D'backs beat Rays, head for Texas for make-up game

Wade Miley goes 6 1/3 innings, Eric Chavez homers and so does Paul Goldschmidt as the Arizona Diamondbacks shutout Tampa Bay 7-0 tonight in St. Petersburg.

The D'backs close to within 2 1/2 games of the LA Dodgers (57-49) as they collect 14 hits tonight, while allowing the Rays just three hits. The Dodgers lose in LA tonight 3-0 to the New York Yankees. Arizona (55-52) heads for Texas and a make-up game with the Rangers tomorrow before heading for Boston and a three-game series with the Red Sox on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Miley improves to 8-8 on the season. Chavez belts his ninth homer of the year, while Goldschmidt collects his 24th homer and now leads the National League with 86 RBI.

TOTS game ends with a walk off 2-run single

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Team Blue 12  Team White 11

On paper it looked like Team Blue would have the upper hand in a Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball game at Udall Park today.

After all, the heart of their batting order consisted of two left-handed power hitters -- Tim Tolson and Jeff Helzel, plus two hard-hitting right-handed batters in Dave Rhoades and Mike Steele.

It was 83-year old pitcher Billy Heiny's job to maneuver his way through those four hitters. If he was successful, then chances are Team White would have a shot at winning the game -- despite all the firepower of the "fearsome foursome."

Heiny took the mound in the bottom of the first with a 1-0 lead, thanks to an RBI single from Pigpen Price in the top of the inning, but the lead was short lived as Tolson sent a towering fly ball over the right field fence for a two-run homer and a 2-1 lead for Team Blue.

But then the momentum shifted back to Team White as the middle of their lineup, comprised of Lloyd Barzell, Chico Bigham, Pete Peters, Ron Carlson, Jesse Ochoa and Pigpen Price, ripped the offerings of right-hander Bob Royer for five runs in the third, four more in the fourth and a single run in the sixth.

Unfortunately for Team White, 11 runs wasn't enough to win this one.

The "fearsome foursome" just couldn't be stopped as Helzel, Tolson, Rhoades and Steele found ways to reach base and cause havoc. By the time Team Blue came to bat in the bottom of the sixth, they had closed the gap to 11-8.

Heiny and Team White needed three outs to preserve the win. Heiny faced the bottom of Team Blue's order, but got himself into trouble by allowing two runs to score, one on a hit by Jerry Hamelin and a bases-loaded walk to Rhoades.

That brought up Tolson with two out. The hard-hitting lefty drilled a shot off the glove of first baseman Floyd Lance and two runs scored, giving Team Blue a hard-fought 12-11 win.

It was certainly a good day for the hitters. Tolson ended up with a 3 for 4 day -- including his home run, while Helzel went 3 for 3 and Steele collected two hits in three trips to the plate -- including a triple.

For Team White, they didn't do too bad, either. Price, who has been battling a mini-slump for the most of July, went 3 for 3 and drove in three runs. Peters went 3 for 4, Bigham 2 for 3 and Ochoa drove in Team White's 11th run of the game with a double off the fence in left-center.

Joe Aparicio took over for Royer in the sixth inning and picked up the win in relief, while Heiny was saddled with a tough-luck loss.

The TOTS will be at it again next week.

Photos:  The "fearsome foursome"...top to bottom, Tim Tolson, Jeff Helzel, Mike Steele and Dave Rhoades.  

Dodgers say goodbye to D'backs

The LA Dodgers have said "goodbye" to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

At least for now.

The Dodgers win in walk-off fashion 3-2 last night at home over the New York Yankees.

The D'backs lose 5-2 in St. Petersburg to Tampa Bay.

The result of it all leaves Arizona 3 1/2 games behind the Dodgers (57-48) in the NL West. Didn't the D'backs just hold the lead in the division?

Once again the Diamondbacks (54-52) struggle offensively. Just five hits last night -- one of those a two-run homer in the ninth inning by Eric Chavez.

Ian Kennedy falls to 3-8.

The TOTS A to Z

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


Just for fun let's take a look at 26 of the more active Tucson Old Timers (TOTS), who play baseball three days a week at Udall Park. Why, twenty-six? Well, we're going to run through the alphabet...A to Z and the following 26 are your day to day players who show up rain or shine.

A is for...Joe Aparicio, who turns 80 in January. Joe has been a TOT since 1998. He normally plays the outfield, but loves to pitch when called upon. Joe is from Santa Paula, CA.

B is for...Lloyd "Baby Bull" Barzell. Lloyd turns 63 in August and is one of the youngest TOTS. He gives 100 percent every time he hits the field, hence the "Baby Bull."

C is for...Ron Carlson, age 66. Ron hails from Brooklyn, New York. Ron joined the TOTS in 2010 and enjoys playing first base.

D is for...Dennis "The Menace" Crowley, age 63. Dennis is one of the TOTS' leadoff men...some say he's the fastest among the TOTS. Dennis can light up a scoreboard. He can hit for power or bunt his way on.

E is for... Ed Rife, age 76...Ed is still "smooth" at the shortstop position. Born in Akron, Ohio, Ed has been a member of the TOTS since 2000.

F is for...Sir Floyd Lance, age 87. Floyd, the oldest active member on the TOTS, turns 88 in September. Nicknamed "Sir Floyd" as a tribute to his longevity. Joined the TOTS in 1999 and his age plus years of service as a TOT adds up to 100 years.

G is for...Bob Daliege, age 65. Bob has been known to wear colorful outfits to practice games. Hence, he "glows" not in the dark, but on the field.

H is for...Billy Heiny, age 83. Billy, a former dentist, pitches and plays the outfield. When Billy throws, he normally frustrates the opposing hitters with his off-speed pitches. Being a former dentist, he certainly can take a "bite" out of the opposition.

I is for...Mal Zwolinski, age 75. Mal is an "interesting fellow"...hence the I (this is harder than I thought). Mal's educational background includes degrees from the University of New Hampshire, Yale University and the University of Arizona.

J is for...Jeff Helzel, age 73.  Jeff is one of the top first basemen for the TOTS. Jeff, who joined the TOTS  in 2009, is a lefty and can flat put the wood on the ball. In his second game with the TOTS, Jeff cleared the right field fence with a booming home run.

K is for...Tim Tolson, age 60. Tim is the youngest TOT and the team's home run KING. Tim, a lefty, can send a fastball over the right field fence with consistency.

L is for...Denny Leonard, age 75. Denny joined the TOTS in 1999 and is the only TOT who hails from  Canada. A former police officer, Denny bats left and plays the outfield.

M is for...John Misiaszek, age 64. John joined the TOTS in 2011 and is our only Psychiatrist. John hails from London, England. He plays outfield and hits with power.

N is for...Nasty...as in Doc Thompson,  who turns 71 in August. N is for his nasty fastball which consistently gets hitters out. Arguably the hardest thrower on the TOTS, Thompson is one of the few TOTS who signed a major league contract right out of college.

