Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)
60-and-over baseball
The right field fence at Tucson Udall Park is 300 feet away from home plate.
The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) have four lefties on the current roster of sixty who are capable of depositing the ball in the trees. The four long ball hitters are Tim Tolson, Joe Opocensky, Ron Petersen and Jeff Helzel.
Of the four, Helzel now 74, played professional ball back in the 1960s. The Cincinnati Reds sent Helzel, then 22 years of age, to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to play "A" ball with the Red Raiders. Helzel spent one year with the Reds' minor-league affiliate. He went 8 for 52, including a double. A knee injury ended his short stint in the minors, but as he proudly confesses, "I had my shot."
Helzel spends a lot of time on the golf course these days, but when he does play for the TOTS, the outfielders take a position just one step from the fence.
Currently, the TOTS home run leader is 62-year-old Tim Tolson. One of the youngest member on the ball club, Tolson is a sure bet to send the ball to the trees, if he gets a pitch which allows him to extend his arms. If he gets one in his wheelhouse, you can kiss the ball "goodbye".
Opocensky, is a rookie with the TOTS and at 65 years of age is another one of the young guns in the organization, while Petersen, 70, has been with the TOTS for ten years. After a recent at bat, Petersen said, "The homers don't come as often now."
One thing is for sure, the four players have one thing in common: they're still reaching for the fences.
Photos: 1(at top) Helzel, photo 2 Tolson, photo 3 Opocensky, photo 4 Petersen.
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