) who have reached, and passed, the age of 70. He can leg out a bunt and hustle down the first base line with the best of them.

In the first inning of a TOTS' 60-and-over baseball game today at Udall Park, Carl, like he's done so many times in the past, laid down a perfect bunt in front of the plate and scampered to first. Doc Thompson, pitching for Team Blue, tracked down the bunt and threw a strike to 87-year-old Floyd Lance, who was covering first. All three - the ball, Floyd and Carl reached base at the same time.

Carl got the worst of it as he bounced off Floyd and hit the ground with a thud. Blood streamed from the left side of his face. He remained still for a good two minutes, trying desperately to breathe. The next words spoken were that of a teammate, the two words no TOT on the field wants to hear, "Call 9-1-1!"

When Carl and his TOTS' teammates take the field three days a week at Udall Park, there's always a chance of injury. After all, the TOTS range in age from 60 to 87 and nasty spills, bad bounces, you name it, occur over the course of a season -- a season which is played every year, all  52 weeks.

Most of the time, a TOT, when injured, will be helped off the field and into the dugout. Within minutes, the TOT catches his breath, shakes off his pain and looks for his glove. He's ready to get back into the game.

But there are times like today, when the next sound you hear is the sound of a siren and the roar of a fire truck. A teammate is in trouble.

Carl was alert and talking when he left in the ambulance. He was taken to Tucson Medical Center for observation and treatment.

Carl will bounce back. After all, he's a TOT!

TOTS' game update: As for the game today, the show must go on. Thompson gets the win today as TOTS Blue edges TOTS White, 7-5. The TOTS will be back at it on Friday. You can count on it!

UCLA wins 2013 CWS

Our Arizona Wildcats did it in 2012.

The UCLA Bruins follow suit and win the 2013 NCAA College World Series tonight in Omaha with an 8-0 blanking of Mississippi State. The Bruins sweep the Bulldogs, winning 3-1 Monday night and finish the job tonight, beating Mississippi State in all facets of the game -- pitching, hitting and defense.

The Bruins cruised to the CWS title -- their first ever in baseball, and in the process added consecutive CWS titles in Omaha for the Pac-12 Conference.

Latos quiets D'backs

Mat Latos strikes out 13 Diamondbacks at Chase Field today as the Cincinnati Reds knock off Arizona 4-2. Despite the loss, the D'backs remain in first place in the NL West with a three-game lead over the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies.

Arizona (41-34) opens up a three-game series in Washington on Tuesday with the Nationals (37-38). Trevor Cahill (3-8, 3.92 ERA) will take the hill for the Diamondbacks, while Gio Gonzalez (3-3, 3.34 ERA) will start for the Nationals.

Kubel's walk-off 2-run single gives D'backs 4-3 win

The Arizona Diamondbacks (41-33) walked off the field after the third out was recorded in the top of the ninth inning at Chase field this afternoon. They headed for the dugout with their heads down.

The D'backs closer Heath Bell had just blown the save, allowing Jay Bruce to hit a two-run homer to right center to give the Cincinnati Reds a 3-2 lead. And to top it off, the blast by Bruce ended any chances of Diamondbacks' starter Patrick Corbin winning his 10th game of the year without a loss.

Instead of breaking bats, pounding their fists against the wall or taking their anguish out on the water cooler, they went to work and beat the Reds. And they won the game by beating the Reds' closer  Aroldis Chapman, who just happens to throw a fastball over 105 mph!

Chapman allowed a lead-off single to Paul Goldschmidt in the bottom of the ninth inning and then walked Miguel Montero and Cody Ross to load the bases. Jason Kubel stepped in and drilled a two-run single up the middle to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 walk-off win.

Corbin was masterful once again. He pitched eight innings and allowed just four hits. The Reds' starter Mike Leake was just as good. In fact, Leake carried a perfect game into the sixth inning. He went on to pitch eight innings, allowing four hits and two runs.

