Arizona knocks off Duke, wins NIT Season Tip-Off

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Five players scored in double figures and the fourth-ranked Arizona Wildcats beat Duke 72-66 at Madison Square Gardens tonight and walked away with the NIT Season Tip-Off Championship.

Arizona (7-0) received an outstanding performance from guard Nick Johnson who tossed in 15 points, scoring 13 of those points in the second half and had plenty of help from his teammates as Brandon Ashley chipped in 13 points, while Aaron Gordon, T.J. McConnell and Kaleb Tarczewski added 10 apiece. Tarczewski hauled down nine rebounds and Gordon pulled down seven boards, while McConnell did his job from the point guard position with eight assists.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Gabe York completed the Wildcats scoring with seven points apiece as Arizona trailed by three at the half, 36-33, but put together a 24-8 run midway through the second half and held on to beat the Blue Devils, handing them their second loss of the year.

Way to go, Wildcats.

Arizona beats Oregon in football, Duke in basketball and will go for the Trifecta tomorrow night in Tempe when they tangle with the Arizona State Sun Devils in the final regular-season football game of the year.

Could it be a Trifecta?

It's Duke against our Arizona Wildcats basketball team today in the NIT Season Tip-off final at Madison Square Gardens and tomorrow it's the regular-season football finale in Tempe as the 'Cats invade Sun Devil Stadium.

After the Wildcats upset win over Oregon last Saturday at Arizona Stadium, it is now possible for our 'Cats to post a Trifecta. Win all three and the Wildcats plane ride home from New York and the journey south on I-10 back to Tucson may become the post game celebration of all time by the players involved.

Not to mention the Arizona fans who will be taking it all in with a turkey sandwich in one hand and their favorite beverage in the other as they set back in their favorite easy chair and witness the two events on the tube.

Of course, the Las Vegas odds makers aren't giving our Wildcats a chance. For some reason (that Eastern bias for one) has sixth-ranked Duke favored by a slim margin (at least) over the fourth-ranked Wildcats.

As for the football game up in Tempe, well the odds makers have the Sun Devils a two-touchdown favorite. After all, ASU is ranked and the Wildcats are still struggling to get an also-ran vote in the top 40.

Come on Wildcats, bring home the hardware from the Big Apple and grab a hold of the Territorial Cup and roll out of Tempe with a collective fist pump and some "bragging rights" for a year.

This would be one Trifecta ticket worth having.

Go, Wildcats!

Big Man shines as Wildcats come from behind to beat Drexel

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Drexel was having its way with the Wildcats, until the sleeping giant woke up.

Arizona's 7-foot center Kaleb Tarczewski recorded his first double-double of the season with 15 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead the Wildcats to a come-from-behind 66-62 win over Drexel in a semi final matchup tonight at the NIT Season Tip-off Tournament.

Down by 19 points midway through the first half, the fourth-ranked Wildcats rallied behind the play of Tarczewski, along with the guard play of Nick Johnson (20 points) and T.J. McConnell (11 points) and an all-around performance from Aaron Gordon (10 points, 13 rebounds) to pick up their sixth win of the season.

The win puts Arizona (6-0) into the title game on Friday at Madison Square Gardens against the sixth-ranked Duke Blue Devils (6-1).

Wildcats ranked 4th this week in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats basketball team moved up to fourth in the nation this week, just behind Michigan State, Kansas and Kentucky in the AP Poll.

Kentucky (4-1) has a loss, while the other top four are unbeaten. Duke (5-1) maintains sixth place behind unbeaten Oklahoma State.

That Eastern bias still raises its ugly head. Of course, a win over Drexel today and probably Duke on Friday should serve notice to all those powers-to-be who make up the rankings that Arizona should not only be in the top four, but maybe even higher.

It's possible Duke may not get by Alabama in the NIT semi-finals and it's also possible Arizona could drop their semi final game to Drexel. It wouldn't be the end of world for the teams involved if that scenario pans out, but it certainly would be nice to see our Wildcats go into the Big Apple and take care  of business.

The fact we are still in November and the Arizona Wildcats are ranked in the top five nationally is a good indication that coach Sean Miller has his troops primed for a run to the Final Four.

Good luck, Wildcats! Turn some heads in New York and come home with the trophy.

Team Priceless moves into 3rd place in Fantasy Football League

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


My fantasy team, Team Priceless, won its third matchup in a row in Week 12 of the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. With 23 fantasy points from New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and another 15 markers from Pittsburgh's wide-receiver Antonio Brown, Team Priceless improves to 8-4 in league play -- just two games behind the league leader, Three Feet Right (10-2).

The final week of the regular fantasy season -- Week 13 -- will pit Team Priceless against Peach Fuzz Manholes (6-6) as Brees and San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers will lock horns. Team Priceless is a 20-point favorite in that matchup and should wrap up a three-seed for the playoffs with a win.

TOTS Blue 1, TOTS Gold 0…the date: April 6, 1984

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


Shuffling through the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) archives, I ran across a box score, if you will, of a game played at Himmel Park on April 6, 1984 -- 29 years and seven months ago!

Back then, some of the players had their own "handle" or nickname, just like the current TOTS. For instance, the cleanup hitter for the Blue Squad was "One Hop" Charlie Catuna. Charlie followed Dick Barnes, Mat del Janovan and Bunny Bechtold in the lineup. The rest of the Blue Squad lineup included Ed Holden, Tommy Phillips, Terry Overgard, Yankee Figueroa, Walt Richmond, Andy Buchner, Bert Hough and Clarence Fieber.

The Gold Squad had Slim Elmer Fisher batting 10th in their lineup. The rest of the 12-player lineup included Joe Tappero, Larry Aguillar, Sam Steg, Bill Tapolscany, Arnie Quintera, J.J. Zeller, Jim Holmes, Jack Harrison, Mike Aicher, Eldon Pickett and Gene Oxholdt.

All the men ranged in age from 60 to 79. In fact, Jim Holmes, was celebrating his 71st birthday on the day of the game. As for Clearence Fieber, well he's a familiar name among the current TOTS. Fieber was 64 years old at the time and he went on to play 27 more years with the TOTS.

