Diamondbacks head for San Diego

Arizona Diamondbacks


The LA Dodgers made an early-season statement this weekend in Los Angeles. The Arizona Diamondbacks did not.

The Dodgers (3-1) take 3 of 4 against the visiting Diamondbacks (1-3) -- including an 8-7 win by LA tonight.

Now the Diamondbacks are off to see Manny Machado and his gang.

Wildcats continue to slide

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


Arizona (13-14, 2-7) head home tonight after a 17-16 loss in Tempe to Arizona State. The Sun Devils (25-1, 8-1) make it a sweep of the Wildcats, winning all three games of the series. The Wildcats have now lost seven games in a row.

The Wildcats will be back at Hi Corbett Field for a three-game series on Friday, Saturday and Sunday against the Washington Huskies. Game time on Friday is slated for 7 p.m.

Bookemdanosports reaches new milestone

I know it's my own little world, but my little blog, Bookemdanosports, is still around.

Bookemdanosports has gone over the quarter of a million views mark and has reached 3,500 posts. Now in the grand scheme of things that's not much. But for this little hacker down here in Tucson, I'll take it.

Thanks, once again, to all my readers.

Wildcats need some home cooking

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The Arizona Wildcats (13-12, 2-5) have this weekend to try to steal at least one, maybe two games from the high-flying Arizona State Sun Devils (23-1, 6-1). On the road, with three losses to UCLA, a single-game loss to San Diego State and an 8-2 loss to ASU yesterday, the Wildcats are reeling and are on the verge of returning to Tucson with a losing record.

The loss of their top RBI-man Matt Fraizer, out of action with a broken bone in his hand, hasn't helped the situation.

Go, Wildcats!

Opposite field RBI-double lifts Diamondbacks to 5-4 win over the Dodgers in 13 innings

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Arizona Diamondbacks regrouped after their opening day loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

It took 13 innings to get it done, but the Diamondbacks even their record at 1-1 early this morning with a 5-4 win, thanks to an opposite field, RBI-double by newcomer Carson Kelly in the top of the inning. Greg Holland hurled a scoreless bottom of the 13th and reliever Matt Andriese picked up the pitching victory.

Team White's Peters scampers home with winning run in 7th

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Team White manufactured the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning for a walk-off win and a 6-5 victory over Team Blue today in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

With the game tied at 5-5, singles by Pete Peters and Dick Ducklow put runners on second and third with one out and Peters scampered home with the game-winner when Phil Gordon hit into a fielder's choice play.

John Mathews picked up the win in relief and led Team White in batting with a 3 for 4 day. Mike Dawson absorbed the loss for Team Blue, despite going 3 for 4 at the plate in a losing cause.

Both teams had 13 hits on the day.

The TOTS return to action on Monday. Game time: 10 a.m.

Opening Day!

Major League Baseball

It's my favorite time of the year.

The first pitch is just a few hours away as the 2019 Major League Baseball season gets underway. Baseball! You gotta love it. I'm sure there's a few...well maybe more than a few, who have better things to do than watch a baseball game for three hours.

You might be surprised, but I also wiggle in my seat by the time the seventh inning rolls around in a hot-contested Major League game. Yes, I'd rather be on the field with my teammates on the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers and playing America's favorite pastime.

Unfortunately, at the age of 73, I find myself on the disabled list for another week or so, this time with a neck injury (too many dives for balls at third base, I guess). My physical therapist, who happens to be a 73-yard-old tennis player, feels my pain -- not in my neck, but what is inside the  crazy head of mine.

"I'll probably die on the ball field," I said, while in the midst of a treatment.

"I'd rather die on the tennis court," said my therapist.

Wow! I have come to the right place.

I fully expected to see a scene suddenly appear on the wall of the therapist's office from The Field of Dreams when the great character actor James Earl Jones relates why we play the game to Ray.

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball."

Another season begins...

Note: A post from one year ago.

Tolson hits a 3-run homer in a kiss-your-sister TOTS' game

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Thunder Tim Tolson hit a 3-run homer but the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers played a kiss-your-sister game today at Udall Park. The game ended up in an 8-8 tie.

Tolson, 66, hit his third homer of the season off Reed Palmer.