Chapman absorbs the loss (3-3), while Brad Ziegler, who took over for Bell, improves to 4-1 on the season. Gerardo Parra hit a two-run homer in the sixth to give the Diamondbacks an early 2-1 lead. Bruce also hit a solo home run in the second inning off Corbin.

Corbin, of course, remains at 9-0.

What a game!

Corbin gets another shot

Patrick Corbin will get his shot again today at becoming the first Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher to start a season 10-0. Corbin will be on the mound this afternoon at Chase Field as the D'backs go after their fourth straight win and their second in a row over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

Fresh off an 11-5 win yesterday over the Reds, Arizona (40-33) would love to give Corbin (9-0, 2.28 ERA) some support today. Friday it was Jason Kubel and Paul Goldschmidt supplying the offensive punch. Kubel went 4 for 5 and drove in a run and scored three times, while Goldschmidt hit two home runs, singled and drove in three runs. Goldy now has 19 homers and 65 RBI. One more home run will match his total from last season and it is still June!

Go get 'em, Diamondbacks.

Congrats to UCLA, Oregon State

The powers-to-be snubbed our Arizona Wildcats and kept them out of the NCAA Baseball Tournament  this season and they didn't give a lot of respect to the Pac-12 Conference when they rendered their verdict two weeks ago on which teams would qualify in the field of 64.

But thanks to Oregon State and UCLA maybe some respect has now been earned. The Beavers went down yesterday to Mississippi State at the College World Series in Omaha and the Bruins beat North Carolina to advance to the championship series. The Beavers made it to the final four before running out of gas and now it's up to the Bruins to bring home the NCAA title, which would be the first ever baseball championship for UCLA.

No matter the outcome next week, it should be obvious to the collegiate baseball world that we do play baseball out West! Have the Easterners forgotten which team won the 2012 NCAA Collegiate World Series? Just in case they need a reminder, it was the Arizona Wildcats from the Pac 12.

And now the UCLA Bruins are just two wins away from the 2013 title. The Bruins finished the regular season as the the third best team in the Pac 12 Conference.

The selection committee flooded the NCAA Baseball Regionals this year with teams from the SEC and other conferences, ignoring the highly-competitive Pac 12, which just happened to include the defending national champions.

Enough said! Go get 'em, Bruins!

Ross homers to beat Marlins

Cody Ross supplied the offensive punch for the Diamondbacks with a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning at Chase Field today as Arizona wins 3-1 and captures the three-game series with the Miami Marlins, two games to one.

The victory keeps the Diamondbacks in first place in the NL West with a 39-33 record. Arizona takes a day off on Thursday before opening a three-game series on Friday night with the Cincinnati Reds (43-29).

Arizona starter Trevor Cahill left the game in the first inning after being hit by a line drive and gave way to Josh Collmenter, who pitched the next six innings -- allowing just one hit, while walking one and striking out seven. David Hernandez (4-4) pitched the top of the eighth for the Diamondbacks and picked up the win, while Heath Bell, despite allowing a solo homer in the ninth, gets the save.

Goldschmidt's walk-off home run ends D'backs 4-game skid

Paul Goldschmidt hit a walk-off home run over the center field fence in the bottom of the ninth inning at Chase Field tonight to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins.

Goldschmidt's blast off of Miami's Chad Qualls improves Arizona's record to 38-33 and ends the D'backs four-game skid. The home run gives him 17 for the year and moves his RBI total to 62 -- best in the National League.

Arizona will finish up the three-game series with the Marlins (22-48) tomorrow afternoon. Trevor Cahill (3-8) will take the mound for the Diamondbacks, while Miami will counter with Jose Fernandez (4-3).

Old Pueblo Club slips by Aces

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over Aces


The Aces' Dennis Crowley banged out three hits and right-hander Doc Thompson pitched a complete game, striking out five and walking just one batter, in a 6-5 loss to the Old Pueblo Club this morning at Santa Rita Park.

