Hamelin's single up the middle lifts TOTS Blue to 8-6 win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Jerry Hamelin turns 77 in November. Jerry joined the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers in 2002 and after 15 years with the organization is among the top-10 all-time in hits with a shade over 1, 300.

Jerry no longer plays on a daily basis. One injury or another has seen to that. But today Jerry was back in the lineup at Udall Park and came up with the key hit which proved to be the game winner.

With the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning and the score all square at 6-6, Hamelin singled up the middle to score two runs and put Team Blue up, 8-6. Lefty Dennis Crowley pitched a complete game for Team Blue and nailed down the bottom of the seventh, coaxing three Team White batters into ground outs to give Team Blue a hard-fought win.

As for Jerry, he found a pitch from Team White's right-hander Lloyd Barzell to his liking, and drilled his key hit over the bag at second and into the outfield.  By the time the Team White outfielders were able to get the ball back to the infield two runs had crossed the plate.

Reed Palmer led Team White with two hits and three RBI, while John Mathews doubled twice to right field, walked once and drove in two runs for the winning team.

The TOTS will be back in action on Friday at Udall. Game time 9 a.m.

Wildcats heading for Lubbock

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


It's official.

The Arizona Wildcats (37-19) are heading for Lubbock, Texas and a first round matchup on Friday at 1 p.m. (Arizona time) against Sam Houston State (40-20).

The Wildcats grab the No. 2 seed. Texas Tech (43-15) garners the No. 1 seed in the Lubbock Regional. Sam Houston State is the three-seed and Delaware (34-21) the fourth seed.

Wildcats lose 2 of 3 to California

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The regular season didn't end well for the Arizona Wildcats.

Arizona had a shot at hosting a regional tournament, but needed a convincing series' win over the California Golden Bears at Hi Corbett Field over the weekend. Instead, the Wildcats lose 2 of 3 -- including a 7-4 loss today and will wait for the regional pairings to fall to see exactly where they'll head for the postseason.

The Wildcats finish the regular season with a 37-19 overall record and a 16-14 slate in the Pac 12 Conference.

50 games in the books for surprising Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks


It's time for Bookemdanosports to give some love to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

With 50 games in the books in 2017, the Diamondbacks are a surprising 31-19 -- a fabulous 21-8 at home and just one game under .500 on the road at 10-11.

Arizona is one game out of first place in the NL West behind another surprising team, the Colorado Rockies (32-18).

Way to go, Diamondbacks!

TOTS Game of the Week

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The TOTS will take a week off for the Memorial Day holiday, but today at Udall Park the two teams -- Team Blue and Team White -- went out with a bang.

In arguably the best game of the week -- maybe the entire month of May --  two righthanders, Team White's Reed Palmer and Team Blue's Pigpen Price, locked horns for seven innings.

Palmer, at 6 foot-7, picked up the 5-1 win, allowing just two singles in seven innings. Price kept pace, allowing just five hits, but four of them came in the fifth inning and were sandwiched between a walk and two errors. Team Blue scored their lone run in the second inning. And that was it. Goose eggs on the scoreboard the rest of the way.

Key hits in the five-run fifth inning came from John Mathews, Joe Opocensky, Lloyd Barzell and Palmer.

The TOTS will take Friday and Monday off. The TOTS will return to action at Udall on Wednesday, the 31st of May. Game time: 9 a.m.

Palmer, Thompson, Petersen combine for 12 hits, 14 RBI in TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The meat of Team White's order at Udall Park this morning were not to be outdone.

Reed Palmer, Doc Thompson and Ron Petersen combined for 12 hits and were responsible for 14 RBI as Team White out hit Team Blue and rolled to a 17-12 win.

It wasn't a great day for pitchers as Team Blue's starter Lloyd Barzell coughed up 12 runs and reliever  Danny Lundwall allowed another five runs, while Team White's right-hander Pete Maldonado had his own troubles as another trio -- Pigpen Price, Tim Tolson and Joe Opocensky were a combined 9 for 10 at the plate in a losing cause for Team Blue.

With the score tied at 12-12, it looked like the team capable of making it a Baker's Dozen would be the eventual game winner. But Team White took it a little further with a five-run sixth inning and Team Blue went quietly in the top of the seventh.

The TOTS will be back in action on Wednesday at Udall. Game time: 9 a.m.

Photos: The big hitters for Team White today: 1) Reed Palmer, 2) Doc Thompson and 3) Ron Petersen.
 

Wildcats make it a sweep of the Sun Devils

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


Arizona beat ASU 9-5 last night at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium and made it a clean sweep of the Sun Devils -- three straight wins to run the Wildcats' Pac-12 record to 15-12. Arizona is 36-17 overall.

Way to go, Wildcats.

Up next: California at home next week at Hi Corbett to close out the regular season.

Billy's Victory and The Return of Johnny Dugan are back and in paperback format with Amazon

To all my readers out there:

Things are moving fast these days for Billy Ray Reynolds (of Billy's Victory fame) and Johnny Dugan and the McPherson boys (The Return of Johnny Dugan). Both of my fiction baseball books are now available to order through Amazon in paperback format -- 8.5x0.7x11. Just the right size for a young baseball player to read...all the way up through middle school...and even for adults, who just can't get enough of America's Favorite Pastime.

Hit the buy button and have the books in the mailbox in a few days. Oh, the sign of the times. In the old days I'd still be plucking away on my old Remington.

So you old-timers:  Go to Amazon and locate the two books in paperback format and click on those babies. Order now, open the mailbox in a few days and read right along with your grandchildren.

The link to get started https://www.amazon.com/Dan-Price/e/B001KHFCMI

The little book that could is back!

Billy Ray Reynolds is back!

My first book, a kid's book entitled Billy's Victory is back and is now available on Amazon in paperback form. Billy is in larger print and the new cover is in black and white. Billy still has the number 8 stenciled on his back and he's waiting for the fireworks to begin.

Makes for a great birthday or holiday gift and can be at your doorstep in 48 hours.

Go to my Author Page and click on Billy!

click below:

https://www.amazon.com/Dan-Price/e/B001KHFCMI

Bookemdanosports reaches 3,000 posts

From the author of Bookemdanosports:

Dan Price

A big "thank you" to all my readers. My blog, Bookemdanosports, reached 3,000 posts today.

Thanks again, everyone!

a.k.a. Danny "Pigpen" Price

Wildcats prepare for Sun Devils

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The Arizona Wildcats will travel to Tempe to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils on Thursday.

This time the three games will count toward  the Pac-12 Conference standings. Arizona won 2 of 3 while at the College of Charleston -- including a 6-0 shutout win on Sunday. Arizona is 33-17 overall and an even .500 in the Pac-12 with a 12-12 record.

Arizona will complete their regular season the following week with a three-game series with Pac-12 foe California inside the friendly confines of Hi Corbett Field, May 28, 29 and 30.

Go get 'em, Wildcats!

Leaping catch by Lundwall saves game for Team White

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Dan Lundwall has played about every position for the Tucson Old Timers. Today he was at third base and he made the catch of the day in the top of the seventh inning as Team White went on to edge Team Blue 2-1 in a 60-and-over baseball game at Udall Park.

The game turned in to a pitching duel between Team Blue's Pigpen Price and Team White's Lloyd Barzell. Both pitchers were throwing strikes as Team Blue led 1-0 in the third inning, Team White tied the game in the fourth and then took the lead in the bottom of the sixth.

With no outs in the top of the seventh and one runner on base, Team Blue's Dave Byars drilled a shot down the third baseline for what looked like a sure double, but Lundwall leaped, snagged the ball out of the air and quickly threw to first base to double up the runner. Team Blue's chance to tie the game had all but vanished. Price stepped to the plate and lined out to second baseman Bill Mishler for the final out of the game.

Still, the game was competitive and fast paced as both pitchers mowed down their opposition from the get go. Price started for Team Blue and gave way to reliever Doc Thompson, who came on in the fifth and threw three pitches and got three quick outs. Lloyd Barzell pitched all seven innings for Team White to pick up the win.

Photo: Dan Lundwall, pictured above, trying to pickup an elusive baseball earlier in the season, had no trouble finding the ball today as he grabbed a hot shot at third base to save the game for his team.

College of Charleston

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The College of Charleston is in Charleston, South Carolina.

Makes since.

What's unusual is the Arizona Wildcats are in the historic town to play baseball this weekend -- a three-game series and the final non-conference games, before out Wildcats return to Pac-12 action with three games at Arizona State next week and the final conference series the following week at home against California.

As for the College of Charleston's baseball team, they are 23-25 on the season.

Go get 'em, Wildcats!

Aces knock off Old Pueblo, 17-7

60-and-over baseball

Tucson Aces


The Tucson Aces exploded with 21 hits at Udall Park this morning and knocked off crosstown rival Old Pueblo, 17-7. Reed Palmer and Joe Opocensky collected eight hits between them, while Pigpen Price and Tim Tolson added three hits apiece during the onslaught.

Pete Maldonado went the distance and picked up the win, while shaking off trouble in the first, second and third innings when Old Pueblo scored all their runs.

Down the stretch it was all Aces as every player in the starting lineup contributed to the win -- including the oldest player on the field, 87-year-old Billy Heiny. Billy batted last in the lineup for the Aces,  but walked twice, picked up an RBI and scored a run.

It was a remarkable feat by Heiny, who played today against players who were 27 years younger. Many of the Old Pueblo players played on the team three years ago, which won the 60-and-over MSBL World Series in Phoenix.

It was a little revenge for the Aces who had lost two in a row to Old Pueblo.

The Aces will meet Old Pueblo next month at Santa Rita ball park. Time and date yet to be announced.

Photo: 87-year-old Billy Heiny walked twice, picked up an RBI and scored a run during the Aces 17-7 win today over Old Pueblo.

Wild night at Hi Corbett

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


It was a crazy game at Hi Corbett Field last night.

Unfortunately, the "good guys" lost as Arizona State hangs on to beat the Arizona Wildcats, 14-13.

Arizona scores four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game at 10-10. Arizona State scores four runs in the top of the ninth to regain the lead 14-10 and Arizona answers with three runs in the bottom of the ninth -- one run shy of a tie and two runs from what could have been another walk-off win for the Wildcats.

The game does not count toward the Pac-12 Conference standings. Instead, it was a non-conference affair and goes down as a loss nonetheless for Arizona as they drop to 31-16, while the Sun Devils improve to 21-24.

The Wildcats collect 16 hits in the game, one less than the Sun Devils. Alfonso Rivas and JJ Matijevic combine for eight hits -- Rivas going 4 for 4, 5 RBI and two walks, while Matijevic finished the game 4 for 6 with two runs batted in. Nick Quintana went 1 for 5 and knocked in three runs.

Wildcats batting at a .316 clip

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The Arizona Wildcats (31-15, 12-12),  ranked No. 17 this week, have 46 games in the books and are batting at a .316 clip with one player over the .400 mark and five players over the .300 mark.

Leading the way is JJ Matijevic at .406, while Alfonso Rivas is next with a .380 average and Jared Oliva holds on to the third spot at .351. Nick Quintana follows at .323, Mitchell Morimito at .321 and Cal Stevenson at .306.

Matijevic leads the team in home runs (9), RBI (52) and hits with 76.

Arizona entertains Arizona State in a non-conference game on Tuesday at Hi Corbett. Game time: 6 p.m.

Arizona sweeps Washington

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The Arizona Wildcats made it a clean sweep of the visiting Washington Huskies with a come-from-behind 12-11 win today at Hi Corbett Field. The Wildcats score five runs in the bottom of ninth with four key hits, while taking advantage of two errors by the Huskies.

Arizona improves to 31-15 and 12-12 in the Pac-12 Conference.

Arizona draws 13,161 for the three-game series with the Huskies.

Way to go, Wildcats...and the fans, too!

Daly captures first PGA Champions Tour win

PGA Champions Tour

The Woodlands in Texas


Bookemdanosports likes to follow the underdogs.

One of the more familiar underdogs on the pro golf circuit is none other than John Daly, now 51 and a member of the PGA Champions Tour.

Today at The Woodlands, despite three bogeys on the way in, Daly won the Insperity Invitational with a three-day total of 202 and a 69 in his final round to capture his first PGA Champions Tour victory.

It's been well documented that Mr. Daly can be his own worst enemy, but not today as he rides a hot putter and many thunderous drives to capture his first tour win since 2004.

Way to go, John.

Prep days...a roster for the ages

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball


For a chuckle.

Bookemdanosports has come up with a TOTS all-star team of sorts. A lineup with current players on the roster of the old-timers' team who played high school baseball in Tucson and the surrounding areas.

Check this out:

The TOTS' prep team of old


C --   Chuck Sabalos (Rincon High School)

1b --  John Mathews (Flowing Wells High School)

2b --  Jesse Ochoa  (Pueblo High School)

3b --  Danny Price (Catalina High School)

ss --   Tim Tolson (Sahuaro High School)

lf --    Mike Steele (Pueblo High School)

cf --   Jeff Rein  (Sahuaro High School)

rf --   Roger Beebe (Tombstone High School)

dh/1b -- Dave Byars (former last name Seastrom...Marana and Tucson High)

P --   Mathews and Price**

Expanded roster to include south-side teams, the Arizona Rattlers and Old Pueblo Club

Relief pitcher, infielder (Old Pueblo Club) --  Mike Morales (Tucson High School)

catcher, outfielder (Arizona Rattlers) -- Curt Gustafson (Catalina High School)

**the oldest and youngest on the roster: Mathews (61), Price (71)

photo below: the Badger himself, Tucson High's and Old Pueblo's Mike Morales (batting)

Wildcats go for sweep

Arizona Wildcats Baseball

It's been a great weekend for the Arizona baseball team at Hi Corbett Field.

On Friday the Wildcats win 5-4 with a walk-off homer from Cal Stevenson and Saturday Cameron Wing hurls a complete game in a hard-fought 3-1 win over the visiting Washington Huskies.

At high noon today the Wildcats (30-15, 11-12) go for the sweep.

Go, Wildcats!

The good old boy from Texas

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

A.C. Edwards is a 79-year-old rookie on the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers and he's still trying to get his feet wet on the field of play. Edwards played in 32 games in 2016, collecting six hits, and so far in 2017, he's hit safely twice in 33 plate appearances.

Edwards, who hails from Odessa, Texas, turns 80 on September 28, 2017 and will join a select group of three active 80-somethings on the TOTS -- Joe Aparacio, Jerry Smarik and Billy Heiny.

As a boy growing up in Odessa, it was "Friday Night Football" that got his attention, along with thousands and thousands of sports fans in the Odessa-Midland area...and in the great state of Texas as well.

"I went to high school in Odessa in the mid-1950s," Edwards said. "Football was big then. It was the thing to do on a Friday night."

Fast forward to the 80s and 90s and football really blossomed in Odessa and all over the state -- and there were times, and still is, the sport, the players, and its fans bordered emotionally on insanity. In fact, a movie was released in 2004 appropriately named Friday Night Lights, which centered around the 1988 football season of the Permian High School team and its coach, Gary Grimes, played in the film by actor Billy Bob Thornton.

As for Edwards, a soft spoken Texan with a big smile, Tucson is his home now and players on the Tucson Old Timers are his new friends.

A.C. was born Alvis Claton Edwards. "That's Alvis with an A and Claton with out the Y," he says.

Edwards doesn't remember a lot about his early years in Midland-Odessa, but he does remember one football player by the name of Wahoo McDaniel, a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and, following his career in the American Football League(he actually played for the Houston Oilers, Miami Dolphins and the Denver Broncos), became a professional wrestler.

Of course, Edwards knew none of that. "I lost track of him after high school."

The TOTS have 45 players listed on their roster and close to 60 members and all the old-timers have crossed paths with somebody who was famous at one time or another.

But not too many members of the TOTS knew Wahoo McDaniel.

Just for the record, Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel passed away in 2002 at the age of 63.

Wildcats stop by Santa Clara for 16-10 win

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The Arizona Wildcats (28-15, 9-12) stopped by Santa Clara yesterday afternoon and plated a dozen runs in the second inning. When the dust had settled, Arizona had notched its 28th win of the year with a 16-10 victory.

Jared Oliva went 5 for 7 for the Wildcats.

Arizona heads home and will take on Washington at Hi Corbett on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Wildcats have lost six straight Pac-12 games and need to turn things around against the Huskies.

Mishler the player to beat in the TOTS' Fantasy Baseball League

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

10-team Fantasy Baseball League

After four weeks of play, Bill Mishler (above photo) is the front runner in the Tucson Old Timers Fantasy Baseball League. Mishler, one of a select few TOTS who still works for a living (he's a University of Arizona professor), sports a 4-0 record.

The standings of the 10-team league:

West Division

1.  Bill Mishler  4-0
2.  Dan Price      3-1
3.  Bob Daliege  3-1
4.  Floyd Lance  2-2
5.  Jesse Ochoa  1-3


East Division

1, Ron Petersen  3-1
2. Dave Rhoades  2-2
3. Pete Peters     1-3
4. Bob Royer     1-3
5. Reed Palmer  0-4

The top three teams in the all important accumulative points category after four weeks:

Bob Mishler (2,612.5), Ron Petersen (2,251.5) and Dan Price (2,174)

Way to go, Bill!

Byars goes 3 for 3 to lead TOTS Blue to 11-3 win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

When you ask David Byars which sport he loves the best baseball or golf, he has to thank hard and long before answering.

"I'm not sure, that's a tough question," Byars said today at Udall Park, after a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

One thing is for sure, he loved the way he played baseball today as he collected three hits in three trips to the plate to lead Team Blue to a 11-3 win over Team White.

Joe "Big O" Opocensky went 2 for 3 and drove in a run for the losing team, while right-hander Lloyd Barzell was saddled with the loss. Once again, the steady Bob Daliege went the distance for Team Blue to pick up the pitching victory.

As for Mr. Byars, back when he was 59, which was close to a decade ago, he had a hankering to be a club pro, maybe in the back of his mind a shot even at the PGA Champions Tour. After all, he was a scratch golfer back in those days and he practiced...and practiced...and practiced.

"I used to go to Fred Enke back in those days and play anywhere from 36 to 54 holes a day in the middle of the summer," recalls Byars. "But it became a little too much. There was a chance I could have gone to Florida (to qualifying school) and I decided to stay put in Arizona."

Byars grew up playing both sports, but his knees aren't what they used to be. "Can't run anymore," he says, although he does run hard enough to get to first base, after he drills a shot to the gap in left or right centerfield.

Back in the day, he played baseball alongside such Tucson greats as Eddie Leon and Rich Alday. "Those were the days," he said. "I went to Marana and Tucson High. Played a lot of baseball back then."

And now Byars is in his first full season with the TOTS and he loves every minute of it.

"I ran into a TOTS' guy at the donut shop one day," Byars said. "I think it was a couple of years ago and he invited me to come out and take a look. It took a while, but I finally showed up and now I love it. I'm there every game."

The TOT at the donut shop was Pigpen Price, a member of the TOTS since 2008.

"I had a feeling he was a good player," Price said, after the game today. "He can hit the ball and has a great glove as well. He fits in with the TOTS. That's for sure."

All the TOTS are on the look out for 60-and-over ball players who still want to play for the love of the game.

Byars is now one of the guys.

Way to go, David!