The TOTS return to action on Wednesday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photo: Thunder Tim does it again.

Top-ranked Bruins sweep Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The UCLA Bruins lived up to their top billing with a three-game sweep of the Arizona Wildcats, winning 10-5 on Friday, 12-10 on Saturday and 3-1 today at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Cameron Cannon and Nick Quintana homered for Arizona in Game 2 of the series.

Arizona falls to 13-10 overall and 2-4 in the Pac-12 Conference.

Mathews the top gun in 14-6 win at Udall

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

John Mathews sprayed the ball all over Udall Park today.

Mathews went 4 for 4, knocked in three runs and was the winning pitcher as Team White cruised to a 14-6 win over Team Blue in a 60-and-over baseball game.

Team White had their hitting shoes on for most of the day as Tim Tolson, Ron Petersen and Jesse Ochoa combined for eight hits to support Mathews. Dave Byars went 3 for 3 for the losing team, while Roy Ryan and Dan Boxberger combined for 4 hits and five RBI.

Boxberger, one of the TOTS' top catchers, took a rare turn on the mound today and was saddled with the loss.

The TOTS will take the weekend off and return to action at Udall on Monday. Game time: 10 a.m.

Wildcats outslug Aggies, 14-10

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


Dayton Dooney hammered his first career home run off the Terry Francona Center and Mathew Dyer hit a triple and a homer as the Arizona Wildcats knocked off the New Mexico State Aggies 14-10 last night at Hi Corbett Field.

With the non-conference win, the Wildcats improve to 13-7 overall.

Arizona returns to Pac-12 Conference play on Friday through Sunday and a three-game series at Jackie Robinson Stadium against the top-ranked UCLA Bruins. The Wildcats hope to improve on their 2-1 conference record.

The number 12 was the winning number in recent TOTS' games

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

A dozen runs by Team White last Friday and another dozen by Team White yesterday were enough runs to get the job done at Udall Park as Team Blue took back-to-back losses, 12-9 and 12-6.

On Monday, the TOTS played their quarterly birthday game, which honored members of the club whose birthdays occurred in January, February or March.  Bob Daliege went 3 for 3 and Ken Nebesny picked up three hits in four trips to the plate as Team White rolled to a 12-6 win. Joe Opocensky also went 3 for 3 and was the winning pitcher, while John Misiaszek went 2 for 2 and knocked in three runs. Ron Ryan was the top hitter for Team Blue with two hits.

Mike Dawson went the distance for Team White on Friday and picked up the pitching victory, while Daliege was saddled with the loss.

On Friday, Team White's John Mathews went 4 for 4, included two booming doubles. Lloyd Barzell and Jesse Ochoa went 3 for 4, while Ron Petersen collected two hits and knocked in three runs.

Reed Palmer led the losing team on Friday with four hits in five trips to the plate -- including a home run and two doubles. Palmer knocked in five runs. Bill Mishler went 3 for 5 with a double, while Ron Ryan had a big day with four hits -- including two doubles.

The TOTS return to action on Wednesday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Chico's Place

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The Tucson Old Timers 60-and-over baseball team honored Chico Bigham on Monday at Udall Park. A plaque was attached to the club's new storage shed, honoring Bigham, the man who spent 18 years (1999-2017) preparing the club's field for play on game days.

Bigham passed away in October of 2017 and was the club's tireless groundskeeper and an all star player. Chico, who passed away at the age of 79, was also the club's head umpire and is, as we speak, in heaven right now calling balls and strikes.

Pictured above is Chico's plaque and the photo below: TOTS' members Pete Peters (on ladder) and Bob Stofft.

Wildcats capture first Pac-12 series

Arizona Wildcats Baseball

The Arizona Wildcats take on the New Mexico State Aggies at Hi Corbett Field on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The Wildcats are 12-7 overall and are now 2-1 in the Pac-12 Conference after splitting the first two games and winning Game 3 against the Utah Utes on Sunday.

Cameron Cannon and Mark Fraizer continue to lead the Wildcats in hits after 19 games with 35 apiece. The two players combined for seven hits and seven RBI on Sunday in the finale.

The misery is over

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The misery is over.