The game on April 6, 1984 was won by the Blue Squad by a score of 1-0. The only run scored that day   was on a ground out by Fieber in the top of the second inning. The game went five innings and Tommy Phillips was the winning pitcher. The Blue Squad could muster up just three hits in the game and the Gold Squad finished with just three hits as well.

The oldest player on the field that day was Mike Aicher. Mr. Aicher was the top pitcher for the TOTS back "in the day." A left-hander, Aicher once pitched for Princeton in the 1920s.

You gotta love it.

Nothing has changed with the Tucson Old Timers. Only the dates -- those special moments in time -- are different.

It's Duck Soup on a cold and rainy day at Arizona Stadium

Arizona Wildcats Football


The Arizona Wildcats football team pulls off the upset of the season, upsetting the fifth-ranked Oregon Ducks 42-16 today at Arizona Stadium.

Before the game was over the sun decided to shine after 24 consecutive hours of rain and emerging from the dark clouds over the Catalina Mountains was a Wildcat team which went from a so-so football team just a week ago with a devastating loss on the same field against Washington State to a signature win for Coach Rich Rodriquez today -- the result of which gives them a shot at an eight-win regular season as they head north next Saturday to face in-state rival Arizona State.

All of a sudden, the Wildcats are 7-4 and no longer are they looking at a 6-6 season, but instead, have put themselves in line for a great finish to the season and a chance, if they were to keep the same intensity that they showed today against the Ducks, to beat the Sun Devils and then head to a more prestigious bowl game, possibly on New Year's Day.

Eighteen seniors and more than likely Ka'Deem Carey just played their last game at Arizona Stadium -- a game they all will remember for years to come. Carey pounds his way to 206 rushing yards and four touchdowns and in doing so broke just about every career rushing record at Arizona.

Even with Carey's performance, it was quarterback B.J. Denker stealing the show as he called an almost perfect game, completing 19 of 22 passes for 178 yards and two scores, while rushing for 102 yards on 14 carries.

There's nothing quite like a college football game. It's a game involving 19, 20 and 21-year-old young men and sometimes you just have to scratch your ahead and say, "What just happened?"

What just happened was a Wildcat football team finding itself today for 60 minutes and was by far the best team on the field. The Ducks were favored by three touchdowns and ranked No. 5 in the country.

The Ducks found the water not to their liking at Arizona Stadium today.

There is only one way to keep a TOT off the baseball field…Rain!

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

There is only one way to keep a player on the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball team off the field.

Take a look at the TOTS' infield this morning.

See above photo. The infield at Tucson Udall Park after 24 consecutive hours of rain.

Oregon loves the rain...

Arizona Wildcats football


The Oregon Ducks will be right at home this afternoon at Arizona Stadium.

Already three touchdown favorites, the Ducks may win by four or five scores.

Then again, don't count out the Arizona Wildcats.

This diehard Wildcat fan is back, cheering on the Wildcats, hoping and praying for an upset that would get my favorite team to seven wins, followed next week with a come-from-behind victory -- a last-second Hail Mary pass in Tempe over the arch-rival Arizona State Sun Devils and an eight-win regular season.

I'm still a dreamer after all these years!

If this rain keeps up Ka'Deem Carey will need to be in a canoe to gain the yardage needed to become Arizona's all-time running back.

The Day After...

The day after JFK was shot, I crammed for a Zoology test. I quickly memorized fifty words which would help me dissect a question and come up with a reasonable answer and help me gain a C- on an exam -- resulting in a passing grade on a topic which I would never use again in my lifetime.

I was a freshman in college, just six months out of high school…a child if you will. I knew very little about life at that moment, but I was learning fast. The president of the United States was gone and every black and white TV in the student union building was blaring away, giving us bits and pieces of what had transpired the past 24 hours.

I would tuck away, in the back of my mind, one of the most dramatic, earth-shattering moments of the 1960s and go on with my young life. Within a year, I would be married and have a kid on the way. (My goodness, that kid is now 49 and will turn 50 in 2014!). Somehow, someway I got something right as my first born is now a Captain with the local fire department and goes about his daily routine of answering emergency calls and saving lives.

Less than four years later, I would be the proud papa of a second son, now 45, a mountain of a man who lives in Colorado and at one point during his high school days, averaged 20 points a game for his basketball team and once struck out 13 in a high school baseball game.

I'm 68 years old now with six grandchildren and a lifetime of memories. I've made my share of mistakes, made some good decisions and my share of bad decisions.

I've tried to recall why I even took Zoology, back in 1963, and why I had to cram for that test on the day after JFK was shot. Chances are, I was to board the college school bus later in the day and head for a basketball game at a community college in Phoenix.

I was the school's sports publicist and I was on the road a lot, traveling to football games in places like Trinidad, Colorado, or basketball games in St. George, Utah, or, my most fondest memory, not only writing about, but playing on the college baseball team and going up against the one and only Reggie Jackson on a Saturday afternoon. The site: Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, Arizona. The game: the Eastern Arizona Gila Monsters vs. the Arizona State freshmen baseball team.

Oh, how things have changed in 50 years. I'm a gray-haired old man now, still trying to play baseball as a member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) -- the oldest old-timers baseball team in the country.

My teammates on the TOTS ( they range in age from 60 to 88), if they were so inclined, could sit down and type away, recalling in print their life experiences and most of them can recall their moment in time when JFK was shot.

Why, am I rambling this morning? Well, it has been raining for hours -- probably the biggest nonstop rain shower Tucson has had since 1963. Our TOTS' baseball game was cancelled yesterday and…if I keep hearing that pitter-patter on the roof of my house, then chances are next week's games will be cancelled as well.

But, it is also the week before Thanksgiving. Time to sit back and relive a lifetime of memories and be thankful I'm still alive and kicking…still able to pull a baseball glove over my Arthritic thumb joints and play the game of baseball.

It's been almost six years since my quadruple bypass, since that moment in time on Jan. 2, 2008 when the doctor stood over me and told me my widow maker was 99 percent clogged, and if I wanted to keep on plugging with my life, they would need to open up my chest and go to work.