O is for...Jesse Ochoa, age 61. Jesse is one of the younger TOTS. He joined the club in 2012. Jesse, born in Tucson and a former police officer, plays second base and third base and hits with power.

P is for...Danny "Pigpen" Price. Age 68. His teammates nicknamed him "Pigpen" because he usually goes home with a dirty uniform and bloody knees. Price is in his sixth season with the TOTS.

Q is for...Bob Katz, age 76. Bob joined the TOTS in 2005 and is always one of the first players to show up at the ball park. Hence: right on Q! Always willing to help out, must have got that from his days as a MARINE. They called him the "Gunner", back in the old days.

R is for...Dave Rhoades, age 68. Dave joined the TOTS in 2005. He hails from Greely, Colorado and is a diehard Rockies fan. Dave plays outfield and has one of the strongest arms on the club.

S is for...Jerry Smarik, age 81. Jerry has been with the TOTS since 1991 and rarely misses a game. Jerry has lost some of his speed over the years and is nicknamed "The Rocket" because he says he needs one to beat the throw to first base.

T is for...Ted Davis, age 62. Ted is a former Assistant Dean of Finance at the University of Arizona. Ted joined the TOTS in 2011 and plays infield, outfield and pitches. Ted grew up in Athens, Alabama and loves to see the TIDE roll.

U is for...Chico Bigham, age 74. Chico catches, plays infield, outfield and pitches for the TOTS and he shows up hours before each game to set up the field at Udall Park. When he's not playing for the TOTS, you can find him umpiring (Hence the "U") high school baseball games in and around Tucson. He calls 'em as he sees 'em.

V is for...Carl Brutovsky, age 77. There's a V in there somewhere! Carl joined the TOTS in 1999. Carl is arguably the fastest TOT over the age of 75. He bats left handed and scampers down the first base line with the best of them.

W is for...Jeff Rein, age 61. Jeff joined the TOTS in 2012 and is the only former CEO on the ball club. Jeff, a former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Walgreens (Hence the "W"), is one of the speedsters on the ball club. He bats left handed and bunts the ball well. A tough man to throw out.

X is for...now that's tough. I still got some great players left. So let's pick this up after the letter Z at the bottom of the screen. So, we are at 25 and counting.

Y is for...Jerry Hamelin, age 72. Jerry joined the TOTS in 2002. Played in the Yankee organization in the early 1960s (Hence the "Y"). Jerry plays outfield for the TOTS and will manage a 70-and-over team, comprised mostly of TOTS' players, at the MSBL/MABL World Series, scheduled for mid October in Phoenix.

Z is for...Robert Royer, age 75. Bob joined the TOTS in 2004 and is a former manager of the TOTS. As for the Z, well, Bob and his wife, Elaine, ZIP around the world. When Bob is not playing ball, chances are the two of them are vacationing in exotic places. A former Nuclear Engineer, Bob loves to be on the baseball field,  playing for the TOTS, but he's right at home in the air and at sea, as well.

AB is for...Archie Burke, age 80. Archie joined the TOTS in 1991. A former teacher in the Tucson Unified School District, Archie once taught Arizona Daily Star cartoonist David Fitzsimmons. Archie plays outfield for the TOTS.

AR is for...Art Radtke, age 75. Art joined the TOTS in 2003. Art plays outfield for the TOTS and always has some good advice to pass along in the dugout. We call him the "communicator".

AS is for...Arnold Segovia, age 62. Arnold joined the TOTS 2011 and is one of the younger TOTS. Arnold plays outfield for the TOTS. Arizona born, Arnold grew up in Morenci.

BS is for...Bob Stofft, age 74. Bob joined the TOTS in 2012. Bob bats right and is strictly a pull hitter. He puts a scare into all the TOTS' third basemen.

ES is for...Ed Seelbinder, age 67. Ed joined the TOTS in 2009. A former police officer, Ed plays outfield for the TOTS, but in recent years has moved behind the plate.

LG is for...Leon Glasshoffer, age 74. Leon joined the TOTS in 2003 and plays outfield. Leon is from Providence, Rhode Island and for many years was a Teddy Bear salesman. "Hey, somebody has to do it," Leon says. Leon currently teaches CPR classes. We can certainly use him.

RP is for...Ron Petersen, age 68. Ron joined the TOTS in 2005. A lefty, Ron is one of the starting pitchers on the TOTS, but also plays the infield and outfield and catches at times. Ron loves baseball and at one point in his life owned his own baseball card shop.

PP is for...Pete Peters, age 64. Pete joined the TOTS in 2011. Pete can play the infield and outfield, but loves to catch behind the plate. An outstanding hitter, Peters will manage the 60-and-over Tucson Aces at the 2013 MSBL/MABL World Series in Phoenix, scheduled for late October.

Well, there you have it. I'm sure I missed a few, especially our "seasonal players" who play mostly in the winter time. Boy, are they lucky. It is hot outside.

Okay, you win. Let's do the seasonal players,  and those on the disabled list, too, and we might as well throw in our two rookies -- Dan Lundwall and Brian Reilly. But, let's start over on the alphabet.

A is for...Arnie White, age 71. Arnie joined the TOTS in 2010. Arnie spends his summers in Montana on his ranch. When he does play for the TOTS, Arnie plays infield and outfield and is one of the TOTS' top pitchers.

B is for...Dick Ducklow, age 71. Dick joined the TOTS in 2009, but spends his summers in Spring Valley, Wisconsin. The B is for "Big Fella", maybe we should call him "Double D" -- he hits with power and is another one of those hitters who pulls the ball down the third baseline.

C is for...Dick McAnally, age 80. Dick is referred to by some of his teammates as "Coach" (Hence the "C"). Dick joined the TOTS in 1994 and played for the University of Arizona as a catcher, back in the early 1950s. When he plays for the TOTS, he still puts on the gear. Dick spends his summers in Flagstaff.

D is for...Joe Dinich, age 69. Joe joined the TOTS in 2008. Joe plays outfield for the TOTS when he is in town. Dinich spends his summers in Pottsville, PA.

E is for...Ed Eckert, age 73. Ed joined the TOTS in 1996, but spends part of the year in Tucson and a majority of the year in Chandler, Arizona. Ed plays outfield and is an outstanding hitter. He plans on playing in the MSBL/MABL World Series in Phoenix in mid October.

F is for...Mike Steele, age 65. Mike joined the TOTS in 2009. Mike is a fabulous ( Hence the letter "F") player, but his teaching schedule keeps him away from the ball field quite a bit. But when he's available, Mike is a favorite (Hence the "F") when the managers select their teams.

G is for...Jack Glickman, age 85...will turn 86 in January...the second oldest on the TOTS' roster. A little fella who likes to use a heavy bat. (disabled list)

J is for...John Petrick, age 71. John joined the TOTS in 2005. John is an old-school catcher and still runs down the first baseline to cover for the first baseman, if the throw from the infielder is a bad one. (That happens a lot with the TOTS). John spends part of the year in Burnet, Texas.

