Ochoa gets a ground rule triple

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Reed Palmer did a little bit of everything in today's 60-and-over baseball game at Udall Park.

First off, Palmer blasted a three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning -- his 29th of the season, a club single-season record. Palmer's homer helped Team Blue cruise to a 15-8 win over Team White.

In the bottom of the inning, the 6-foot-5 Palmer, who was playing shortstop at the time, tried to take matters "out of his own hands" when he unleashed his glove upward and tracked down a line shot off the bat of Team White's Jesse Ochoa. Palmer's glove met the oval and both the ball and the glove promptly fell out of the sky.

Now, according to the MLB rules in section 5.06b, if the glove doesn't make contact then there's no harm, no foul...but if the ball's flight is interrupted then the following applies: the batter is awarded a triple. And that's exactly what happened with Ochoa's hard hit ball today.

Of course, Palmer plays a mean shortstop...a mean outfield, is a hand full when he pitches and wherever he is on the ball field he is a force to be reckoned with. Teammate Mike Dawson is a "baseball man" and he know his rule book. In fact, Dawson, who was playing left field at the time, was the first one to put the crazy play into perspective and the only player on the field who knew about rule 5.06b and the infraction.

So, Ochoa left his spot at first base and jogged to third and asked for a runner. In the 60-and-over leagues, chances are if you get a triple then it stands to reason if you are the runner then you are going to be a tired puppy.

Ochoa was left stranded and the Team White rally ended and Team Blue's pitcher Pete Maldonado went on to finish the game and pick up the win. Lefty Dennis Crowley was saddled with the loss.

When you play for the Tucson Old Timers things happen. But today's ruling certainly was a rare occurrence even for a bunch of 60-and-over ballplayers.

At any rate, Palmer is likely to reach 30 homers by the end of the season, which will occur after play on the 31st of December. But chances are, Palmer will adhere to rule 5.06b from now on.

Photo: Jesse Ochoa awarded a rare ground rule triple today.