TOTS annual luncheon a huge success

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers hold their annual luncheon and awards ceremony every spring.

And every year it gets better and better.

This year's luncheon rates among the best ever.

Close to fifty members, along with their spouses, relatives and friends gathered at noon today at Vivace restaurant on north Campbell. They were all treated to a fabulous lunch and were honored with a guest speaker, well-known around the Tucson sports circles -- Tom Sanderson, a former University of Arizona baseball player and currently a very successful Sports Physical Therapist.

One of his clients just happens to be our own Floyd Lance, 91, the oldest TOT to ever don a uniform and play for the organization, which will proudly celebrate its 50th year in 2018.

So the members on hand at the luncheon, along with the guests in attendance, were all ears as Mr. Sanderson gave an up close and personal look into his profession.

Everyone who has anything to do with the old baseball club understands full well that all the members of the TOTS can use a physical therapist.

One of the largest cheers from the audience came when Sanderson told the story of Floyd's Tucson Old Timers jersey. "I have one of Floyd's jerseys in my office," he said. "Number 89."

Of course, Floyd wore the jersey two years ago and it's a well-known fact that he changes his jersey every year to coincide with his age.

There were plenty of awards handed out also. The club's co-managers Pete Peters and Jesse Ochoa presented awards to Bob Stofft and Arnie White (Hall of Fame Award); Brian Reilly and Miguel Urtaza (Sportsmanship Award); Denny Leonard and Denny Heath (Century Award); Billy Heiny (Ironman Award) and, last but not least, the TOT of the Year Award was presented to Mal Zwolinski.

Special thanks went out to all the TOTS committee members: manager Pete Peters, Co-manager Jesse Ochoa, secretary Dan Lundwall, treasurer Bob Daliege, historian Danny Price and members Lloyd Barzell, Dennis Crowley and Delon Thompson.

And of course, there was plenty of talk on the back patio of the Vivace restaurant  -- with the noon day sun beating down and a comfortable breeze floating through the air -- about BASEBALL - OLD-TIME BASEBALL!

On page three of the luncheon program was a phrase which sums up what the TOTS are all about. The author, unknown -- "We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing."

Photos: 1) TOTS manager Pete Peters (2 thru 4) sports therapist Tom Sanderson at the podium and receiving and wearing his new TOTS hat (5) Floyd Lance saying a few nice words about his physical therapist (6) Mal Zwolinski receiving the TOT of the Year Award (7) Billy Heiny receiving the Ironman Award (8) Denny Leonard and (9) Denny Heath receiving their Century Award (10) Bob Stofft and Arnie White (11) receiving their Hall of Fame Award (12) Brian Reilly and (13) Miguel Urtaza receiving their Sportsmanship Award.

Photos by Jesse Ochoa