"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!