I battled for months, first with baby steps, followed by a walk in the park, then months of rehab…and finally, believe it or not, by late April I was playing with the TOTS…and haven't looked back.

I'm upright and kicking and I think about the little things in life and I'm thankful to be alive and can still move my fingers across a keyboard and can still enjoy playing America's favorite pastime at the age of 68.

There may come a time I can't play baseball anymore. And there may come a time when I can't type away on my old laptop. But for now, I can do both and I'm thankful for that.

As for the sign of the times, a lot has happened since Lee Harvey Oswald took the life of John F. Kennedy. There has been war, continuous war…we have lost Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy and a little over a decade ago, there was 9/11.

An endless stream of tragedies...somehow we are still here, and I for one, can listen to the raindrops on the roof.

61-year-old hits a grand slam at Udall Park

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Team White  5  Team Blue  4

Tim Tolson, 61, is a home run hitter, make no mistake about it.

If Tolson gets the right pitch or, as they say, if the pitch is in his wheelhouse, look out!

The right field fence at Udall is 300 feet from home plate and today Tolson crushed a ball 342 feet and if a tree hadn't gotten in the way, chances are the ball would have reached Kolb Road, which is the first thoroughfare west of the park.

In a 60-and-over old-timers game this morning, Tolson (photo above) found a fastball from 68-year-old right-hander Pigpen Price to his liking and put the pitch into orbit. The swat, with the bases loaded, gave Team White a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning over Team Blue.

"I said the heck with it and tried to throw one by him (Tolson)," said Price, who has a habit of getting off to a slow start on the mound before battling back. "I put myself in a bad spot and I paid the Price, no pun intended."

A hit, a walk and an error set the table for Tolson's blow and when he swung there was no question on where the ball was going.

"I'm pretty sure I got all of that one," said Tolson, who is in his second season with the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) -- the baseball organization which has been around for 45 years.

As for Price, he shook off the blow and settled in for the next six innings, allowing no more runs, as Team Blue actually pulled within one run at 5-4 in the top of the seventh and final inning.

Sixty-three year-old Lloyd Barzell went the distance for Team White, but needed to get by the top of the Team Blue lineup in the seventh. And he got it done. Lead-off man Brian Reilly, Price and Pete Peters hit hard hit ground balls -- two of which were scooped up by Team White shortstop Ed Rife, 76, and another back-handed down the first baseline by 75-year-old first-sacker Denny Leonard.

"It was the best game of the month," said base umpire Jeff Rein. "The game could have gone either way."

Price found his fastball and his control in the middle innings and cruised through the next five innings, while Barzell pitched well and hung on for the win.

The first inning belonged to Tolson and Team White. The next six innings resulted in a 4-0 blanking by Price and Team Blue. That's baseball! Old-time baseball, that is!

Wildcats steam roll their way to the Big Apple

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats roll over Rhode Island 87-59 and head for the Big Apple next week with a full head for steam.

Clicking on all cylinders, the Wildcats overwhelmed the Rams at McKale Center tonight, jumping out to a 43-19 halftime lead and once again cleared the bench in the second half. Brandon Ashley  led the way with 16 points and Nick Johnson had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while T.J. McConnell continues his outstanding point guard play with five assists to go along with seven points and two rebounds.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 13 points and Aaron Gordon chipped in 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Gabe York and Kaleb Tarczewski tossed in eight points apiece. Elliott Pitts hit a three-pointer as the final seconds ticked away to complete the scoring for the Wildcats.

Arizona, ranked fifth in the country, improves to 5-0 on the young season and is on a collision course to face Duke at the NIT preseason tournament in New York. The Wildcats take on Drexel on Nov. 27 and if everything goes according to plan will face the Blue Devils for the title on Nov. 29.

Farleigh Dickinson no match for 5th-ranked Wildcats

Arizona Basketball


The Farleigh Dickinson Knights were no match for the fifth-ranked Arizona Wildcats tonight at McKale Center.

For us old Wildcat fans who stayed up late to watch the 9 p.m. tip off, we certainly got our money's worth as Arizona (4-0) cleared the bench and led at the half 51-24 and cruised to a 100-50 victory in the first round of the NIT Season Tip-off.

Gabe York led the Wildcats with 20 points. Five Wildcats scored in double figures. Jacob Hazzard in mop-up duty netted a career-high eight points.

I'll try to get a nap or two tomorrow as the Wildcats have another late tip-off on Tuesday night as they take on Rhode Island, winners over Metro State earlier this evening by a score of 66-63.

Team Priceless moves into 4th place in 12-team fantasy football league

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


My Team Priceless moved into fourth place in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League with a 114-91 win this week over the A-Team. Despite going up against Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, Team Priceless picked up a 26-fantasy-point effort from Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown and went on to win its seventh game of the season against just four losses.

Team Priceless trails Three Feet Right (9-2) and the Assassins (9-2) as Week 11 ends and Week 12 begins. Team Arps holds on to third place with an 8-3 record.

TOTS fan thinks 45-year-old baseball club needs a makeover

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


Conrad Royksund, a former member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) is a regular "bleacher bum" at the 60-and-over baseball club's games on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Udall Park.

Royksund, who played for the TOTS in the mid 1990s, feels it's time for a team makeover…and he's offered the following as ideas for a uniform change and maybe a few facial changes. Says Royksund, "I think it's time for the old-timers to look the part."

WSU stuns Arizona

Arizona Wildcats Football


This one is a little hard to take.

A team comes to town on a losing streak after being outscored 162-83 in its past three games.

They have no running game and all they do is pass.

And the Arizona Wildcats can't stop them as Connor Halliday (he should be called Doc Holliday, because he shoots from the hip) throws 53 passes and connects 39 times for over 300 yards and the visiting Cougars from Washington State upset the Wildcats, 24-17.

Enough said.

Arizona falls to 6-4 on the season and 3-4 in the Pac-12 with Oregon and Arizona State still left on the regular season schedule. Oh yes, and a bowl game somewhere between El Paso, Texas and Albuquerque.

I'll take two aspirin and call my shrink in the morning…make that Monday morning, tomorrow is Sunday.

Sorry about that, I'm a frustrated Wildcat fan.

