The Tucson Old Timers complete another season

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

2013 official statistics (the TOTS 45th season)

Sickness, broken bones, pulled muscles and fatigue are just a few factors that can keep a Tucson Old Timer off the baseball field. Some play through all the aches and pains.

Consider the following statistics for the year 2013.

Nine members of the 60-and-over TOTS played in over 100 games and batted over 300 times during the year. Jerry Smarik played in the most games (127). The 82-year-old Smarik batted 328 times in his 22nd full season with the TOTS. He scored 13 runs and collected 49 hits, finishing the year with a .149 batting average.

Lloyd Barzell, 63, a mere 19 years younger than Smarik, led the TOTS with 399 at bats in 126 games. Barzell, nicked named the "Baby Bull", scored 188 runs, banged out 219 hits and knocked in 114 runs for a .549 batting average.

Denny Leonard, 76, and Pete Peters, 64, finished third and fourth, respectively, in games played. Leonard played in 120 games. He stepped to the plate 304 times, scored 38 runs, collected 82 hits for a .270 batting average, while Peters played in 119 games, stepped to the plate 361 times, scored 154 runs and was second on the club in hits with 187. Peters batted .518 for the 12-month period and drove in 118 runs, which was second only to 61-year-old power hitter Tim Tolson who led the club with 140 RBI.

Joe Aparicio, 80, finished fifth in games played with 117. Joe batted 257 times, scored 33 runs, banged out 40 hits for a .156 batting average.

The oldest member of the TOTS, 88-year-old Floyd Lance finished up a surprising sixth in games played with 115. Lance, a member of the TOTS since 1999, batted 293 times during the year, scored 40 runs, hit safely 93 times and batted .317.

Billy Heiny, 84, another ageless wonder with the TOTS, played in 109 games, good enough for eighth place among the "iron men". Heiny batted 290 times, scored 44 runs, collected 43 hits for a .148 batting average, while Ron Carlson, 66, ended up in seventh place in games played with 112. Carlson batted 305 times, scored 53 runs, picked up 121 hits and hit .397 for the year.

Pigpen Price, 68, was the ninth member of the TOTS to reach the 100-game mark for the year. Price played in 106 games. He batted 324 times, scored 60 runs, hit safely 144 times and drove in 105 runs for a .444 batting average.

Of course, the "big gun" for the TOTS in 2013 was Tolson. The left-handed power hitter didn't reach the 100-game plateau, but did play in 88 games. Tolson batted 275 times, scored 107 runs, collected 159 hits, and led the club in home runs with seven and won the batting title with a .579 average.

Another TOT making the most of his at bats was 65-year-old Bob Daliege. Bob played in just 75 games and batted 221 times, but he scored 77 runs, collected 129 hits for a .584 batting average.

Also turning in impressive stats for 2013 were Dennis Crowley, Brian Reilly, Chico Bigham, Jerry Hamelin and Jesse Ochoa. The five players didn't reach the 100-game plateau, but they certainly made the most out of their at bats.

Crowley, 64, played in 96 games. He batted 275 times, scored 125 runs  (3rd on the club), collected 154 hits (4th on the club) for a .560 average.

Reilly, 63. played in just 75 games. He batted 207 times, scored 71 runs, collected 84 hits for a .406 average.

Bigham, 75, played in 86 games. He batted 234 times, scored 73 runs and hit safely 95 times for a.406 average.

Hamelin, 73, played in 94 games. Hamelin batted 260 times, scored 61 runs, hit safely 85 times for a .327 average, while Ochoa, 62, played in 91 games. He batted 246 times, scored 25 runs and collected 114 hits for a .463 average.

One of the hard luck stories in 2013 was the plight of Ted Davis, 63. Davis had shoulder surgery this last winter and missed the final two months of the season. But, in 81 games, Davis posted a .525 batting average with 114 hits in 217 at bats.

In other categories, it was Bob Katz, 76, the leader in walks with 63. Barzell topped the chart in doubles with 52 and tied with Tolson in triples with seven. Lance led the club in sacrifice fly outs and bunts with 14.

Photo: Jerry Smarik, 82, (top photo) finished the 2013 season with the most games played by a TOT (127) and Tim Tolson, 61, (bottom photo) led the 60-and-over baseball club in home runs (7) and RBI (140).

Wildcat fans take a deep breath!

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Arizona Wildcat fans take a deep breath!

The top-ranked Wildcats improve to 21-0 with a heart-stopping 60-57 win at Stanford tonight over the Cardinal.

Trailing 31-30 at the end of the first half, the Wildcats fought back, relying on their defense to get the job done in the second half, as Stanford missed 12 of its last 13 shots from the field.

Still, the Wildcats needed someone to step up and make a shot down the stretch. They found their man in Nick Johnson. With 45 seconds remaining in the game, Kaleb Tarczewski snatched an offensive rebound and passed off to Johnson, who then hit a three-pointer to give Arizona a 58-55 lead.