K is for...Ron Kwart, age 80. Ron joined the TOTS in 2008. A former Tucson Fireman. Ron catches for the TOTS and was a former coach at Tucson Palo Verde High School. (disabled list)

L is for...the rookie Dan Lundwall, age 68. Dan joined the TOTS this year. He plays infield and outfield for the TOTS. He recently pitched for the first time for the TOTS. He is just getting his feet wet as a TOT, so to speak. He's already shown that he has a good glove and can hit with authority.

M is for...Richard McCorkle, age 80. Richard joined the TOTS in 1992. Richard was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona and worked for T.U.S.D before his retirement. (disabled list)

R is for...Brian Reilly, age 62. The second of the two rookies on the club this year. Brian plays outfield for the TOTS and has shown that he is a threat at the plate.

Well, that's it. That's enough for now. I think I'll take a break and have some alphabet soup!

D'backs shutout at home for first team this season

Once again no run support for Patrick Corbin.

Corbin (12-2) allows one run, but it was enough to get the San Diego Padres a 1-0 win today at Chase Field as the Arizona Diamondbacks lose the series 2-1 and head for St. Petersburg, Florida to face the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Arizona falls to 54-51 on the season as San Diego's Tyson Ross (2-4) tosses a three-hitter today to out duel  Corbin and the Diamondbacks.

By the way, the LA Dodgers (56-48) win 1-0 over the Cincinnati Reds in 11 innings today on a walk-off home run by Yasiel Puig. The Dodgers are now up 2 1/2 games over the Diamondbacks

You're never too old!

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

The Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) play baseball at Udall Park three days a week.

The TOTS continue to prove that you're never too old to play America's favorite pastime.

In the photo above, Floyd Lance, 87, takes a rip, while third basemen Pigpen Price, 68,  and left fielder Jerry Hamelin, 72, look on. Peter Peters, 64, is the catcher.

The TOTS have been playing baseball in Tucson for 45 years and for their "special" games dress out and don two sets of uniforms -- a blue jersey and a white, but for their regular weekly games it is "anything goes." Sometimes, that alone, is worth the admission, which is free by the way.

Occasionally, the stands are full of anywhere from five to 10 fans, some just walk by, take a seat and simply shake their heads. Their responses are similar. "How old is that guy out there? Can old men really move like that? Who are those guys?"

Eventually the answer will come from the dugout.

"We are the TOTS!"

TOT to be knee-deep in operations

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) right hander Doc Thompson has pitched his last game.

For this year, that is.

Thompson, 70, who pitched for the Iowa State Cyclones back in the 1960s and went on to sign a professional contract right out of college, is arguably the hardest thrower on the TOTS' roster, but he will be away from Udall Park and his TOTS' teammates for a while.

Doc, better known as Delon Thompson when he travels around the country doing one-man shows, playing his country music and promoting his CDs and albums, spends a good part of each year playing baseball with the TOTS, the oldest senior baseball club in the nation.

Knee problems has kept him from playing to his max, in other words, stretching a single into a double is simply out of the question. However, Doc's bad knees hasn't affected his pitching -- he went out in a blaze of glory this week, starting two games and winning both, including an 8-3 win today by Team Blue over Team White.

Thompson (above photo) will have his FIRST knee replacement in August, and will follow up in October with his SECOND!

"It's about time I get this done," Thompson said, after his win at Udall Park today. "According to the doctor, I may even be an inch taller when all this is done."

Thompson may end up with an added benefit after completion of both operations.

Born in Roland, Iowa, Doc said he got the short end of the stick with his bowlegs. "Pop and my brother, Gary, ended up with the straight legs and I ended up bowlegged."

Chances are Thompson, will be back in action in late November, taller, stronger and ready to show a "need for speed" when he steps to the plate.

Hill, Miley lead D'backs to win over Cubs

Wade Miley allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings and Aaron Hill ripped an RBI-double in the first inning and homered in the fifth to lead Arizona to a 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs tonight at Chase Field and a split of the four-game series.

The Diamondbacks improve to 53-49 and close to within a half a game of the LA Dodgers (53-48). Miley improves to 7-8 and Brad Ziegler picks up his fifth save.

D'backs strand 16 runners in loss to Cubs

The Arizona Diamondbacks fall to 1 1/2 games behind the LA Dodgers as they lose at home tonight 7-6 to the Chicago Cubs in 12 innings.

The D'backs strand 16 runners. David Hernandez (4-6) gives up the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th and the Diamondbacks go down in order in the bottom of the 12th.

Down 6-0 early in the game, Paul Goldschmidt's 22nd homer -- a three-run blast in the fifth inning -- pulled the Diamondbacks to within one run at  6-5  and Cody Ross knocked in Goldy in the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly to deep left field to tie the game at 6-all.

Goldschmidt improved his National League RBI lead to 83. The Cubs walked Goldschmidt four times tonight.

Arizona left the bases loaded three times -- including the bottom of the 10th inning when Adam Eaton led off with a double and was left stranded at third.

Arizona (52-49) completes its four-game series with Chicago tomorrow night at Chase Field.

"Put me in, Coach!"

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Joe Aparicio (photo above) has been a member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) since 1998. Joe will turn 80 in January and seldom misses a game at Udall Park. Joe has been a fixture in right field for the TOTS for many years, but he's ready to move to a new position.

Joe will let it be known that he'd be happy to take the mound and pitch a few innings.

Well, today was his day!

With Team Blue up 6-2 and needing just three more outs to preserve the win, Joe FINALLY got his call.

Team White had struggled for five innings against Team Blue's starter Doc Thompson. They had their chances as Thompson, arguably the hardest thrower among all the TOTS' pitchers, battled control problems -- hitting two batters, but the hard-throwing 71-year-old right hander worked his way out of a couple of jams and had a comfortable lead before giving way to Aparicio in the final inning.

Aparicio comes in and gets the job done as he hurls a scoreless inning to pick up the save.

Chances are Joe, who grew up in Santa Paula, California and played sandlot ball as a youngster, just might get the call from the bullpen again.

After all, Aparicio is not just a right fielder, anymore.

Game note: Lloyd Barzell, 62, hit his first home run as a member of the TOTS today. Barzell homered to left field and cleared the fence by a good 10 feet. "I didn't think I had hit it (the ball) hard enough," Barzell said, following the game.

It's a tradition with the TOTS to retrieve the member's first home run and have all the players sign it. Congrats, Lloyd!

Diamondbacks rip Cubs, 10-4

The Diamondbacks pound out 14 hits and starting pitcher Patrick Corbin hurls six strong innings as Arizona beats the Chicago Cubs, 10-4, at Chase Field tonight.

Corbin improves to 12-1 and the Diamondbacks keep pace with the LA Dodgers, a 10-9 winner in Toronto tonight.

The top of the batting order for Arizona -- Adam Eaton, A.J. Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt, were a combined 7 for 12 with six runs scored and four RBI, while the middle of the lineup didn't do too bad as Eric Chavez went 2 for 4 with three runs batted in and Martin Prado went 2 for 3 with a solo homer and two RBI.