TOTS -- The Early Years Revisted

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

The 45th year of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club is coming to a close. Six weeks are left in yet another season at Udall Park, the home field where the band of 60-and-over ball players gather  three days a week to play America's favorite pastime.

So much has been written about the TOTS this year in honor of their 45th season and I guess I'm the guilty party for most of the media coverage -- although we were honored this summer by former Tucson Citizen sports writer Steve Rivera, who put together a project which honored the current TOTS with individual posters, complete with a team photo, an individual shot and a summary, a glimpse if you will, into the life and times of each player.

Those poster proudly sit on the mantle in the homes of the TOTS, or the den of a respective family member, and undoubtedly, will be a point of conversation from time to time, after all, the TOTS are the oldest organized baseball team in the country, dating back to 1968 when founder Joe Gorman fielded his first TOTS' team.

Back in March, I wrote an article on Bookemdanosports which eventually caught the attention of Rivera and led to the project mentioned above. To refresh my readers' memory, I'll revisit the article and insert a copy of the post below. Then, I'll let you in on a little more to the story.


In 1968 a retired gentleman from New York City decided to spend his "golden years"  in the desert. Like so many other Easterners the gentleman found the climate in Tucson to his liking, but unlike many retirees, he couldn't sit around for hours in his patio each day and listen to the birds sing, nor was he about to resort to a friendly game of shuffleboard or a round of checkers every now and then.

No, Joe Gorman, who grew up playing America's favorite pastime in his New York neighborhood, wanted to continue to play the game of baseball --  even as a senior citizen. So, he organized the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)...and that my friends was 45 years ago.

Gorman was confident, no, he was absolutely certain, that he could find some old-time ball players willing to meet three days a week at a city park and play the game of baseball. He had a vision that those old ball players, once they got wind of such an endeavor, would dust off their old leather gloves, grab their Louisville Slugger, kiss their wife on the cheek and head for the ball park.

Boy! Was he ever right.

For 45 years, the TOTS have assembled, first -- in the early years at Himmel Park, later on moving to Fort Lowell Park, before finding their home -- their current home, at Udall Park.

Gorman said, in an interview in mid-October of 1968, "Once a baseball player, always a baseball player."

The TOTS of the late-1960s and the early 1970s are gone now, but I envision them sitting outside the pearly gates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, looking down on Udall Park and watching...and "jabbering" among themselves about the goings-on below with the latest flock of TOTS.

They laugh and even joke with their teammates in Heaven, at the speed of a current TOT, who was, at that very moment on earth,  trying his best to beat out a slow roller to first base. The "heavenly TOTS" of yesteryear would clap in unison at the conclusion of the game below, pick up their own baseball gear and head for their own ball game, to the big stadium in the sky where the turnstiles clang daily as the "heavenly baseball fans" fill the bleachers and roar their approval at every pitch.

I'm a TOT for life. I was recently named the club's historian -- keeper of all the boxes of artifacts, if you will, photos...stories...trophies, you name it, I have them now. The TOTS' albums are like reading a novel with characters of the 1960s, 1970s, the 1980s and 90s. Endless material on a group of men who love baseball.

I ran across the story of Bob Wolken. Bob was born in 1919 and passed away the winter of 1997. Just weeks before his death, he made sure his daughter, Marie, paid a full year of dues to the TOTS, even though he had been on the disabled list for more than a year.

Wolken, who played 15 years for the TOTS, was laid to rest in his TOTS' jacket and full pin-stripe uniform. "Take me out to the ball game" was the music selected for the organist to play. And, it was no coincidence that Bob's funeral service was held on a non-game day.

And then there's the story of Lee Moser, who was born during the fall of 1930. Moser joined the TOTS in 1992 and on March 20, 1995, while playing catcher for the TOTS, was critically injured on a collision with the runner at the plate.

Due to internal injuries, Lee was not expected to live, but recovered, and with the help of his family, battled back and not only lived but returned to the ball field -- back in full swing as a TOT.

Due to Moser's collision at home plate, the TOTS changed their bylaws to allow for an extra plate to be placed 10 feet from home plate. The runner must head for the offset target, while the catcher must receive the throw at home. If the catcher has possession of the ball, before the runner reaches the secondary plate, he is out.

Since then, no serious injury has occurred at home plate in a TOTS' game. Not saying there hasn't been injuries on the field of play over the years, because there certainly has -- just like in the big leagues.

The above stories of old-time baseball players like Joe Gorman, Bob Wolken and Lee Moser are just a few samplings I have run across as I slowly turn the pages of the TOTS' archives.

In 2018, the organization will celebrate 50 years and the "rookies" (those current TOT players who are 60 years of age) will have five years under their belt and will be veterans on the ball club. Chances are a new batch of "young" players, referred to by the club members as "the newbies" will filter in and join in the fun.

A never ending stream of baseball players, who can't, and won't, give up the game.

The founder of the TOTS had a vision and it certainly became a reality. A reality which will continue for years to come.

Photo above is Lee Moser, alive and kicking and setting in the bleachers at a recent TOTS game.

And now for the rest of the story.

I was enjoying a cup of coffee and some banana cream pie with my 86-year-old mother yesterday at a little cafe on Grant Road called ROBERTS (the restaurant has been around for a long time, maybe not as long as the TOTS, but close).

Guess who walks in? Mr. Lee Moser, himself, accompanied by his son. Moser walked up to our table and said, I know you, you play for the TOTS. You are one of the young TOTS.

I said, "not anymore. There's 25 guys younger than me."

There you have it, I just met a TOTS' legend.

I then said to the older gentleman standing in front of us: "I know you, you are Mr. Moser. You are the reason we have that extra home plate."

With his son smiling from ear to ear, we all rehashed the event of 18 years ago when Moser collided with the runner at the plate and ended up in the hospital, clinging for his life.

What a story. Here we are in the year 2013, the 45th year of the TOTS, and Mr. Moser is as chipper as ever and alive and well…and able to speak, to recall fully and to remember what he meant to the TOTS' organization.

Thank you, Mr. Moser…and we'll see you at the ballpark.

