TOTS, family members honor McAnally

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) said their final goodbye to teammate Dick McAnally today at Udall Park.

Dick passed away December 18, 2015 at the age of 83.

The McAnally family held the ceremony on the TOTS' baseball field and over 150 people were on hand to honor the well-known attorney, who according to members of his law firm was a tough litigator and once won 24 cases over a 12-month period.

We, the TOTS, know Dick for his hard-nosed play behind home plate -- a catcher on the senior baseball club since 1994.  Known by his friends and his teammates as Judge McAnally or just plain "Mac" for short, Dick was a no nonsense player. According to the TOTS' top pitcher Doc Thompson, Dick liked to call the pitches, in other words be in control of the game.

"The first time I met him, I was on the mound and Dick was behind the plate," Thompson said.  "Dick called time out and walked out to the mound. They discussed how far it was from the pitching rubber to home plate. Doc said, "sixty feet, six inches."

The meeting over, Thompson toed the rubber and McAnally returned to his position behind the plate. Doc's next pitch was a change up and the batter pulled the ball foul. Dick called timeout and returned to the mound. The two players discussed the change up. "How far is it to the plate when you throw the change?"

Doc thought for a second. He knew the answer. "Sixty feet!"

After that the two players were always on the same page.

Dick McAnally was one of a kind. We will miss him.

Photos: (top photo) Our teammate, Dick McAnally; (bottom) poster was displayed today in front of home plate at Udall, showing McAnally giving a thumps up, while enjoying a family trip to Mexico...Thanksgiving 2015.