Arizona loses to Southern California 78-65 in the first round of the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament today in Las Vegas. One and done.

Ryan Luther led the Wildcats with 16 points in his final game with Arizona.

Arizona finishes 17-15.

Pac 12 baseball awaits Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats Baseball

Arizona (10-6) will begin Pac-12 Conference play with a three-game series at Hi Corbett Field Friday, Saturday and Sunday against the Utah Utes. The first two games get underway at 6 p.m. Sunday's game is slated for 1 p.m.

The non-conference single game against Xavier was canceled at Hi Corbett tonight due to weather.

Go, Wildcats!

Wildcats split last 8 games at Hi Corbett

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The Arizona Wildcats (10-6) have split their last eight non-conference games at Hi Corbett Field.

Arizona has lost to New Mexico 5-4, won 2 of 3 over Wisconsin-Milwaukee, lost 9-5 to Michigan State and this past weekend won 2 of 3 with the College of Charleston -- including a 10-6 loss today.

The Wildcats are sputtering a bit as they prepare for yet another non-conference game on Tuesday at Hi Corbett against Xavier. Game time: 6 p.m.

Arizona has 16 games in the books, sporting an 8-4 record at home and a 2-2 slate on the road.

Cameron Cannon leads the Wildcats in hitting with a .439 average (29 for 66), while Matt Fraizer is right on his heels with a .397 average (29 for 73). Austin Wells is third at .386 (22 for 57). Fraizer leads the team in RBI with 22.

Arizona not up to the task at McKale against Sun Devils

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats (17-14, 8-10) failed miserably in their regular season finale at home today, falling 72-64 to Arizona State (21-9, 12-6).

The Wildcats turned the ball over 17 times and made just 20 field goals. Not a good showing against the Sun Devils. Arizona lost the services of guards Brandon Williams and Justin Coleman late in the second half as both players fouled out with just 13 points between them. Ryan Luther and Brandon Randolph finished the game with 12 points apiece and Chase Jeter added 11.

And now it's off to Las Vegas next Wednesday and the ninth seed in the Pac-12 Tournament.

Palmer hurls Team White to 10-3 TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

He's a giant among boys.

At 6-feet, 5 inches, Reed Palmer is a tall drink of water and when he takes the mound in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game it's normally lights out for the opposing team.

Today at Udall Park, Palmer -- toeing the rubber for Team White --was at his best once again as he mixed his fastball with an enticing change up and an occasional curve ball en route to a 10-3 win over Team Blue.

Palmer, currently the club's record holder in home runs for a single season at 29, has been off his game as far as homers go.  The TOTS are into their third month of the 2019 season and Palmer has hit just one round-tripper.

So, Palmer is taking out his frustrations at the plate on the opposing TOTS' hitters. Team Blue scored just three runs off Palmer today and were led by centerfielder Ken Nebesny who had two hits. In the meantime, Team White received solid efforts from second baseman Jesse Ochoa and third baseman John Mathews. Ochoa went 2 for 2, scored twice and knocked in two runs, while Mathews added a couple of hits and scored three times to go along with two runs-batted-in.

The play of the day came from Ochoa, who moved to his right to back hand a pop up to snuff out a Team Blue rally. Twenty-two players saw action today as the TOTS were able to get in three games this week. Rain is now in the forecast for Monday. The TOTS would like to get all three games in at  Udall next week. All games begin at 10 a.m. Due to the weather, the TOTS played just five games during the month of February. So far this season, an unusual weather pattern continues to play havoc with the TOTS' schedule.

Aces pound Rattlers, 16-3

Tucson Aces

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Aces had their hitting shoes on today at Udall Park.

The Aces drilled the Arizona Rattlers' starter George Gafner for five runs in the first inning, added another five runs in the third and posted a four-run 4th inning en route to a 16-3 win this morning.

Every player in the Aces' lineup reached base today. Reed Palmer and John Mathews highlighted the first inning for the Aces -- Palmer with a two-run double and Mathews a two-run single.  In the third, the Aces plated another five runs as Mathews provided an RBI-single and David Byars drilled a two-run single.

In the fourth inning, it was Tim Boyd getting things going with an RBI-single and Palmer knocked in two more runs with another double. The Aces added a couple of insurance runs in the fifth and sixth to complete their scoring.