Gordon, Johnson leads Wildcats to win over San Diego State

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Nick Johnson pumped in 23 points and Aaron Gordon scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the sixth-ranked Arizona Wildcats withstood a late run by San Diego State and knocked off the Aztecs  69-60 on their home floor.

In front of a hostile crowd, the Wildcats kept a double-digit lead for most of the game thanks to outstanding play from Gordon, Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds and recorded one assist before fouling out late in the second half.

Arizona led 39-28 at the half and enjoyed leads up to 14 points as they crashed the boards time and time again and finished with 13 offensive boards and 39 total for the game. Once again, T.J. McConnell ran the point for the Wildcats and finished the night with six assists, four rebounds and seven points.

One big question going into tonight's game: Are the Arizona Wildcats for real? They sure are as they go into a hostile environment and take on a Steve Fisher coached team and come away with their third win of the season.

Good job, Wildcats!

Wildcats turn it on with a 91-57 win over Long Beach State

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The sixth-ranked Arizona Wildcats turned it on at McKale Center tonight and rolled to their second win of the young season with a 91-57 victory over visiting Long Beach State.

Four players scored in double figures with Brandon Ashley leading the way with 16 points, while Nick Johnson, Gabe York and Aaron Gordon chipped in 14 apiece, with Gordon getting a double-double with 10 rebounds.

Of course running the floor was T.J. McConnell with eight assists, two rebounds and three points as the Wildcats sent 14 players to the court. Arizona shoots 58 percent from the field on a 34 for 58 shooting night -- including 7 of 17 from three-point land, four of those treys coming from York.

Kaleb Tarczewski came close to a double-double with 10 rebounds and nine points.

The crowd let out an extra roar in the closing minutes when freshman Trey Mason, son of former Wildcat Harvey Mason, hit a three-pointer.

The Wildcats upped their game after a so-so performance in their season opener against Cal Poly. Tonight it was all systems go from the opening tip.

Next up: Wildcats travel to San Diego State on Thursday, Nov. 14.

It's a breeze when you have Drew Brees on your Fantasy Football team

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League


Team Priceless


At times, it can be a breeze when you have New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees on your fantasy football team. I just happen to have Brees on my Team Priceless, which is one of 12 teams in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

Brees goes wild against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday with 392 total passing yards and four touchdowns, good enough for 49 fantasy points as my Team Priceless comes from behind to beat its opponent, Suh-nami, 141-91.

The win improves my overall record to 6-4 and keeps me in the running for a playoff spot and an outside shot of still winning the league. Right now I'm setting in fifth place, two games back of the league leaders.

Next week, I'll battle it out with the A-Team as I go up against Peyton Manning. I'll probably need those 49 fantasy points next week for sure.

What's up (Myles) Jack? Bruins' linebacker turned running back beats Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats Football


What's up, Jack!

It's Myles Jack, a true freshman linebacker turned running back, who runs around and through the Arizona defense for 120 yards on six carries to give UCLA the spark it needed to escape Arizona Stadium tonight with a 31-26 win over the Wildcats.

Arizona tried its best to upset the 19th-ranked Bruins, but it wasn't to be as the Wildcats fall out of the race for the Pac-12 South and fall to a respectable 6-3 overall and a 3-3 record in the conference.

The Wildcats did a lot of things right tonight but Arizona coach Rich Rodriquez thinks differently as he pointed out after the game the mistakes his troops made, such as: blocking, tackling, catching…and the inability to score points once they're in the red zone.

Coach Rod summed in up by saying, "It was embarrassing!"

Still, at least from an Arizona fan perspective, the game kept me on the edge of my seat. Down 14-3 early, the Wildcats battled back and had plenty of opportunities to send UCLA home with a loss.

Bottom line: The Wildcats didn't get it done.

As far as Ka'Deem Carey is concerned, he did his thing again, rushing for 149 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown. Unfortunately, Mr. Jack stole the show and the game, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown on just six carries and then stayed on the field as a linebacker.

Next up: Washington State.

Wildcats sluggish at free throw line but beat Cal Poly, 73-62

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats opened the 2013-14 season tonight at McKale with a 73-62 win over Cal Poly.

The 'Cats were sluggish at the free throw line, missing 16 of 36 shots. If Arizona could have canned half of those, chances are they would have won going away. But a win is a win and Sean Miller said after the game that he expected a tough game tonight.

And, he got just that.

Arizona led by three at the half, 37-34, and played better in the second half -- enjoying, at times, a lead of 15 points. The Wildcats ended up with six players in double figures with Aaron Gordon leading the way with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Gabe York had a career-high night with 12 points, five rebounds  and one assist, while Brandon Ashley collected 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Nick Johnson tossed in 11 points, while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson netted 10 points and Kaleb Tarczewski, who did not start tonight as Miller decided to open the game with a three-guard offense,  chipped in 11 markers.

Arizona (1-0) takes on Long Beach State on Monday at McKale. Game time 8 p.m.

TOTS first-ever night game won by Team White

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Team White edged Team Blue 8-6 in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball game at Udall Park tonight in front of 118  fans as the organization played its first-ever night game.

Lloyd Barzell started and pitched five innings for Team White, while Ed Rife hurled three innings for Team Blue and was saddled with the loss. Doc Thompson logged four innings in relief, while Dan Lundwall went two innings in relief.

John Misiaszek led Team White offensively with three hits in three plate appearances and knocked in three runs, while Pete Peters went 2 for 3 and scored a run for Team Blue. Ed Seelbinder and Denny Leonard combined to drive in four of Team Blue's six runs. Barzell helped his own cause with a three hit night and scored two runs. The top four batters in the Team White lineup -- Jim Sears, Pigpen Price, Bob Daliege and Barzell -- plated all eight runs as the four combined for three runs in the first inning and three more in the third, giving Team White a 6-4 lead after three innings of play.

Team Blue loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and final inning, but Barzell struck out two batters and caught a line drive off the bat of Jesse Ochoa to end the game.

The first-ever night game for the TOTS was a huge success. TOTS' co-managers, Jeff Rein and Ron Carlson, were happy with the turnout and would like to schedule another game under the lights in the near future.

"I think everyone had a good time and the weather was great," Rein said, after the game. It was a beautiful night. I think it went well."