Goldschmidt knocked in his 80th run of the season with an eighth-inning double. Corbin struck out six and walked three and allowed just four hits and one earned run.

The Diamondbacks (52-48) and the Cubs (44-54) continue the four-game series tomorrow night. Ian Kennedy (3-7, 5.29 ERA) will take the mound for the D'backs.

60-and-over Aces rattle Rattlers

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Aces faced a variety of pitchers in an inter-city baseball game with the Arizona Rattlers this morning at Mission Manor Park.

The Aces saw everything from fastballs, to off-speed pitches, to curve balls and even knuckle balls, but none of the pitches seem to bother them as they collected 18 hits en route to a 14-6 victory over the south-side Rattlers.

The Rattlers sent four pitchers to the mound in the seven-inning game, while the Aces stayed with their starter, 74-year-old Chico Bigham.

The Aces treated Bigham to a five-run lead in the top of the first inning, added one more run in the fourth, a three-spot in the fifth and another five runs in the sixth to put  the Rattlers away. The Rattlers did make things interesting when they closed the gap to 6-5 in the bottom of the fourth inning, but in the top of the fifth a decision to walk Aces' power hitter Tim Tolson to load the bases would lead to their downfall.

Needing a force out to end the inning, the Ratters decided to pitch to Ron Petersen. With Dennis Crowley on third, Lloyd Barzell on second and Tolson on first, Petersen drilled a shot to deep right-center. By the time the Rattlers retrieved the ball, the bases had been cleared and Petersen was all smiles, standing on second base.

The Rattlers picked their poison and guessed wrong.

Now leading 9-5, the Aces cruised the rest of the way as they put up the five-spot in their next at bat. The Rattlers added a run in their final at bat in the seventh, but by then the game was all but over.

Barzell led all the Aces' hitters with a 4 for 4 performance. He scored three times and drove in a run.

Tolson finished the day with two hits and three RBI.

Petersen finished with two hits and knocked in five runs.

And it didn't end there.

Leadoff hitter Dennis Crowley walked twice and scored two runs, Ted Davis went 3 for 4, scored twice and knocked in a run, Bob Daliege went 2 for 3 with an RBI, Dohrman Sinclair collected two hits, Pete Peters had a single and two RBI, Pigpen Price doubled and knocked in a run, Mike Steele reached base twice and 83-year-old Billy Heiny singled and scored a run.

As for Bigham, he bent a little but did not break and picked up the complete-game victory.

Aces manager Jerry Hamelin was a happy camper with how well his team performed today. "We did good, today!"

The Aces are three months away from the Men's Senior Baseball League/Men's Amateur Baseball League  (MSBL/MABL) World Series in Phoenix. It'll be the first senior World Series for the Aces' team, which is comprised mostly of members from the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS), the senior citizen baseball club which plays three days a week at Udall Park.

The Aces hope their hot hitting continues all the way through October.

The 60-and-over division at the MSBL World Series is scheduled for Oct. 28 - Nov. 3.

Photo: Top, Ron Petersen, middle, Chico Bigham, bottom, Lloyd Barzell

Dodgers sail into first place in NL West

The Arizona Diamondbacks (51-48) relinquished their lead in the NL West to the surging LA Dodgers (51-47) last night as they fall 4-2 to the Chicago Cubs at Chase Field.

The Dodgers clobber the Blue Jays 14-5 in Toronto and now lead the division by a half game. The Dodgers have won 21 of their last 26 games.

Arizona's hitting woes continue. The D'backs get just six hits off the Cubs in the opener of the four-game series -- three singles by Didi Gregorius, a double by Cody Ross and a 2 for 4 performance from Paul Goldschmidt, who knocks in his 79th run of the year.

The Diamondbacks will send Pat Corbin (11-1) to the mound tonight.

D'backs hang on to slim lead in NL West

The Arizona Diamondbacks hold on to their slim 1/2 game lead over the LA Dodgers in the NL West with a 3-1 win over the Giants today in the getaway game in San Francisco.

After losing the first two of the three-game series, Arizona gets a solid 5 2/3 innings from starting pitcher Randall Delgado and makes good use of a sacrifice fly by Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning and a two-run single by Cody Ross in the eighth to dispose of the Giants.

Delgado allows just three hits, strikes out two and walks four before giving way to the bullpen. He  improves to 2-3. Goldschmidt gets his 78th run batted in of the season, Martin Prado goes 3 for 4 and scores two runs, while Ross finishes a nice day with a 2 for 4 performance.

Brad Ziegler, despite giving up a run in the ninth inning, records his fourth save for the D'backs.

Arizona improves to 51-47, while the Dodgers, with their 9-2 win today over Washington, improve to 50-47.

Mr. Phil wins it!

Phil Mickelson saves par on the 16th hole, birdies the 17th and 18th to post a 66 today and wins the 2013 Open Championship in Gullane, South Lothian, Scotland.

Mickelson wins his first claret jug and was the only golfer to finish under par after a grueling four days at the Muirfield Course. Lefty fires a four-day total of 281 -- good enough for 3-under par and a three-stroke victory over runner-up Henrik Stenson.

Tiger Woods settled for a tie for sixth with a four-day total of 286. Lee Westwood, the Day 3 leader, fails to close it out and finishes at 285.

Westwood a tough cookie at Open Championship

Lee Westwood owns a two-stroke lead over Tiger Woods and Hunter Mahan at the Open Championship in East Lothian, Scotland. The third round is in the books with Westwood leading the Open at 3-under par, while Woods and Mahan, at 1-under par, join Westwood as the only players to be under par after three days of action.

With Mahan already in the clubhouse, Woods and Westwood duked it out for 18 holes today, but it was the 17th hole, a 575-yard par 5, which would prove to be the difference maker. Woods bogeys the hole, while Westwood birdies the hole for a two-shot swing.

TOTS' center fielder can flat out get from point A to point B in a hurry

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Sixty-one year old Jeff Rein joined the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball team in 2012.

Rein (above photo) started off slowly, as do most TOTS' rookies. The seasoned veterans on the club will make sure a "newbie" understands it is best to take it easy at first and let those  "baseball muscles" get a wake up call.

It takes some time, especially for a ball player who is 60-and-over, to get into shape to withstand three games a week, month after month, year after year.

If you start too fast without proper warmup then chances are a hamstring injury is awaiting you. Rein found out right away what all the old-timers were talking about and spent at least part of his first year on the disabled list.

Rein showed early signs of speed, a factor lacking in most of the TOTS, who range in age from 60 to 87. When he was healthy, Rein showed his new teammates that he could flat out stretch a single into a double. Unfortunately, the hamstring pulls were a factor as he played in just 32 games in 2012. He batted 89 times, scored 21 runs, collected 37 hits, while maintaining a .417 batting average. Eight of his hits were doubles.

The signs were there for sure.

Rein, a former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer with Walgreens, has spent most of his life on the go. He retired from Walgreens in 2008, but keeps busy doing consulting work when he's not on the ball field. Rein is also a co-manager of the TOTS, a job he seems to enjoy and excel at.