Johnson's dagger was the sixth bucket from three-point range for Arizona tonight as the Wildcats shot just 36 percent from the field (18 of 50), but knocked down 6 of 14 from three-point land. On a night when the Wildcats were out rebounded (38-36), missed 11 of 29 free throws and received a horrible shooting night from Aaron Gordon (2 of 10 from the field and just 5 points), they found a way to win.

Wow!

Johnson finished with 16 points, while T.J. McConnell chipped in 11 and Brandon Ashley netted 10. Gordon hauled in nine rebounds, while McConnell had eight boards and four assists.

And now the Wildcats head for Berkeley and a showdown with the California Golden Bears on Saturday.

Go get 'em, Wildcats!

Give the ball to Mr. Johnson!

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The Arizona Wildcats became the first team in school history to win 20 consecutive games with a hard fought 65-56 Pac-12 win over the Utah Utes tonight at the McKale Center.

The Wildcats, the No. 1 ranked team in the country for seven consecutive weeks (make it eight now!), made sure shooting guard Nick Johnson got the ball down the stretch and improved to 20-0 overall and 7-0 in the Pac-12 Conference. Johnson scored 22 points to lead all scorers, grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists as the Wildcats overcame a poor shooting first half to beat a very good Utah team, which fell to 14-6 overall and 3-5 in the conference.

Four players scored in double figures for the Wildcats as Aaron Gordon provided much of the muscle with 12 rebounds and 10 points. Brandon Ashley netted 11 points and grabbed seven boards, while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson came off the bench to grab seven rebounds and 10 points.

Every team in the Pac-12 wants to be the team to dismantle the top-ranked Wildcats. Utah certainly went after Arizona tonight at McKale and it looked midway through the second half as if the Utes just might get the job done.

But in the end, the Wildcats had Mr. Johnson on hand to right the ship and enough firepower from his teammates -- Gordon, Ashley and Hollis-Jefferson to keep the Utes from stealing the show.

It's a great accomplishment for our Wildcats to be 20-0 and No.1 in the country for eight weeks. It's time for Arizona to hit the road next week with games at Stanford and California. It was a tough game tonight…and the Wildcats can expect nothing less as they hit the road.

Good luck, Wildcats. Go get 'em!

Photo: Above photo taken by my son, Michael. He was lucky enough to be at the game tonight.

No.1 Wildcats improve to 19-0

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Make it 19-0!

The Arizona Wildcats cruised to their 19th win of the season and improve to 6-0 in the Pac-12 Conference with a 69-57 win over the Colorado Buffaloes at McKale Center tonight.

Nick Johnson scored 18 points to lead the Wildcats, while Brandon Ashley chipped in 15 and Aaron Gordon filled the box score with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists. Arizona shot 49 percent from the field, hitting 29 of 59 field goal attempts, while limiting the Buffaloes to 37 percent (19 of 51).

Arizona led at the half 39-24 and held leads up to 20 points in the second half. The Wildcats will try to make it 20-0 on Sunday when they entertain Utah. Just three teams remain unbeaten in the country -- Arizona, Syracuse and Wichita State.

The Wildcats have been No. 1 for seven weeks. Way to go, Wildcats!

60-and-over Tucson Aces wallop Rattlers, 11-3

TOTS Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


The Tucson Aces had their hitting shoes on at Mission Manor Park this morning as nine players hit safely and six players knocked in runs en route to an 11-3 win over the Arizona Rattlers.

The Aces came up big defensively as well -- turning four double plays, as 72-year-old right hander Arnie White went the distance to pick up the win. The Rattlers sent their top four pitchers -- Jerry Wessels, George Gafner, Ernie Hernandez and Tom Barrow -- to the mound today, but the Aces banged out 18 hits -- including three hits apiece by Dick Ducklow, Jim Sears and Dennis Crowley.

Chico Bigham, Lloyd Barzell and Tim Tolson added two hits apiece to the Aces' onslaught, while Pigpen Price, Pete Peters and White singled. Defensively, Price turned three double plays and Tolson added another double play the hard way when he backhanded a ground ball, tagged first base and then threw a strike to Barzell to nip the runner at second base.

The Aces received outstanding plays from their outfielders as well. Peters threw a runner out at second base in the third inning and Sears, the fastest of all the Aces, flagged down three hard hit fly balls on the run and also threw out a runner at second base in the seventh inning.

It was the first Aces game of the year against the Rattlers, a south side team with a roster of players in their  60s and early 70s. The oldest player on the field today was the Aces' 84-year-old catcher Billy Heiny.

"We hit the ball well today," said manager Jerry Hamelin. "We really played well defensively. The four  double plays were huge."

Way to go, Aces. Keep it up!

Broncos and Seahawks to battle in 48th Super Bowl

The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks are heading for the New Jersey Meadowlands and the Super Bowl.

The Broncos, behind 400 passing yards from Peyton Manning, took down Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 26-16 today in Denver, while up in Seattle the Seahawks squeezed out a 23-17 win over San Francisco.

Pretty much the way I had it figured.