The visiting Aces jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Old Pueblo bounced back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning and the battle was on.

Back to back doubles in the bottom of the fourth produced four more runs for Old Pueblo, giving them a 6-2 lead, but in the top of the seventh, the Aces fought back. The Aces plated three runs and had the bases loaded with no outs and a chance to not only pull even but put up some big numbers in the process.

The Aces had the heart of their order coming up, but things just didn't pan out as Lloyd Barzell popped up to third for the first out and Bob Daliege grounded into a double play to end the game.

Frank Castillo picked up the win in relief for the Old Pueblo Club. Joe Banner singled in the second inning and his two-run double in the fourth started the four-run rally for the Old Pueblo Club.

Banner's heroics shocked the Aces' manager Jerry Hamelin. "We've played against Banner many times over the years and he historically isn't the player that beats us. Today, he got a hold of one and burned our left fielder."

The Aces out hit Old Pueblo 14-8 and, according to Hamelin, received a good outing from Thompson. "Doc pitched a good game for us, but we just didn't string together enough hits in the seventh inning to give us the lead and give Doc a chance to go out and win it."

It was the second one-run loss to Old Pueblo in the last three months. Barzell threw a complete-game for the Aces back in March, yet lost, 1-0. The Aces beat the south side team 11-7 last month.

The Aces will be out to even the score next month.

A Rose found between the wicker baskets

A Rose was found between the wicker baskets at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.

Justin Rose became the first Englishman to win a U.S. Open in 43 years today as he battled the field, the weather at times, and the wicker baskets which sit atop every flag pole at every green at Merion.

Rose didn't beat Merion, but he did beat the field as he cards a 1-over, four-day total of 281 to beat Phil Mickelson and Jason Day by two strokes. Rose collects $1.4M, while Mickelson and Day take home $696K apiece for their efforts.

The professional golfers earned every penny this week and most of them left Philadelphia tonight shaking their heads -- especially guys like Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy. Tiger finishes 13-over-par with a four-day total of 293, Rory 14-over par and Garcia 15-over-par.

As for the wicker baskets, I guess they don't flap in the breeze and allow the competitors to filter in which way the wind blows, as if Merion needs any help. What a tough Par-70 course!

As for Phil, well, happy birthday, anyway. Another runner-up finish but you did good.

 

Padres sweep the Diamondbacks

The Padres sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks with a  4-1 win today in San Diego. After a 2-1 victory on Friday and a 6-4 win on Saturday, it was more of the same this afternoon as the Padres' Kyle Blanks rips a three-homer in the bottom of the eighth to break a 1-1 tie and send the D'backs home with a 37-32 record.

Arizona will look for some home cooking as they return to Chase Field tomorrow night to open up a three-game series with the Miami Marlins (21-47).

Diamondbacks take 2 of 3 in LA

The Arizona Diamondbacks (37-29) string together five hits and score four runs in the top of the 12th inning and go on to beat the Dodgers 8-6 tonight in Los Angeles.

Arizona sends 10 batters to the plate in the top of the 12th inning and finish the night with 20 hits off the Dodgers' pitching staff. The Diamondbacks extend their lead in the NL West to two games over the Colorado Rockies and three games over the San Francisco Giants. The Rockies and the Giants lost tonight. Colorado falls 5-1 to Washington in Denver, while San Francisco loses 12-8 to the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

The Dodgers did not go away quietly tonight, however. After the Diamondbacks broke a 4-4 deadlock with their four-run rally to take an 8-4 lead in the top of the 12th, the Dodgers knocked around Arizona closer Heath Bell in the bottom of the inning -- scoring  two runs on two hits and a couple of walks.

Patrick Corbin (9-0) is chased after five innings tonight. Corbin gives up four runs on eight hits. Josh Collmenter (3-0) gets the win in relief. Cody Ross and Miguel Montero collect four hits apiece, while Gerardo Parra goes 3 for 6 to improve his batting average to .322.