But what he really enjoys...is running!

For the first two months of 2013, Rein concentrated on his duties as a TOTS' co-manager and helped out umpiring as he continued to nurse another injury, but he's back on the playing field and his statistics for the months of March, April, May and June are impressive.

His stats in March:  20 at bats, 7 runs scored, 10 hits for a .500 average.

In April: 28 at bats, 23 runs scored, 17 hits for a .607 average.

In May: 18 at bats, 10 runs scored, nine hits for a ..500 average

And in June: 30 at bats, 7 runs scored, 14 hits for a .467 average.

But what is even more telling, is his play in center field. Rein, who played for Tucson Sahuaro High School back in the late 60s, can out-run a ball hit to the gap in left-center or right-center. What looks like a sure hit, turns out more times than not into a long fly ball out.

Rein is settling in nicely for his "second season" as a TOT.

He can hit with power or bunt his way on base.

The opposing infielders know they must get rid of the ball quickly if they have any hope of throwing him out at first.

A speedy TOT at the age of 61, chances are Rein will be a thorn in the side of the opposing TOTS'  infielders for years to come.

Tiger within 1-shot of the lead at Open Championship

Only nine players remain under par after Day 2 at the Open Championship.

Miguel Angel Jimenez made his way around the Muirfield Course in East Lothian, Scotland and posted  a two day total of 139, good for 3-under par for 36 holes and a one stroke lead over Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood.

Four players -- Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Zach Johnson, Martin Laird and Angel Cabrera -- share a two-day total of 141, good enough to finish in red figures at 1-under par.

Mark O'Meara and Tom Lehman, the two fifty-year-old plus Americans who both carded under par rounds on Day 1, struggled on Day 2. O'Meara shoots a 78 and Lehman a 77 today as both drop to a tie for 24th with a two-day total of 145.

Tough day, tough course!

Two old guys in the hunt after the first day of British Open

Two old guys from the USA are in the hunt after Day 1 of the 2013 Open Championship in East Lothian, Scotland.

Mark O'Meara, 56, carded a 4-under 67 and Tom Lehman, 54, fires a 3-under  68.

O"Meara is just one stroke off the lead as American Zach Johnson leads the pack with a 5-under 66. Tiger Woods came on strong on the back nine at Muirfield to post a 2-under 69.

They'll be at it again, bright and early in the morning.

Golf note: Check out Conrad Royksund's Hasty Pudding and the Proper Game of Golf at http://smokesound.blogspot.com

TOTS' game ends in a deadlock

TOTS  Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

The last inning in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball game at Udall Park today was full of surprises.

Sixty-eight year old left hander Ron Petersen faced the heart of the Team Blue order in the top of sixth inning. With the game tied at 4-4, Petersen needed to get through three .500-plus career hitters in Dennis Crowley, Pigpen Price and Bob Daliege, three players who rarely strike out and normally spray the ball to all parts of Udall Park.

But not today.

Petersen (photo above) fanned Crowley, then caught Price looking on a fastball at the knees and ended the top of the sixth with a strike out of Daliege. Team Blue returned to the field for the bottom of the sixth inning, wondering what hit them.

"That's a first for me," Petersen said, following the game. "I wasn't expecting that outcome. I thought I was in real trouble when the inning started."

Petersen and Team White came to bat needing one run to the put the game away. The momentum had shifted as Crowley, a lefty, faced Chico Bigham to start Team White's final at bat. Bigham hit a shot to short, too tough for Daliege to handle and Bigham was aboard. Crowley then walked Petersen and gave up a single to center by Brian Reilly to load the bases.

Crowley was in trouble, but struck out Ed Seelbinder for the first out and then went to work as he faced 81-year-old Jerry Smarik. Smarik took a couple of pitches and then laced a line drive to short, Daliege plucked the ball out of the air and threw a strike to Price at third base to double up Bigham for the final out of the game.

Both teams left the field with another "kiss your sister" game in the books.

You never know how a TOTS' game is going to end!

American League All Stars 3 National League All Stars 0

It was Mariano Rivera's night.

The heralded New York Yankees' reliever pitched a perfect eighth inning and the American League went on to blank the National League 3-0 tonight at the 84th All -Star Game from Citi Field in Flushing, New York.

Rivera wins the MVP and is one of 10 American League pitchers to help shutdown the NL All-Stars tonight. The National League could muster only three hits -- one of those a ninth-inning double by the Arizona Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt.

Arizona's Pat Corbin pitched the fourth inning and allowed the first run of the game when Jose Bautista's sacrifice fly brought home Miguel Cabrera. Corbin is saddled with the loss, but to his credit went up against Cabrera, Chris Davis, Bautista and David "Big Papi" Ortiz -- in that order!

Reilly's 2-run single ignites TOTS' rally

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Brian Reilly's two-run single ignited a five-run fourth inning as Team Blue came from behind to beat Team White 7-4 at Udall Park today in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball game.

Down 4-1, Team Blue used Reilly's single to short centerfield to plate the first two runs in the fourth  and then capped the inning off by scoring two more runs on back-to-back walks with the bases loaded to dismantle Team White. Team Blue added an insurance run in the sixth to complete their scoring.

Reilly (photo above), who recently joined the TOTS and is one of two rookies on the team, stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of fourth and ripped a line drive just out of reach of Team White's center fielder Ron Petersen.

It looked like Team White was going to have the upper hand in this one with a four-run first inning, but Team Blue's starter Ted Davis settled down and blanked Team White the rest of the way. Bob Daliege pitched the first five innings for the Team White and was saddled with the loss.

The TOTS' Iron Man

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over-baseball

Jerry Smarik turned 81 on January 30, 2013.

A former Navy man and a retiree from the U.S. Postal Service,  Smarik (photo above) is considered "The Iron Man" on the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball team.

He seldom misses a game. In fact, since 2003, Smarik has played in 1,094 games. That's 12 seasons. A TOTS' season begins on January 1 and ends December 31.

Jerry was just a "youngster" in 2003, a fast-moving, hard-charging 71! Smarik has lost a little speed and maybe a little bit of quickness, but he's still in the TOTS' lineup every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Udall Park -- year end, year out.

When Smarik delivered mail, he did it rain or shine...day after day...kinda like the Pony Express.

It's the same on the ball field. He's always THERE!

Take a look at these 10-year statistics from 2003 through 2012.

2003

G 108  AB  318   H  150  Batting Average .472

2004

G 106  AB  303  H  144  BA .475

2005

G 123  AB 362  H  177  BA  .489

2006

G 110  AB 363  H 170  BA  .468

2007

G 102  AB 306  H  128  BA .418

2008

G 89  AB  294   H  95   BA  .323

2009

G 105  AB 338  H  166  BA .361

2010

G 107 AB 314  H  113  BA .350

2011

G 116 AB 354  H  102  BA .288

2012

G 128 AB 314  H  78   BA .248

Smarik has been with the TOTS since the early 1990s, long before yearly stats were kept by the club. It's likely in his 20-years plus with the TOTS that he has stepped to the plate 6,500 times and has played in more than 2,200 games.

