The Silent Dugout

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

One constant with the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) is the chatter in the dugout. The club can send only a certain number of players out to the playing field at Udall Park every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while the bench in the dugout is filled with club members, who for one reason or another, albeit an injury or other heath reasons, remain on the sideline, so to speak, to cheer on their teammates with support, following a good play or a friendly jibe when a fellow TOT makes an error and can't find the handle on a bouncing ball hit his way.

For the last six years, the "leader in the dugout" has been scorekeeper Jim Pagels. Jim's job: Record the hits and the runs for two and a half hours, while participating in the dugout chatter, which over the years has become just as important and necessary as the oldtimers' game being played on the field.

The TOTS' dugout will remain silent for a while. It may take weeks or months before the "chatter" returns. The TOTS lost their scorekeeper, their teammate and their good friend on Dec. 17. Jim Pagels passed away at the age of  67.

Jim, a diehard Green Bay Packer fan, was born in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, but like so many of the TOTS,  settled in Tucson. He became a member of the TOTS in 2009, but for health reasons left the field of play in 2010 to become the club's No. 1 scorekeeper.

Every member of the TOTS has tried, at one time or another, to talk Jim into changing the score book. "Come on, Jim," they would say. "That was a hit, not an error!"

Rest in Peace, Jim Pagels. You will be missed.

Photo: Jim Pagels

Note: Service arrangements will follow and will be posted on this blog.