Miguel answers the bell

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Miguel Urtaza, 76, plays right field for the Tucson Old Timers. The hard-hitting left handers on the TOTS have been known to pepper the long ball Miguel's way on a regular basis.

Every now and then Urtaza answers the bell, so to speak, and chases down a towering fly ball, reaches out and makes the play of the day. Today was another one of those days. With lefty Joe Opocensky in the batter's box and another lefty on the mound in the person of Dennis Crowley, the Team White outfielders made the normal shift for lefties and Urtaza made his move to the left, just inches from the right field line.

Opocensky took a hand full of pitches and then hit a towering fly ball to right field. The ball sliced slightly and Urtaza gave chase and at the very last second made a back-handed grab in foul territory for the out.

Teammate Jesse Ochoa said, after the game. "He does that all the time."

Urtaza's comment. "I got lucky."

Playing right field for the TOTS is an experience and quite often the player is assigned to right field and is expected to do the best that he can. In other words, it's not one of the position in which TOTS' players stand in line for.

It's a lonely position. But what can start out as a quiet inning can suddenly turn in to a nightmare for Urtaza and the other players on the club who take their turn at the right field position.

According to TOTS' manager Pete Peters, Miguel, a TOT since 2015, can be a real crowd-pleaser at times. "Miguel is one of our most improved players."

As for Miguel, he no longer worries about being put in right field. "I like it," he says.

And Miguel's teammates? Well, they like it too.

The tough catches are becoming routine for the man who grew up playing baseball in Panuco, Vera Cruz. After all, playing right field tuns out to be the same all over.

Miguel grew up across the border. Yet when he joined the TOTS, he shared with his teammates that he was a true New York Yankee fan. Of course, the Yankees right fielder just happens to be Aaron Judge.

Miguel's favorite saying before each TOTS' game: "Go, Yankees!"

Judge, of course, has his own rooting section at Yankee Stadium and it's called the Judge's Chambers.

If Miguel continues to make more plays of the day,  the TOTS may have to come up with a special name in his honor for the right field corner at Udall Park.

As for today's 60-and-over baseball game at Udall, the game ended up in a 2-2 tie. A defensive gem by both teams. None better of course than the catch in the third inning by Miguel Urtaza.


Photo: rightfielder Miguel Urtaza