As for the players themselves. It was quite different playing under the lights. "It was hard to pick up the ball at times, but I think we all adapted pretty well,"  said Team White shortstop Pigpen Price.

The TOTS under the "Friday Night Lights". A great combination.


TOTS Boxscore:


                                       1    2    3    4    5      6     7      R      H 
TOTS Team White           3    0    3    0     0      2     0      8       9
TOTS Team Blue             2    2    0    0     0      0     2      6       8

TOTS Team White        AB-R-H-RBI

Jim Sears                           3-2-2-0    
Lloyd Barzell                      3-2-3-1
Pigpen Price                       2-2-0-1    
Bob Daliege                       2-2-0-0
Dave Rhoades                    3-0-0-2
John Misiaszek                   3-0-3-3
Floyd Lance                       3-0-0-1
Jerry Hamelin                     3-0-0-0
Carl Brutovsky                    3-0-0-0
Joe Aparicio                        3-0-1-0
Jerry Smarik                        3-0-0-0
Bob Katz                             2-0-0-0
Doc Thompson                    1-0-0-0                                
TTLS                                 34-8-9-8


TOTS Team Blue            AB-R-H-RBI

Dennis Crowley                    3-1-1-0                      
Jeff Rein                              3-1-1-0
Ed Rife                                3-1-1-0
Pete Peters                           3-1-2-0
Bob Stofft                            3-0-1-0
Ron Carlson                         2-0-0-0
Brian Reilly                          3-1-0-0
Ed Seebinder                        3-0-1-2
Jessie Ochoa                         3-1-0-1
Dick McAnally                      2-0-0-0                  
Denny Leonard                     2-0-1-2
Dan Lundwall                       2-0-0-1
Doc Thompson                     1-0-0-0
TTLS                                  33-6-8-6

WP  Barzell (1-0)                                  LP  Rife (0-1)

Pitching battery: Team White - Barzell, Thompson and Daliege; Team Blue -Rife, Thompson, Lundwall and Seelbinder, McAnally.
HP Price (Rife)
Umpires: Chico Bigham (HP), Denny Heath (1B),  Bob Royer (3B)
Scorekeeper: Jim Pagels
Site: Udall Park
Attendance: 118

It's time for the Wildcats to shine

During the next 48 hours, the Arizona Wildcats will get there chance to shine. First, it's the Arizona basketball team as they open their season at home tonight against Cal Poly, and secondly, we all know what's coming on Saturday night at Arizona Stadium as our Wildcats host UCLA.

Wins by both Wildcat teams would be perfect. I look for our basketball team to be a little sluggish at the start but should roll in the second half for an easy win. As for the football team, even with the great Ka'Deem Carey taking the majority of the snaps, I look for a close one. If, and it is a big if, the Arizona defense can keep the Bruins from entering the red zone, say less than three times, then the 'Cats could squeak out a victory and move (can you believe it?) to 7-2 on the season and with a 4-2 record in the conference would keep pace in the Pac-12 South.

Just for the fun of it, let's predict: Arizona 82-64 over Cal Poly and Arizona 31-28 over UCLA.

That would be nice!

The Old Boys of November

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

The Old Boys of Summer have worked their way into November, believers still that the fence is an attainable goal. And sometimes it is, mostly as a way to keep the ball from rolling away.

Tim--big, strong Tim--is the only regular threat to the right field fence but, while hope may not spring eternal in the hearts of the ordinary mortals who make up most of the team, it does occasionally raise its head.

The TOTs--Tucson Old Timers--play ball the year around, moving the morning starting time up an hour in the summer to avoid midday heat, and back again in the fall to allow the sun to dry out the Park District watering schedule.

Later this week, I think for the first time, the team will play a night game, just for the fun of playing under the lights. Friends and relatives who have not reached the age when they might be eligible to join the TOTs (60), have been invited to see what baseball after 60 looks like--or more astoundingly--what a first baseman can do at 88. It isn't always pretty, but pretty has never applied to any of the guys who play autumn ball.

They are, as any of them will admit, if not a handsome lot, then at least durable, if viewed from a distance under the dim November lights.

Note: The above text was written by TOTS' bleacher bum Conrad Royksund, who makes it a point to wiggle into the stands behind home plate on occasion and watch the TOTS perform. His insight on the TOTS and the game of baseball is certainly a fresh approach, of which yours truly gets a kick out of. Conrad will be in the bleachers Friday night at Udall Park as the TOTS play their first-ever night game. For all my readers out there, come on down and watch the Old Boys of Summer, or, as Conrad puts it, the Old Boys of November. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

By the way, feel free to read Conrad's own blog at: www.smokesound.blogspot.com

Photos: At a recent day game, the TOTS huddle up and discuss the ground rules, while Bob Stofft makes himself comfortable outside the dugout and awaits the game's first pitch.

Reilly has his best month with the TOTS

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Brian Reilly, 62, is one of the rookies on the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) and in October led the club in runs scored for the first time since joining the organization.  Reilly crossed the plate 19 times. Reilly also finished third in hits as he hit safely 15 times in 27 official at bats for the month. He also finished second in walks with six, just one behind the leader in that category, 76-year-old Bob Katz with seven.

Reilly batted .556  for the month and finished ahead of Pete Peters (17 for 33 for a .515 average) and Lloyd Barzell (17 for 35 and a .486  average). Barzell led the team in RBIs with 15.

Other top hitters with less than 10 games played includes: Bob Daliege (13 for 24, a .542 average in 8 games) and Dennis Crowley (12 for 18, a .667 average for six games), while Jeff Rein, playing in just five games, went 11 for 15 and a sizzling .733 average.

In the pitching category, Barzell led the way with a 3-0 record, while Ed Rife and Crowley were both 2-0. Billy Heiny, 84, finished the month with a 2-2 slate.
.

The Return of Doc Thompson

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

TOTS right-hander Doc Thompson has been chomping at the bit awaiting his return to the ball field at Udall Park and rejoin his teammates on the Tucson Old Timers baseball club.

Thompson, 71, arguably the hardest thrower on the 60-and-over baseball club, had knee surgery in August and wasn't expected to return to action until after the holidays. But Thompson said the heck with that and breezed through three months of rehab and took the mound today in what he refers to as "a rehab assignment."

