TOTS Senior Baseball League
60-and-over baseball
It was a night for the young and the old.
A special opening night at Udall Park for four Sabino Little League teams and two teams from the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club was held Friday night as more than 200-plus screaming fans witnessed two hours of runs, hits...and errors.
The Giants and the Red Sox locked horns as did the Rangers and Yankees, while the TOTS, with each player at least 50 years -- and in some cases close to 80 years -- older than the "younger set" enjoyed baseball under the Friday night lights.
As for the TOTS game, 21 runs were scored, 34 hits were banged around the confines of the middle field at Udall...and the scoreboard lit up...marking all the runs and all the outs. Errors didn't show up on the scoreboard, a bigger scoreboard would be needed to keep track of the miscues.
Still, there was a lot of action.
Team White jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the first as TOTS Blue right-hander Pigpen Price walked three and struck out one and gave up two earned runs. Price gave way to Chico Bigham in the second inning. Team White led 7-2 after three, but Bigham got stronger as the innings wore on and suddenly Team Blue started ripping the ball to the gaps in right center and left center.
Before the dust had cleared around home plate, Team Blue had evened the score at 7-7 and took the lead for good when Price singled up the middle with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning.
Team Blue took the field in the bottom of the inning, leading 10-7. Team White added a run, but Team Blue plated two more runs in the sixth and a single run in the seventh and went on to win the game, 13-8.
Chuck Sabalos, a former Arizona Superior Court Judge, caught the seven-inning game for Team White and went 3 for 3 in the process, while "winter visitor" Dick Ducklow went 3 for 3 as well and drove in three runs. Leadoff batter Brian Reilly collected three hits in four trips to the plate and scored two runs, while Ron Petersen, Pete Peters and Bob Daliege added two hits apiece for Team White.
Dave Rhoades went 3 for 4 for Team Blue, scored twice and knocked in a run, while Price also had a productive night with a 3 for 4 performance, two runs scored and three RBI. Tom Potter had a two-hit night and Mike Steele banged out three hits as Team Blue finished with 16 hits and Team White had 18.
The oldest player on the field, 88-year-old Floyd Lance, went 2 for 4 for Team Blue and drove in two runs.
Bigham pitched six innings of solid relief for Team Blue and picked up the win, while Lloyd Barzell, who pitched a complete game, took the loss. Barzell, who went 1 for 4 in the game, made one of the top plays of the game when he chased down a foul ball near the third base dugout and made the catch to snuff yet another rally by Team Blue.
Art Ratke and Mal Zwolinski, two members of the TOTS who are recovering from recent hospital stays, combined their efforts to throw out the first pitch -- Ratke unleashed a strike to home plate and Zwolinski gloved the offering -- and the game was on.
Sherry Villasenor, a well-known Tucson umpire, took care of matters behind the plate.
Plenty of hot dogs and hamburgers were dished out at the concession stand as everyone went home full and happy. After the opening ceremonies, the players took the field as the sun set over the Tucson Mountains. By 9 P.M, it was all over.
The temperature in the low 80s at game time. A night to remember for the young...and the old.
Photos: Six views of the old and the new. The 60-and-over TOTS enjoy opening night with four teams from the 9 and 10 year old AA division of the Sabino Canyon Little League. They all (eventually) removed their hats and awaited the Star Spangled Banner.
TOTS Note: In the top photo above the gentleman behind home plate is a member of the TOTS. Dick McAnnaly has been with the TOTS since 1994 and back in the early 1950s was on the roster as a catcher for the University of Arizona. Dick is now 81.
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