TOTS' hurlers sizzle at Udall

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Chances are when 68-year-old Ron Petersen (top photo) and 70-year-old DeLon "Doc" Thompson (bottom photo) square off as the pitchers of record in a Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) game at Udall Park, you can expect a fast-paced game with a lot of strikes thrown and very few walks issued.

Both pitchers are consistent, hits are hard to come by and you can expect a low-scoring affair.

At Udall this morning, Petersen, a lefty, and Thompson, a hard-throwing right-hander, found themselves in another pitching duel. The result: Petersen's Team Blue edged Thompson's Team White, 3-2, in a game that lasted just one hour and ten minutes.

Both pitchers mowed 'em down. Thompson struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced. Petersen struck out two and walked two. Both pitchers did not allow an earned run.

Team White led 2-1 early in the game, but a fielding error and a throwing error in the fourth inning put Team Blue in the lead for good at 3-2.

With the temperature already in triple digits, the TOTS' players were happy with the quick pace of the game. The two pitchers were sizzling right along with the temperature.

Still, the game was in doubt when Team White had runners at first and second with one out in the final inning. Petersen faced Jerry Hamelin, needing a double play to end the game. Hamelin caught the defense playing back and dropped a perfect bunt down the first base line. Hamelin was thrown out, but the runners advanced.

Pigpen Price, who singled to right field in his last at bat, stepped to the plate with a chance to give Team White the lead. But Price drilled a two-hopper to shortstop Lloyd Barzell and was thrown out at first to end the game.

There are a couple of things written in stone when it comes to the TOTS in the summer time. There are plenty of games left to be played and the temperature will be rising.

Hats off to Petersen and Thompson for throwing the HEAT today!

Giants close in on Diamondbacks

The San Francisco Giants win 6-2 today at Chase Field and capture the three-game series, two games to one. The back-to-back wins by the Giants allows San Francisco to pull within 1 1/2 games of the Diamondbacks, the NL West leader.

The Giants pounded the D'backs 10-5 on Saturday as they chased Trevor Cahill after just 3 2/3 innings and today Tyler Skaggs lasted just five innings as San Francisco improves to 33-29 on the season. The D'backs fall to 35-28. The Colorado Rockies beat San Diego 8-7 in 10 innings today and improve to 34-30 and are also just 1 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks.

The San Francisco pitching staff kept Paul Goldschmidt, the Diamondbacks hard-hitting first baseman, off the bases during the final two games of the series. Goldy goes 0 for 8, but does knock in a run on Saturday to up his National League lead in RBI to 58.

The Diamondbacks begin a three-game series with the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Monday night.

For the love of baseball

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


Conrad Royksund is 82 and a former member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS).

Conrad played for the TOTS back in 2001-2002. He was in his early 70s when he donned a TOT uniform. He no longer plays, but for some reason, Conrad is drawn to Udall Park every week. He sits in the bleachers and watches, with a pencil and a notepad in hand, as the old timers go about their business, playing the game of baseball.

The former TOT often wonders why he drives for almost an hour to stare through a cyclone fence three times a week and watch 60, 70 and 80 year old men play America's favorite pastime.

In a recent post on his blog http//smokesound.blogspot.com, Royksund sums up his reasoning by saying, "I believe it has something to do with recognizing that those guys are still alive, playing a game that is something like being alive, and that they know what it is like to stay alive. None of them thinks he will live forever. They know that they will quit someday --maybe soon, maybe not so soon--but that, in the meantime, playing baseball is a wonderful way to be alive."

Conrad is a former professor, a teacher, a literary man...an observer of mankind, so to speak. Conrad is a welcome addition to the bleachers at Udall Park. His observations and photos of the TOTS (see above photo) can be found on his blog, along with his take on politics and life in general.