He's delivered every year...just like he did when he was a mail carrier.

Way to go, Jerry. Keep it up!    

  

Brewers avoid Diamondbacks' sweep

The Arizona Diamondbacks looked a little tired today at Chase Field.

After all, the D'backs lost 5-1 to Milwaukee today and finished up their 20th game in 20 days.

Arizona wins 6 of 10 in its 10-game home stand, taking 3 of 4 from Milwaukee, and now get a few days off for the All-Star break. Two D'backs -- Paul Goldschmidt and Pat Corbin, head for the All-Star game, while the rest of the Diamondbacks enjoy some down time until Friday when they resume play in San Francisco with a three-game series against the Giants.

Ian Kennedy (3-6) suffers the loss today. Kennedy goes 6 1/3 innings, gives up all five runs on nine hits as Arizona falls to 50-45, but maintains its 2 1/2 game lead over the LA Dodgers, losers at home today to Colorado, 3-1.

Aaron Hill and Goldschmidt combined for four of Arizona's eight hits today.

Goldy heads for the All-Star game with 21 home runs, 77 RBI and  a .313 batting average. Corbin, of course, is 11-1 on the season and carries an ERA of 2.35.

Good luck to both players.

The All Star Break -- they call it the halfway mark in the MLB season

The powers-to-be in Major League baseball and the most die-hard fans consider the all star break as the halfway point of the season. Fans can get out their calculator, punch in their favorite players' current stats and then double them, which will then give them a pretty good idea, a rough idea, anyway, at what their favorite players' stats will look like at the end of the season.

In most instances, the second-half numbers aren't anywhere close to the first-half numbers. And, why is that? Well, it's not really the halfway point! Most teams in the Majors have played in the neighborhood of 95 to 96 games, already! The teams passed the halfway point at 82 games. After all, 81 and 81 adds up to 162.

But, one thing is for sure, by mid-July, most fans have a pretty good idea if their favorite team has a shot at the playoffs, or not. This year you can pencil in Boston, Detroit, Oakland, Texas, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and maybe -- Cleveland, Baltimore and Arizona.

Those last three will need a big second half!

When the all star game ends and the teams return to regular-season action on Friday, most of the teams  will have 67 games left to shine -- 67 games left to put it all together in hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.

Some teams are already looking toward next year. Let's be honest Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax and Herb Score would have to reappear on the rosters of teams like Toronto,  Houston, Miami, Milwaukee, San Diego and the Chicago Cubs in order to get those teams into this year's playoffs

The two toughest races are in the AL East and the NL Central.

Boston (58-38) sits atop the AL East, but three teams -- Tampa Bay, Baltimore and the New York Yankees are all eight games above the .500 mark and will have a lot to say down the stretch as to which team is playoff bound or not.

In the NL Central, Pittsburgh (56-36) and St. Louis (56-36) are in a dead heat, going into today's final game before the break. Cincinnati is right there as well, 10 games over the .500 mark.

Of course, the NL West, like always, is up for grabs. The question is not only which team will win the division, but can any of the five teams distance themselves from the .500 mark? So far, Arizona has held on as they remain six games above the .500 mark at 50-44, going into today's final game before the break. The Dodgers are making a push and have climbed into second place, but are just one game above the .500 mark.

Keep in mind, the NL West teams are always in a battle, but the World Series' winners two of the last three years has come from the division as the San Francisco Giants own the rings to prove it.

The Giants (43-50) are currently 6 1/2 games behind Arizona, so could they be one of the teams that make a second-half run? And don't overlook Washington and Philadelphia, two teams in the NL East which are struggling to keep pace with the division-leading Braves.

My guess, it'll be Boston and St. Louis in the 2013 World Series. But, what do I know?

There's still a half of a season to be played, or should I reiterate, not quite a half a season to be played.

My heart of course, is behind the D'backs. I hope I'm physically up to watching the remaining games and Arizona's string of relievers doing their thing down the stretch. That alone may produce a hospital stay, or two.    

Diamondbacks 5 Milwaukee 4

The Arizona Diamondbacks collected just six hits at Chase Field tonight.

Fortunately, three of the six were home runs as Jason Kubel hit his fifth of the year, Miguel Montero hit his seventh and Didi Gregorius went yard for the fifth time this season as the Diamondbacks beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-4.

Arizona got a another three scoreless innings out of its bullpen as Will Harris (2-0), Heath Bell, Tony Sipp and Brad Ziegler get the job done, after starting pitcher Randall Delgado goes the first six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. Delgado struck out five and walked one.

Arizona improves to 50-44, maintain its 2 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers, and go after a sweep of the Brewers tomorrow afternoon when they send Ian Kennedy (3-5, 5.31 ERA) to the mound to face Wily Peralta (6-9, 4.82 ERA).

The six hits by the Diamondbacks were six more than the Padres were able to muster in San Diego tonight. San Francisco's Tim Lincecum hurled a no-hitter tonight as the Giants beat the Padres, 9-0. Lincecum struck out 13 and threw 148 pitches. He walked four and hit one batter.

Thank you, Will Harris!

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in first place in the NL West, despite the fact wins do not come easy.

In fact, it is down right hard for the D'backs to add that W to the left side of the ledger.

Once again Patrick Corbin took the mound for Arizona tonight at Chase Field. Once again the Diamondbacks can't support Corbin offensively. Just three hits tonight through seven innings, but somehow Corbin gets the job done as he strikes out 10 and leaves the mound with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning with a 2-1 lead.

In comes reliever Will Harris to face Milwaukee's hard-hitting Carlos Gomez. Harris needed a strike out to keep the Diamondbacks in the lead and keep Corbin in line for his 11th win.

Harris strikes out Gomez. Corbin cheers from the dugout.

What follows is a string of relievers: J.J. Putz, Tony Sipp and Heath Bell in the eighth.

And in the ninth, hold your breath, in comes David Hernandez.

The hard-throwing Hernandez gets a fly out and then strikes out the next two batters as the Diamondbacks beat the Brewers, 2-1.

Whew!

The D'backs bullpen allows no runs tonight and strands six runners!

Gotta love it. Arizona improves to 49-44, Corbin heads for the All-Star game with an 11-1 record, and the D'backs head for the weekend looking for a sweep of the Brewers.

Playin' in the rain

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

It has been a while since the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) have been forced into shortening a baseball game due to rain showers.

Well, today was the day.

With one out in the top of the sixth inning at Udall Park today, the rains came and the temperature dropped from the muggy 80s to the low 70s. It was a pleasant ending to the game for the old-timers, all of whom have weathered the hot temperatures the past two months.

Team Blue prevailed today, 11-2, as Lloyd Barzell out dueled Dan Lundwall in a battle between two hard-throwing right-handers. Both Barzell, 62, and Lundwall, 68, went the distance -- until the rain  came, that is.

