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!