Oldtimer takes the mound

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

The fact I reached 68 years of age last month is somewhat of a milestone in my life, seeing as how I pretty much was (how should I say this?) a "wild thing" in the 1970s and 1980s.

One constant in my life has been baseball and I'm, of course, a proud member of the Tucson Old Timers, the oldest organized baseball team in the country. We call ourselves the TOTS and play three days a week, year end and year out, at Udall Park -- back among the trees, two minutes south of the intersection of Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde roads.

Since 2008, I've been a member of the TOTS and for the most part I have been content taking my familiar spot at third base, although I've been known to play shortstop and second base as well.

I grew up an infielder and made the usual steps, moving from Little League, to Pony League, to American Legion ball to college ball. College ball was short--lived. I went to a junior college, batted .250 and was platooned at second base. My big claim to fame: I got to face Reggie Jackson (a freshman at the time at Arizona State University) and Gary Gentry (the former New York Mets pitcher, who, at the time, was throwing fastballs for one of the junior colleges in the Phoenix area).

I don't remember ever hitting the ball off of Gentry. As for Jackson, the man hit three home runs off us in one game and also came in with his spikes hanging high at second base. I still look for that spike mark from time to time.

Now, some fifty years later, I'm still at it, playing America's favorite pastime: baseball. The game I can't seem to get enough of. My TOTS' teammates keep me going, keep me enthused about the game as I play regularly with players, ranging in age from 60 to 88 (our oldest player turns 88 in three weeks).

All of our members have similar stories and we ALL rehash them from time to time in the dugout. Every TOT has a story, many of them have been documented on this blog. My blog, Bookemdanosports, is now four years old and most of my posts revolve around those remarkable men who take the field with me 52 weeks a year.

Very seldom do I talk about myself. For one thing, there's a "gold mine" of material out there, just rehashing my teammates play on the field, or their background, or simply listening to them in the dugout, telling stories of the "old days".

If you want to "rekindle" the past, recall World War 1 for goodness sake, or World War II, or what happened at the old baseball parks (such as Forbes Field, for example), just sit in our dugout and take in   a two-hour TOTS game.

You'll get an education, one way or another.

There are times when a TOT forgets his age. When he takes the field, flags down a ground ball and throws the runner out at first base, for one split second he's 20 years old again. He's back playing in his hometown, his family is cheering him on. It could be a high school game in Detroit, a neighborhood pickup game in Pittsburgh, a stick ball game in Brooklyn, a steamy American Legion game on a muggy night in southern Alabama.

Wherever the Tucson Old Timer grew up, it's those thoughts that pop up front and center as we complete the "game" on a sunny day at Udall Park. We make the play time after time, we walk back to our position and just maybe for a split second we say to ourselves, "I remember making that play millions of times."

Yes, our arms aren't as strong, our gloves aren't as sure and are legs, at times, seem like they are no longer with us, but we play on.....and on.....and on.

And then there are those times we try something different. We move away from our comfort zone and try a new position. Case in point: Yours truly.

I've got it in my head that I can pitch...or throw...or hurl...or whatever you want to call it.

I'm becoming a quick study of the two-seam fastball, the four seam fastball, the cutter, the curve, the slider and the change up. Would you believe I've tried all those pitches this month -- some of them work, some of them don't.

I went 3-2 during the month of July and this month I'm 0-2. But to my surprise, I'm getting stronger and faster and some of my pitches actually reach the destination that I originally intended them to.

There's a rumor I may be called on to pitch in the 2013 Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series in Phoenix in October. Will I be ready? I'll certainly give it the old college try.

Our 60-and-over Tucson Aces team will take the "best of the best" of the TOTS to the senior world Series this October. We will play in the Cactus League and will get a chance to face teams from Australia, the Virgin Islands and Canada. The toughest competition may come from next door -- from San Diego, as the two teams from that area have won it all before.

We have a new team, so to speak. We'll be the new kid on the block and we have a lot to learn fast. This is a first. Yes, we've sent seven or eight players before to the annual world series, some have played in the 60s division, the 65s division and the 70s division, but this will be the first "all TOTS" team to play in the MSBL World Series.

And it looks like we will throw everything -- including the kitchen sink,  at our opponents at this year's series.

Not only am I willing to take the mound, but we have seven others willing to do the same. Our pitching staff will include fellow TOTS, 62-year-old Lloyd Barzell (63 on Aug. 28), 63-year-old Dennis Crowley (64 on Oct. 9), 65-year-old Bob Daliege, 62-year-old Ted Davis, 68-year-old Ron Petersen, 71-year-old Arnie White and 83-year-old Billy Heiny.

Quite a mixture of pitchers...or throwers...or hurlers, whatever you want to call "us".

We have two lefties in the mix -- Crowley and Petersen, and six right-handers.

Can we bring the "heat". Well, just how much can eight players between the ages of 62 and 83 bring to the table.

The TOTS' pitching  staff will lean heavily on the youngest player, 60-year-old Tim Tolson to provide much of the offense for the 60-and-over Tucson team. Tolson joined the TOTS last year and is the club's leading home run hitter. Also expected to add firepower to the attack are Jeff Rein, 61, Pete Peters, 63 and Dave Rhoades, 69.

Two rookies on the TOTS -- 63-year-old Tom Potter and 61-year-old Mike Taylor -- will round out  the 14-member 60-and-over world series team.

Quite a mixture of good old ball players who all bring their talent and strengths to the team.

Wish us luck.

Note: The 60-and-over Cactus division will begin play at the MSBL World Series on October 28. The TOTS will also be represented in the 70-and-over division, which plays the week of October 14. Two players, Arnie White and yours truly, Danny "Pigpen" Price, will be added to the roster of the Arizona Scorpions, along with 74-year-old Chico Bigham, 73-year-old Jeff Helzel and player-manager Jerry Hamelin, 72.

Photo: Yours truly, Danny "Pigpen" Price, at the 2012 MSBL/MABL World Series as a member of the 70-and-over Arizona Scorpions.  This year I'll return to play for the Arizona Scorpions (Oct. 14-20), but will also play with the 60-and-over Tucson Aces (aka Tucson Old Timers), which will be playing at the senior World Series (Oct 28 thru Nov. 2) as a team for the first time.