Chico Bigham (top photo), Mal Zwolinski (bottom photo), Pigpen Price and Barzell, all had two hits for Team Blue, which fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but then scored 11 unanswered runs -- until the rain came in the sixth.

Ted Davis and Jesse Ochoa recorded back to back hits in the first inning for Team White. Davis doubled in a run and Ochoa singled in a run.

The TOTS will be back at it on Monday -- unless another desert storm passes through and coats the field with water.

Prado's 2-run single in 8th inning propels D'backs to win over Brewers

Martin Prado's 2-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning plated Adam Eaton and Paul Goldschmidt to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a 5-3 lead at Chase Field tonight.

The Diamondbacks' fans wiggled in their seats as Kirk Gibson went to his bullpen in the top of the ninth. With 19 blown saves already in the books, Gibson sent in Brad Ziegler to close the game. Ziegler hit a batter and allowed a hit...but, surprise, Gibson's choice gets it done this time. Ziegler gets a fly out,  a strike out and a ground out to end the game.

Gibson kept Wade Miley in the game as long as he could. Miley (6-7) goes eight innings, allows eight hits, three runs, strikes out four and walks none as the Diamondbacks improve to 48-44 and maintain their 1 1/2 game lead over the LA Dodgers.

The Diamondbacks had just five hits in the game -- two by Prado, a triple by Eaton, a single by Paul Goldschmidt and a single by Miguel Montero.

Ziegler gets his second save of the season.

It was a save the Diamondbacks needed badly.

With the opener of the four-game series in the books, Arizona sends Patrick Corbin (10-1) to the mound tomorrow night to face the Brewers.

Sir Floyd

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Floyd Lance will turn 88 in September.

It is almost time for Lance, the oldest active member on the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball team, to put in his annual order for a new jersey. Every year, Lance gets a brand smacking new jersey with a number which corresponds with his current age.

Nicknamed "Sir Floyd" by his teammates due to his years as an active player and his age, which calculates out to 100, 101 if you wait until September.

Lance (above photo) takes the field three days a week at Udall Park and is a fixture at first base for the TOTS. His tall, lanky frame still allows him to scoop up most of the errant throws that come his way.

And, can he still hit?

Of course he can!

Lance, born in Glen Gardner, New Jersey on Sept. 6, 1925, can still put the bat on the ball.

Take a gander at these stats for the first six months of 2013.

January   8 for 28 for a .348 average
Feb.        8 for 25 (.325)
Mar.      10 for 26 (.385)
Apr.        9 for 25 (.360)
May      11 for 31 (.355)
June      13 for 33 (.394)

Lance has tried to retire once or twice, but just can't stay away. He'll battle injuries, even operations...nothing can keep the "young" man away from the game.

His teammates on the TOTS, well, they just shake their heads.

He's special...one of a kind.

With 14 years in as a TOT, who knows, his 15th year may turn out to be one of his best years as a TOT.

His new jersey should read: Sir Floyd, Super Senior 88.  

Dodgers sweep D'backs

Another blown save -- No. 19 on the season.

The result: A 7-5 win for the LA Dodgers over the Arizona Diamondbacks last night at Chase Field as Heath Bell allows the tying run to cross the plate in the ninth inning -- sending the final game of the three-game series into extra innings.

The Dodgers win the game in 14 innings thanks to home runs by Hanley Ramirez and A. J Ellis. Josh Collmenter (4-2) is saddled with the loss.

Arizona falls to 47-44 and its lead in the NL West over the Dodgers (45-45) dwindles to 1 1/2 games.

A.J. Pollock went 3 for 6 for the Diamondbacks, while Paul Goldschmidt went 2 for 5, scored a run and knocked in two runs to increase his National League leading RBI total to 76.

Arizona closes out its 10-game home stand with a four-game series with Milwaukee (37-53). Wade Miley (5-7, 4.06 ERA) takes the mound tonight in the opener.

Pigpen Price, Tim Tolson lead Team Blue to TOTS' win

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball

Sixty-eight year old right-hander Pigpen Price allowed six hits, struck out five and walked two, while left-handed power hitter Tim Tolson, 60, went 2 for 3 and drove in four runs as Team Blue beat Team White, 9-3, in a Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball game today at Udall Park.

Price cruised through every inning but the fourth when Team White struck for all three of their runs. Jesse Ochoa, 61, in his first start of the year, pitched a complete game as well, but by his own admission struggled with his control.

"It was my first starting pitching assignment as a TOT," Ochoa said. "I pitched three innings in relief last month and I didn't do too badly today, but I'm having trouble with my release point."

Still, Ochoa, who joined the TOTS in 2012, was pleased with his outing. "I should get better. I just need to find that consistency."

As for Price, it has taken a while to find that consistency as well. "I've had my share of control problems in 2012, but this year I'm finding the plate and I've learned to mix up my pitches."

Both pitchers understand that their next outing could be different for both of them. "That's life in the 60-and-over leagues," says Price. "Some days you're clicking and some days you're not."

Price was able to get the outs when he needed them today. "Except for Mike (Steele). I couldn't keep him off the bases."

Steele, 65, went 3 for 3 today and his bunt-single down the first baseline ignited Team White's three-run rally in the fourth. Tolson, on the other hand, produced all the runs needed for Price and Team Blue.

The TOTS will be at it again on Friday.

Photos: 1) Price 2) Steele 3) Tolson 4) Ochoa

Bookemdanosports 4-year anniversary just around the corner

In two weeks Bookemdanosports will complete four years in the blogging world. Boy, does time fly.

My blog is on the verge of eclipsing 1,500 post. I guess I've had a lot to say over the past four years!

A special "thank you" goes out to all my readers for hanging in there with me.

Corbin finally gets his 10th victory

Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin finally got his 10th win of the season last night as he goes eight innings in Arizona's 6-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

The young man should be 15-0 at this point, but his 10-1 record (with one more start looming before the all-star break) was enough to warrant selection for next week's 2013 All-Star Game.

Corbin has a great future ahead of him. Let's hope the D'backs can hang on to him for a few years. So many have gotten away in the past. Case in point: Max Scherzer. Max is 13-0 with the Detroit Tigers this season.

At any rate, Corbin and the Diamondbacks looked like a first-place team in the NL West as they sweep the Rockies and now await the second-place LA Dodgers in a three-game series, beginning tonight at Chase Field.

Come on D'backs, let's really make a statement and extend the NL West lead!

Taking a break

I'm taking a break.

In the middle of a weeklong mini vacation. We've spent three days in Sedona, two in Prescott and will finish up with two days in Pinetop. It's hard to find a cool place, but Pinetop's forecast includes 80 degree highs and 57 as the low for the next couple of days.

Sedona and Prescott proved to be a little warm...but cool during the evening hours.

I'll be ready to hit the ball field on Wednesday in Tucson and return to the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) and senior league baseball. Need to get back in to shape. Heck, we're just 90 days away from October and the MSBL/MABL World Series in Phoenix.

The 2013 MSBL World Series should be a fun. My plan is to play in the 60-and-over division and the 70-and-over division as we will take two Tucson teams, comprised mostly of TOTS players to the world series this year -- the Arizona Scorpions in the 70s division and the Tucson Aces in the 60s division.