It's no wonder Conrad Royksund finds his way to the ball park to watch a bunch of "old men" play...he's still a TOT at heart.

He's one of the boys, a Tucson Old Timer.


Photo: Conrad's photo from behind the backstop at Udall Park catches TOT lefty Denny Leonard, 75,  awaiting a pitch. Pete Peters, 64,  is the catcher and 74-year-old Chico Bigham, the umpire.

Goldschmidt's 8th-inning blast gets D'backs a win and Corbin off the hook

One pitch...one swing and Goldy makes everybody happy.

Paul Goldschmidt hits a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning at Chase Field tonight as the  Arizona Diamondbacks knock off the San Francisco Giants, 3-1.

Goldy made the D'back fans happy, the entire Diamondback organization happy, and certainly put a smile on the face of Patrick Corbin, who pitched brilliantly in his duel with Matt Cain, but was in line to lose his first game of the year tonight when he left the game in the top of the eighth inning, trailing 1-0.

But it all changed when Goldschmidt lined a 2-0 pitch from Jeremy Affeldt into the seats in right field, allowing Corbin to stay unbeaten at 9-0. The Diamondbacks are 12-0 this season when Corbin takes the mound.

Arizona moves to 35-26 and remain in first place in the NL West, 2 1/2 games ahead of Colorado and 3 1/2 games ahead of the third-place Giants.

As for Goldschmidt, well he continues to pile up the numbers. Goldy is batting .332 with 15 home runs and 57 RBI.

D'backs end up with split in St. Louis

The Arizona Diamondbacks left St. Louis with a split of the four-game series with the Cardinals, after losing last night's getaway game 12-8. They still battled to the end, scoring three runs in the ninth and finished with 13 hits for the night.

Unfortunately, St. Louis rattled off 17 hits and chased Ian Kennedy after just four innings of work.

The Diamondbacks (34-26) return home today and open up a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants  (31-28). Pat Corbin (9-0) gets the start today for the D'backs.

A sweep by the Diamondbacks would be nice. But, first things first. I'll settle for a win today. I'd love to see Corbin toss a gem and improve to 10-0.

Diamondbacks go after series' win today in St. Louis

The Arizona Diamondbacks (34-25) have shown some muscle in St. Louis this week.

Today, they'll flex 'em one more time as they go after a third straight win over the team with the best  record in baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals (38-21).

After consecutive wins over the Cardinals on Tuesday 7-6 and 10-3 on Wednesday, Arizona will now  send Ian Kennedy (3-3, 4.74 ERA) to the mound today to face rookie-sensation Shelby Miller (6-3, 1.82 ERA).

All eyes will be on Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt. The Diamondbacks' first baseman hit his second grand slam this week on Wednesday when he belted a bases-loaded shot into the left field stands to help beat the Cardinals. Goldschmidt is batting .336 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI.

Fantasy owners who have Goldy on their rosters are in good shape!

Arnie White's double life

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Arnie White, 71, plays the infield, the outfield and is a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher on the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS).

White and his wife, Michele, live somewhat of a double life. Half of the year, the Whites are in Tucson as Arnie is a Professor of Sociocultural Studies at the University of Arizona. The rest of the year, the Whites are in the North Country, on their ranch near Red Lodge, Montana.

"We've got 85 acres," Arnie says. "Not too big, but big enough."

Big enough, is right!

Big as in a  BIG change as the Whites travel back and forth. From the hot and dusty desert to the wide-open spaces of Montana.

It must be like opening a gate into Heaven, every time they cross the Montana border and witness the Beartooth Mountains to the North.

Arnie (photo above) is fit as a fiddle and it's no wonder.

Hard workdays on a ranch will do that to you, but Arnie looks 10 to 15 years younger when he takes his position on the field. Arnie is one of many TOTS who have dual residences, but one of the good things about being a member of the TOTS, you can play when you're in town. As long as you pay your yearly dues, there's always a place for you at Udall Park on game days.