His rehab assignment included five innings of work today as he struck out six and didn't walk a batter in a six inning game that saw Team Blue edge Team White, 2-1. Thompson pitched for Team White and was saddled with the loss, but in his first stint on the mound since the early part of July, was -- as they refer to it in the major leagues --  a quality start.

Thompson (photo above) allowed just three hits and mixed in a hand full of pitches -- including a fastball and a couple of breaking pitches, all of which had the majority of the Team Blue batters off balance.

"I wasn't to worried about the score," Thompson said. "I just wanted to go out there and get some work in." Thompson has been showing up at the ball field for the past couple of months and has put himself through a strenuous array of exercises in hopes of helping the process along so he could get back to what he likes to do best -- play baseball.

Of course, after exercising, Thompson would sit in the dugout and observe each game, wishing and waiting for the day he could return to the mound and terrorize his TOTS teammates.

Today, he did just that.

Almost overlooked today was the pitching of 63-year-old lefty Dennis Crowley. Crowley, who recently returned from the 2013 MSBL World Series, allowed just three hits as well. He walked one and struck out two batters.

Both pitchers did not allow an earned run. Tim Tolson, 61, broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning when he singled in a run with a hard hit ball, which found its way through the hole between first and second base.

Fourteen of the TOTS, playing under the name Tucson Aces, recently returned from the senior World Series in Phoenix, and they could have used the offerings of Mr. Thompson at the week-long tournament, which included six games in four days.

What they lacked was a deep pitching staff as they failed to make the playoffs this past weekend.

Doc is back. It's too bad the Aces didn't have the luxury of having the hard-throwing right-hander on their pitching staff at the senior World Series. They certainly could have used him.

Way to go, Doc. Welcome back!

Photos: Top photo, Doc Thompson; bottom photo, Thompson unleashes a fastball (in his rehab assignment) to the plate to batter Pigpen Price. The catcher is Pete Peters.

Photo credit: Top photo, by Bookemdanosports, Bottom photo, by Conrad Royksund.

Team Priceless falls to 5-4 in football fantasy league

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


My Team Priceless lost another heart-breaker this weekend in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League, losing 131-120. An 11-point loss and it looked like I'd pull out a victory as I had Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown and the New England running back Stephan Ridley locked in a battle as the minutes ticked away in Sunday's late-afternoon game, pitting the Patriots against the Steelers.

Of course, the Patriots won going away, but the scenario had Pittsburgh needing to pass late in the fourth quarter while New England needed to sit on the ball and hand off to the running backs. Unfortunately for me, New England subbed for Ridley and Brown wasn't thrown to as the minutes ticked away. A score by Ridley and Brown down the stretch and I would have edged out a win.

That's the way it unfolds in Fantasy Football.

Way to go Nick Foles!

Former University of Arizona quarterback Nick Foles went crazy in the NFL today. Crazy as in tossing seven touchdowns passes to tie a National Football League record. Foles connected on 22 of 28 passes for 406 yards as the Philadelphia Eagles trounced Oakland, 49-20.

I knew he had it in him. After all, I was one of many fans of the Wildcats who wiggled in our seats, not too many years back, as Foles terrorized opponents with that strong arm of his.

Congrats, Mr. Foles. Let's see more of the same. Could you do me a favor in the weeks to come and target DeSean Jackson more often? Jackson is on my fantasy team. You certainly worked your magic today as Jackson caught five passes for 150 yards and a touchdown.

Arizona Wildcats 33 California Golden Bears 28

Arizona Wildcats Football


Not the best effort in Berkeley today by the Arizona Wildcats, but a win is a win. The Wildcats survive a hard day at the office with a 33-28 victory and improve to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12.

B.J. Denker led the way for the Wildcats with four touchdowns -- three rushing and one through the air. Ka'Deem Carey didn't go crazy today as he gobbled up the yardage when called upon. Carey finished with 152 rushing yards on 32 carries. Denker stole the show today for the Wildcats, completing 24 of 38 passes for 261 yards.

Next up for the Wildcats: UCLA on Saturday. The battle for the South is now on with Arizona State holding a one-game lead in the Pac-12 South over USC, the Bruins, and the Wildcats.

60-and-over SLC/KC Dodgers win MSBL World Series

2013 Men's Senior Baseball League World Series

60-and-over Cactus division


The SLC/KC Dodgers blanked the Sacramento Solons 17-0 in the MSBL World Series 60-and-over Cactus division title game today at the Tempe Diablo Sports Complex.

The two teams survived the week-long battle in the eight-team Cactus division to make it to the championship game. The Dodgers entered the title matchup with a 6-1 record, while the Solons compiled a 5-2 record.

But in the finale, it was all Dodgers. The Tucson Aces (1-5), a team comprised of players from the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club,  lost to both teams during the six-game round-robin. All the teams are guaranteed six games during the senior World Series and in the Cactus division only four teams make it to the playoffs. The Dodgers beat the Arizona Scorpions 8-5 in the semi-finals, while the Solons defeated the Paladin Club from Albuquerque, 16-4.

In the title game: Dave Welsh tossed a three-hitter and struck out eight batters as the Salt Lake / Kansas City Dodgers vanquished the Sacramento Solons 17-0. Welsh and his battery mate Mark Adams devastated the Solons. Adams homered, tripled, and singled in four trips and had four RBI. Welsh was 3-for-3 with two RBI. Welsh was named the tournament MVP. (taken from the MSBL National Website).

Other 60s finals:

60+ Mountain Championship Game - Windy City 11 vs Lehigh Valley Moondogs 5
With help from a generous defense, Windy City scored four times in the second inning to take a 6-3 lead. Former pro Bill Lee earned the win with six-and-a-third scoreless innings of pitching in relief of starter John Heinzl. Tournament MVP Ron Piacenti had three hits and three RBI and reached base five times. George Karas was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Moondog leadoff hitter Dennis Ritter was 3-for-4 with a double in the loss. 