Practice for both teams commence this month. Managing the Scorpions team this year is Jerry Hamelin, 72, a TOT since 2002. Pete Peters, 64,  who joined the TOTS in 2011, will be the field general for the 60s team. Pete, a catcher, will see double duty at the world series. He'll manage and handle things behind the plate. Jerry will play the outfield if necessary, but will focus mainly on the duties as the field manager.

Time to get the wood bats out!

D'backs pound Rockies

Wade Miley hurls eight strong innings, Cody Ross goes 5 for 5, Paul Goldschmidt hits his 21st home run and knocks in two more runs, Martin Prado homers and Miguel Montero slugs a three-run home run as the Arizona Diamondbacks make it two in a row over the Colorado Rockies (42-46) with an 11-1 win at Chase Field tonight.

And make that four wins in a row for the Diamondbacks as they improve to 46-41 and now own a 4 1/2 game lead over the LA Dodgers (41-45) in the NL West.

Goldschmidt, who was named to the National League All Star team today, leads the league in RBI with 73. Arizona's Patrick Corbin (9-1) was also selected to to the NL All-Star team today.

Miley allows just five hits and one earned run tonight as he improves to 5-7 on the season. Miley added to the Diamondbacks' offensive attack with a three-run double.

A great night for the Diamondbacks!

Skaggs tosses 3-hitter

Tyler Skaggs returned to the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight and he made the most of the opportunity.

Skaggs, just 21 years old, allowed three hits in eight innings of work and blanked the Colorado Rockies 5-0 at Chase Field in the opener of a three-game series. Skaggs improves to 2-1 as he leads the D'backs to their 45th victory of the season. Skaggs struck out five and walked one. J.J. Putz pitched a scoreless ninth.

Paul Goldschmidt went 2 for 4 and knocked in two runs. Goldy now leads the National League in RBI with 71.  Aaron Hill and A.J Pollock also had two hits apiece. Hill knocked in two runs and Pollock scored three times.

D'backs return home after a 3-7 road trip

The Arizona Diamondbacks (44-41) managed to salvage two of four games with the New York Mets -- including a 15-inning 5-4 win yesterday, and finished 3-7 on the "not a lot of fun" road trip, which included an exhausting 10 extra innings in four days with the Mets.

Somehow, someway the D'backs return home with a 2 1/2 game lead over the second-place Colorado Rockies (42-44).

Speaking of the Rockies, the D'backs open up a three-game series tonight with Colorado at Chase Field. Tyler Skaggs (1-1, 5.40 ERA) gets the starting nod as Arizona is home for 10 games.

After a disastrous road trip, which could have been a lot worse -- if not for those last two wins over the Mets, the Diamondbacks would just as soon get back on the winning track and forget the last 10 days.

Getting wins from their starting pitchers would be nice. Allowing Patrick Corbin (9-1) to go down to defeat in New York is still fresh on the minds of the Diamondbacks.

It's time for a good home stand. I'd settle for 8-2.

Another blown save by Putz and the Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks lose 5-4 in 13 innings tonight in New York.

The tough road trip continues for the D'backs. Arizona (42-40) has lost six of seven and have three remaining with the Mets before they can return home.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Aaron Hill singled in a run in the second for the Diamondbacks. Goldschmidt's blast was his 20th home run of the season and increased his National League leading RBI total to 69.

Arizona's Wade Miley, who went 5 2/3 innings, was in line to pick up a win, which would have been  the first by a Diamondbacks' starter in 23 games, but J.J Putz blew the save in the bottom of the ninth, allowing Josh Satin to single in the tying run -- turning a 3-2 Diamondbacks' lead into a 3-3 tie. Miley allowed six hits, walked four and struck out seven, but Brad Ziegler allowed a run in the seventh inning,  David Hernandez allowed a run in the eighth, and Putz the tying run in the ninth.

The Diamondbacks bullpen couldn't hold the lead and it was on to extra innings.

The game lasted five hours and 14 minutes as Josh Collmenter (4-1) served up a two-run single to Andrew Brown with the bases loading in the bottom of the 13th inning.

Cody Ross homered to left in the top of the 13th inning to give Arizona a 4-3 lead.

A few minutes later, the Mets came to bat...and won it on another blown save -- the second blown save of the night by the D'backs.

Thunder Tim returns

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball

Sixty-year old Tim Tolson, the youngest member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS), returned to action in June after being sidelined with a shoulder injury the entire month of May.

Well, he's BACK!

Tolson (photo above) played in six of the TOTS' 12 games in June. He batted 17 times and banged out 14 hits, which calculates out to an .824 batting average. Out of those 17 hits, one was a double, another a triple, and one was a booming home run over the right field fence at Udall Park.

Other top hitters for June, include Ron Petersen (11 for 18, average .611), Mike Steele (16 for 25, average .640), Lloyd Barzell (18 for 30, average .600, and first in hits with 18), Dave Rhoades (8 for 13, average .615) and Bob Daliege (9 for 13, average .692).

Eighty-seven year old Floyd Lance once again led the super TOTS (the 80 and over group) with a .394 average. Lance played in all 12 games and went 13 for 33.

Other notables include:

John Misiaszek, who played in just four games during the month, but batted .778 with seven hits in nine trips to the plate. John finished in a tie for third in RBI with 10.

Jeff Rein, who went 14 for 30 (.467) and also tied for third in RBI with 10.

Jesse Ochoa, who led the TOTS in RBI for the month with 12.

Pete Peters, who went 13 for 27 (.481) and nine RBI.

Doc Thompson, who finished second in RBI with 11.

Dennis Crowley, who went 10 for 17 (.588) and tied for 3rd in RBI with 10)

Jerry Hamelin, who went 9 for 20 (.450)

Joe Aparicio, who led the team in walks with nine.

Dan Lundwall, a TOTS' rookie, went 8 for 19 (.421)

and

Pigpen Price, who went 11 for 25 (.440)

Way to go, guys! And now it's on to July!

TOTS' rookie gets first win

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Rookie Dan Lundwall (photo above) picked up his first pitching victory today at Udall Park as a member of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS).

Lundwall, 68, became a member of the TOTS in April, but took the mound for the first time in the fourth inning today, taking over for Team Blue starter Bob Daliege, who had pitched three solid innings without allowing a hit.

With the game scoreless after three innings, Lundwall allowed four runs, two of which were earned, in his three innings of work and picked up the win when Team Blue tied the game at 4-4 in their final at bat in the bottom of the sixth inning and scored the winning run on an errant throw to the plate.

With two outs and the bases loaded, shortstop Tim Tolson scooped up a slow roller and elected to throw home for a force play at the plate, but the throw was wide and Team White prevailed, 5-4.

Team White starter Lloyd Barzell, who recorded three pitching victories during the month of June to lead all TOTS' pitchers, was saddled with the loss today.

Congrats, Dan on your first pitching victory as a member of the TOTS.