Jesse Ochoacinco

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball

Jesse Ochoa, 62, joined the TOTS midway through the 2012 season. He played in just 50 games and finished the year with 28 hits in 113 at bats for a .248 batting average. Ochoa practically doubled his games played in 2013. He played in 91 games and upped his average to .463. He banged out 114 hits in 246 plate appearances and drove in 98 runs.

On the injury list to start 2014, Jesse came out strong during the month of March.  Jesse played in six games and practically knocked the cover off the ball, going 12 for 24 for a .500 average, while driving in 10 runs.

Ochoa, a retired police officer, is currently teaching at Cienaga High School and hasn't had a lot of playing time in March or April, but he did take a day off from work today and got in a few cuts with the TOTS. Playing for Team White today, Jesse went 3 for 3 and drove in two runs.

TOTS Blue won the game at Udall Park this morning 7-5, but Jesse did his best to keep his team in the game.

When Ochoa joined the TOTS, he quickly picked up the nickname "Sweeper" because he offered to sweep out the dugout before every game.  Ochoa has now earned a new nickname due to the fact he clobbers the ball to all parts of the field and his teammates have watched his batting average climb and climb and climb.

Jesse is now referred to jokingly as Jesse Ochoacinco.

Playing for the TOTS and being labeled with a nickname is not unusual. The TOTS have very distinctive nicknames like: The Turbo Turtle, The Rocket, The Communicator, The Yankee Clipper, Baby Bull, Pigpen, Pistol Pete, The Alabama Redneck...well you get the idea, the list goes on and on.

Having a nickname on the TOTS  is just part of the fun. If you're new to the ball club and can't take a little "ribbing"...well you will in due time. A player on the TOTS once said, "If we give you a hard time once in a while it just means we like you."

No one gets the "silent" treatment in a TOTS' dugout. Everyone is fair game.

A player once said, "I don't even need to play, I can sit in the dugout and have fun."

To be a TOT is just plain fun!

Photo: Jesse Ochoa...aka Jesse Ochoacinco.