Take for instance the month of March. Arnie played in seven games. He went 12 for 21 and batted a hefty .571. He also took the mound three times during those seven games. Arnie recorded two pitching victories. The third outing ended up in a tie.

Arnie will continue to live the double life, although there will be a slight change for the Whites. Arnie is retiring and will no longer take his position at the podium in the classroom, instead he'll more than likely spend the summer months in Montana and the winters in Arizona.

And yes, you can bet Arnie will find his way to Udall Park to play baseball with the TOTS.

"I love to play ball and I enjoy being around the guys," Arnie says.

But, he does enjoy those wide-open spaces in Montana.

Who wouldn't?

Former University of Arizona Assistant Dean of Finance putting up lofty numbers on the ball field

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Ted Davis spent many years crunching numbers for the University of Arizona.

Davis (photo above) now crunches a baseball at Udall Park as a member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS).

The former University of Arizona Assistant Dean of Finance retired from his position at the university two years ago and joined the TOTS in the spring of 2011 as a "rookie" on the club, and for the first year, anyway, was listed as the youngest player on the roster.

Davis, now 62, played in 67 games in 2011. He batted 199 times, scored 80 runs, collected 105 hits, knocked in 58 runs and batted .528 for the year. Davis didn't let up in 2012. He played in 79 games, batted 235 times, scored 84 runs, knocked in 82 runs, accumulated 131 hits and batted a hefty .557.

This year, it is more of the same.

In January, Davis batted .556, in February .500, in March .500 and in April a cool .469.

And last month, Davis really put up some lofty numbers.

Davis played in 10 games in May. He batted 31 times (officially) and walked six times. In his 37 plate appearances, Davis recorded 22 hits, scored 16 runs, knocked in 18 runs and batted .710, by far the best on the club for May.

Davis wasn't the only TOT to put up huge numbers in May.  Pete Peters was first in hits (25), runs scored (21) and in RBI with 24. Peters finished fifth in batting at  .543. Bob Daliege finished 2nd in hits (24) and 2nd in batting average at .649. Pigpen Price finished 3rd in hits (23), tied for 2nd in RBI (18), while finishing 4th in batting at .575. Dennis Crowley and Chico Bigham were also among the May leaders. Crowley tied Bigham for 5th in hits with 21. Crowley finished third in batting at .583.

Other top hitters for May included Mike Steele, Ed Eckert, Arnie White, John Misiaszek, Ron Petersen  and Bill Pack. All six players put up some lofty numbers as well, but all six played in six games, or less. Steele went 8 for 13 for a .615 average, while Eckert went 7 for 9 for a healthy .778 batting average. Misiaszek went  11 for 20 for a .550 average and Petersen went 13 for 23 for a .565 average.  White batted .571 (4 for 7), while Pack went 9 for 16 for a .563 clip.

It was a hot May and the TOT hitters were certainly on fire.

The top two pitchers for the month of May were Lloyd Barzell and Pigpen Price. Barzell went 2-0-2, while Price finished 2-0.  

Corbin gets 9th win

Patrick Corbin picked up his ninth win of the season today as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Cubs in Chicago, 8-4. Corbin's win moves him to a perfect  9-0 as he becomes only the second pitcher in franchise history to accomplish the feat. Brandon Webb won his first nine games without a loss back in 2008.

Wil Nievas goes 3 for 5 and drives in two runs to lead the Diamondbacks over the Cubs. Paul Goldschmidt continues his hot hitting with two more hits, scoring three times while knocking in a run, his 46th run batted in of the season.

Corbin, the first pitcher in the major leagues to reach nine wins this year,  goes just six innings today, allowing four runs and six hits. He walked two and struck out five.

And now it's on to St. Louis as the Diamondbacks (32-24) open up a four-game series was the Cardinals on Monday night. The Cardinals (37-19) sport the best record in baseball, despite their 4-2 loss to San Francisco today.