Now, Super Bowl XLVIII will come down to the golden arm of Peyton Manning and his band of receivers against the hard-nosed defensive unit of the Seattle Seahawks.

I'm still giving the nod to the Broncos. We'll know in two weeks how it will all pan out.

ASU no match for No. 1 Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Next victim: Arizona State

The No. 1 ranked Arizona Wildcats cruised to their 18th win of the season with a 91-68 win over the Sun Devils tonight at McKale Center.

Seven players scored in double figures for the Wildcats as Arizona extended its school record in wins to open a season. Nick Johnson led the way with 17 points, while Aaron Gordon pumped in 16. Kaleb Tarczewski chipped in 12, T.J. McConnell added 10, Brandon Ashley netted 10, while Gabe York scored 10 points and  Hollis-Jefferson added 11.

NFL final four ready for battle

It's been a long NFL season, but finally we have our final four -- New England, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle.

No real surprises there.

What happens next is anybody's guess. The Broncos will be at home next Sunday and will play host to the Patriots, while Seattle will entertain the 49ers. Two very good title games, but I look for Peyton Manning and the Broncos to get it done in the AFC Championship game, while I'm picking the Seahawks to survive a close battle in the NFC Championship game.

In the 48th Super Bowl, I'll stick with Manning and the Broncos to come out on top.

Of course, that's before I get in a football pool, or two. Once I get my numbers, all bets are off.

Wildcats 17-0!

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


T.J. McConnell and Brandon Ashley combine for 38 points and 10 assists as the Arizona Wildcats become the first basketball team in school history to start the season 17-0 with a 73-53 Pac-12 win over USC tonight in Los Angeles.

Arizona returns home with its No. 1 ranking in tact and will take a breather before taking on arch-rival Arizona State Thursday night at McKale Center.

McConnell canned 7 of 12 field goals tonight, including five three-pointers, while Ashley connected on  7 of 10 shots and hit 5 of 8 from the free throw line as Arizona led at the half 34-31 before running away from the Trojans in the second half. The Wildcats outscored USC in the final 20 minutes 39-22.

Nick Johnson and Aaron Gordon also finished in double figures, Johnson with 15 and Gordon ended up with 12 points to go along with eight rebounds.

Way to go, Wildcats!

No.1 Wildcats beat UCLA 79-75

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The No. 1 Arizona Wildcats improved to 16-0, matching their best start in school history, with a 79-75 win over UCLA tonight in Los Angeles.

Nick Johnson led the Wildcats with 22 points, while Kaleb Tarczewski scored 16 points and grabbed a team high eight rebounds. Gabe York came off the bench and scored 12 points, while Aaron Gordon chipped in 10 points and grabbed six boards.

Arizona led at the half 42-38 and with six minutes remaining in the second half led by 13. The Bruins came roaring back and took the lead at 70-69, but the Wildcats held on, making key free throws in the final minute of play and now head for USC on Sunday and a chance to establish a new school record for a start to a season.

Way to go, Wildcats!

No. 1 Arizona improves to 15-0

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The top-ranked Arizona Wildcats improve to 15-0 and 2-0 in the Pac-12 Conference with a 72-61 win over the Washington Huskies at McKale Center this afternoon. Aaron Gordon hit 8 of 11 shots from the field and sank 2 of 5 from the free throw line for 18 points, while Nick Johnson led all scorers with 24 points.

The Huskies, after a win over Arizona State just two nights ago, came to play in this one as well and led at the half 35-33. Arizona finally broke away from the Huskies with just over one minute left in the game as Johnson sank four straight free throws to give the Wildcats a 69-60 lead. T.J. McConnell, who led the Wildcats in assists with six, added a couple of free throws down the stretch and Arizona keeps its number one ranking as they head for California next week and conference games against UCLA and USC.

Not a great shooting day for the Wildcats as they connect on 24 of 57 shots for 42 percent. Arizona out rebounded the Huskies, 38-34.

Way to go, Wildcats! Go get 'em out in California.

Top-ranked Wildcats knock off Cougars 60-25

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Not a real crowd-pleaser at McKale Center tonight.

The Washington State Cougars tried to slow down top-ranked Arizona by using a watch-the-shot-clock, wait till the last second and then-put-up-a-shot style of play in hopes of dismantling the high-flying Wildcats.

The Wildcats cruised -- on a couple of cylinders -- to their first Pac-12 victory of the year with a 60-25  victory over the Cougars and improved to 14-0 on the season.  Arizona allowed the Cougars to shoot just 20 percent from the field. They made just nine of 45 shots.

Arizona attempted just 45 shots as well, but hit 20 of them for a 44 percent effort, and led at the half, 28-7. The Wildcats' defensive gem was good enough to shatter the McKale Center record for the least amount of points allowed in a game. The old record was 37, set in 1989 by Northern Arizona.

Kaleb Tarczewski was the only player to score in double figures with 11 points.

All kinds of defensive records were broken tonight -- including the 20 percent shooting percentage by the Cougars. The previous record was 20.3 by NAU in the same game in 1989.

Way to go, Wildcats!