60+ Central Championship Game - California Tribe 5 vs So Cal Dodgers 3 The California Tribe (9-0) finished off a perfect week in the 60's Central with a 5-3 victory over the So Cal Dodgers. The Tribe broke a scoreless tie with two runs in he fourth inning and added three more in the fifth and made it stand.
  

Sacramento Solons to take on the SLC/KC Dodgers for 60-and-over MSBL World Series title

2013 Men's Senior Baseball League World Series

60-and-over Cactus division


The Sacramento Solons and the SLC/KC Dodgers survived the semi finals today and will play for the  60-and-over Cactus division title at the MSBL World Series in Phoenix on Saturday.

The two teams beat our Tucson Aces, during the round-robin portion of the senior World Series, which was held earlier in the week. The Aces lost to the Solons 19-11 and fell to the Dodgers 18-3.

Congrats to the teams for reaching the finals. It'll be the eighth game this week for the two teams. It's a tough path to the finals no matter how you look it -- six round-robin games, a semi-final matchup and the big finale.

Good luck to both teams.

MSBL WS Note: The Solons knocked off Albuquerque 16-4 today, while the Dodgers got by the Arizona Scorpions 8-5.

The day Pigpen Price toed the rubber at the 2013 MSBL World Series

2013 Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series

60-and-over division

My blog, Bookemdanosports, has passed the 1,600 mark in posts and the majority of the posts focus on senior league baseball - the 60-and-over crazy dudes who still take the field to play America's favorite pastime.

And, of course, this past three weeks the MSBL World Series in Phoenix was front and center on my mind as I transformed our daily game results to my trusty old laptop. There was certainly a lot to write about from the first week when our local 70-and-over team (playing under the name of the Arizona Scorpions) played six games in six days at the senior World Series event and ended with our first-ever 60s team (the Tucson Aces) competing in six tough games in just four days. Our 70s team made it to the first round of the playoffs before bowing out in a tie for fifth place, while our 60s team, playing in the newly-formed Cactus division, took it on the chin, finishing 1-5 and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Most of the time, I see to it that I write solely about my teammates and keep my nose, so to speak, out of it and try not to mention the name Pigpen Price too much, but I just can't help myself this go-around. This year -- my fifth at the prestigious MSBL World Series -- I had the time of my life from the first pitch the first week with our 70s team to the last out this week with our 60s team.

First of all, my teammates are the greatest. By the end of each week, no matter how tired I was, I wanted more. I never wanted to check out of the hotel and go home. The event is such a kick for me and I seem to be on some "high" until it's all over and I'm driving down I-10 with every bone in my body-- aching, and I'm trying desperately not to get any blood from the cuts on my knees on the upholstery of my car.

I already miss -- not only the games -- but the aftermath, so to speak, the after-the-game, sports-grill ramblings with my teammates about the bonehead plays we made two hours earlier, or for that matter, the great plays we made, the Monday morning quarterbacking, so to speak, as we dissect each play and relive it all.

The stories are endless. Take for instance the following.

In our final game yesterday in the 60-and-over division, I watched the oldest player in the MSBL World Series, play for nine innings -- all three hours mind you -- at second base. My teammate, 84-year-old Billy Heiny, made an error or two, but he made the play time and time again, playing against players who in most cases were 24 years younger than him.

Heiny does it every week through out the year in Tucson with the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS), but there he was this week, giving his all against the best 60-and-over baseball players in the country.

Then there's my teammate Mike Taylor. Mike shows up for the first game in the 60s division with a hamstring pull he's been nursing for months. But there he was gutting it out and coming away with three hits. It took him a while to get to first base and he legged it out, knowing full well a good throw from the outfield could nip him at first base. The rules allow for a pinch runner in those cases and guess who the pinch runner turned out to be, you guessed it, Pigpen Price.

Mike would joke after every game. "Hey, I scored a run," Mike would say and, of course, that's exactly what it shows in the score book.

This week, there were diving catches made by center fielder Tim Tolson, and an inside-the-park home run by Ron Petersen and gutsy pitching performances, despite the score, by Jerry Wessels, Arnie White, Dennis Crowley and Petersen as they all battled the situation to the very end.

And, of course, more stories.

Take for instance, the Saga of the Oreo Cookie. Teammate Ted Davis who, by the way, turned in a gusty performance despite his shoulder injury (will undergo surgery soon) brought some cookies to one of the round-robin games. Of course, they are my favorite. I never pass up an Oreo cookie.

Well, I'd eat two before each at bat. I had my best day at the plate with three hits in five plate appearances. I should have kept eating those cookies as I went into a mini-slump at the plate on Day 3, the day of our second doubleheader.

As for me, I can't begin to tell you (Oh! Yes I can) what a kick it was to start Game 2 against Seattle inside the confines of Goodyear Stadium, training home of the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds.

My manager, Pete Peters, informed me an hour before game time that I'd be toeing the rubber -- my first-ever starting pitching assignment at the MSBL World Series. In 2009, I pitched one inning in relief in a game that had gotten completely out of hand and my manager at the time, Mike Morales, sent me in for an inning of work. Somehow I got out of the inning unscathed and I have always been able to say  that I have an ERA of 0.00 at the senior World Series.

But this was different. An actual start with my teammates counting on me to get the job done. The butterflies were churning in my tummy as I toed the rubber and delivered my first pitch to my catcher, the player-manager, Peters.

Somehow, someway I struck out Seattle's leadoff batter with a fastball that tailed inside. I watched the Seattle leadoff man head back to his dugout and the butterflies, well, they left my tummy and I guess they flew over the left field fence at Goodyear Stadium, turned left on I-10 and headed west to Los Angeles.

Game on!

I made it to the sixth inning before calling for help. I left the mound and headed for the dugout, all smiles as I looked at the scoreboard. We were up 7-3 and I had pitched for two hours -- striking out three and walking three. I will never forget that moment in time at the MSBL World Series.

That's what it is all about. The memories a diehard baseball player and a fan of the game like me will take away from playing in the Men's Senior Baseball League World Series.

I can't wait till October of 2014. I'm already thinking about the anticipation -- to the day I pack my gear and head back up I-10 to Phoenix and another MSBL World Series.

Photo: Yours truly. I love the game of baseball.

Images from Goodyear Stadium prior to game time: