Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)
60-and-over baseball
Reed Palmer (above photo) broke the club record with his 20th home run today at Udall Park.
The old record was set in 2006 by De Lon "Doc" Thompson. Doc, now 75 and still an active member with the TOTS, held the record of 19 for 11 seasons.
As for the game, it was another "kiss your sister" outcome as Team Blue tied Team White, 7-7.
Palmer, 61, hit the record-breaking home run in the bottom of the seventh inning with two runners on base. Team White's John Misiaszek, John Mathews and Palmer went 3 for 4, while Tim Boyd and Tim Tolson collected three hits apiece for Team Blue.
The 2017 TOTS' season enters its final month on Friday as the Tucson Old Timers edge closer to 2018 and the club's 50th season. The amateur baseball organization has been around since 1968 when founder Joe Gorman fielded his first 60-and-over team at Tucson Himmel Park.
The organization has grown from a handful of players at Himmel Park (see photo below) to a current roster of 45 players. The TOTS play on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Udall. Games get underway at 10 a.m. during the winter and 9 a.m. in the summer.
CONGRATULATIONS REED on your record 20th homerun today that broke our tie at 19. It has been fun watching you over the course of 2017 as you inched closer and closer and now you own the new record for a single season.
ReplyDeleteAs I told Reed today after he broke the TOTS homerun record with his 20th dinger, TWENTY sounds alot better than nineteen.
Keep swinging & you will hit more of them in December,2017.
Your teammate,
DeLon a.k.a. "DOC" #42