Doc Thompson's tools of the trade

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers has a roster full of former high school and college players, but there is one member of the organization whose resume includes a stint in the minor leagues back in the mid 1960s.

DeLon "Doc" Thompson signed a contract and played minor league ball with the Minnesota Twins organization. Thompson also played college ball at Iowa State and his prep career at Roland, Iowa.

Thompson, now 75 and a member of the TOTS, shuffled through his closet recently and grabbed a hold of the three pieces of lumber he used back in the day -- the S2 model Louisville Slugger bats, all of which were the original Henry Aaron models. Thompson (above photo) decided to bring the former tools of his trade to Udall Park last week. He went as far as taking a hand full of cuts off the pitching machine, but balked at the idea of using the wood bats in a game.

"I've had these bats a long time and I didn't want to take a chance on cracking one or all of them," said Thompson, who has hung on to those "babies" for more than 50 years.

In fact, the 34-inch model he used in high school is 58 years old. He switched to a 33-inch Henry Aaron model in college and in the pros. "I dropped down to the 33-inch bat because the pitching was faster at the higher levels," Thompson added.

The bat he used in the Minnesota Twins organization has his name "Thompson" engraved in the signature space.

A few years ago, Thompson wrote to the Atlanta Braves in hopes of getting Aaron to autograph the three bats. "I had three sons at the time and wanted to give one bat to each one of my sons," Thompson said. "I got a letter back saying it would cost $650.00 to have each bat autographed. Needless to say, I did not get that accomplished."

Fast forward to June of 2018 and chances are slim the three bats will see action in a TOTS' game.

Thompson recalls he homered with the vintage Louisville Sluggers in high school, although he doesn't remember how may homers he hit at Roland High School, but he does remember hitting a  dinger at Iowa State and two round-trippers in his two-year stint in Class A ball with the Twins.

Chances are Thompson will return to aluminum with the TOTS, but he adds it certainly felt good to grab the handle of the old wood bats and take a few cuts even though it was off a pitching machine.

"It felt good to grab the three bats and take a cut or two. "The bats felt just as good in my hands as they did more than 50 years ago."