The Rattlers were able to score one run in the first, a lone run in the third and a run in the sixth inning off the Aces' starter Mike Dawson, who pitched all seven innings and picked up the win.

Photo: The 60-and-over Tucson Aces -- left to right, front row: Pete Peters, Dan Boxberger, Mike Steele, Mike Dawson, Pete Maldonado and Lloyd Barzell. Left to right, back row: Tim Boyd, Reed Palmer, Danny Price, Tim Tolson, John Mathews, David Byars, Ken Nebesny and Ray Garcia.

Not pictured: Bob Daliege, Dennis Crowley and Joe Opocensky.

Byars, Thompson lead Team White to 5-2 TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Dave Byars went 2 for 3 at the plate and drove in two runs, while right-hander Doc Thompson hurled five strong innings to lead Team White to a 5-2 win today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Thompson, who hasn't pitched this year, struck out five in his five innings of work. "It's been a while since I've pitched. I was getting a little gassed," Thompson said. Pete Maldonado pitched the sixth and the seventh for Team White and picked up the save. Team Blue's Lloyd Barzell was saddled with the hard-luck loss.

Mike Dawson had two hits in a losing cause for Team Blue and was also in the middle of a 4-6-3 double play in the sixth inning. Second baseman Pigpen Price gloved a ground ball and threw to Dawson, who barehanded the ball, stepped on second and threw to first baseman Ron Carlson for the twin killing.

It was another good turnout with 26 players involved in today's action. It was a quick two-hour game and the temperature had reached the 80-degree mark by the end of the game. Rain is in the forecast for Friday's matchup at Udall. The game is slated to start at 10 a.m.

Photos: Dave Byars and Doc Thompson

Nebesny leads Team Blue to TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Ken Nebesny went 3 for 4, scored twice and drove in two runs to lead Team Blue to a 9-4 win over Team White in a 60-and-over baseball game today at Udall Park.

Right-hander Pete Maldonado pitched seven innings for Team Blue and picked up the win. Joe Opocensky was saddled with the loss but led Team White at the plate with a 3 for 3 day.

It was a warm one today with the temperature edging close to the 80-degree mark by the end of the game. The sunny day led to a big turnout as 25 players played in the game. The TOTS played just five games in the month of February and had to battle rain and snow through out the month.

The TOTS are off and running this month with two games under their belt -- a 17-9 win for Team White on March 1 and today's win by Team Blue. The TOTS return to action on Wednesday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

The February batting stats are in and the most hits for the five games went to Lloyd Barzell, who went 13 for 18 and a .720 batting average. Ron Ryan led the club with 11 RBI. Tim Tolson finished second in hits with 11 and led the club in doubles with four. Ryan finished in a tie for third in hits with eight as did Bill Mishler.  Tolson batted .579 for the month, Ryan batted .533 and Mishler ended up with a .444 average.

Five players finished in a tie for fifth in hits with seven. Reed Palmer went 7 for 10, Mike Dawson went 7 for 17, Pete Peters went 7 for 11, Pigpen Price went 7 for 16 and Mike Steele went 7 for 17. Maldonado had the most pitching victories with two. Thirty-two players saw action during the month. Floyd Lance, the oldest player on the club at 92 years of age, played in two games during the month and batted .143.

The hottest hitter for the month of February was Big John Mathews, who played in just two games but was on fire with five hits in six trips to the plate for a healthy .833 batting average. Palmer, who played in just four games, batted .700 and led the club in walks with five.

Go, TOTS!

Photo: Nebesny

Wildcats outlast gutsy Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Nick Quintana knocked in the game winner with an RBI- single to left field in the bottom of the ninth inning as Arizona (8-4) came from behind to beat the gutsy Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers 12-11 at Hi Corbett Field today to salvage the rubber game and win two of the three games.

Down 11-7, the Wildcats plated five runs in the ninth with five consecutive hits -- a double by Tate Soderstrom and singles by Dayton Dooney, Cameron Cannon, Matt Fraizer and Quintana.

The good the bad and the ugly

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


From a buzzer beater 74-72 win in Corvallis to a blowout loss 73-47 in Eugene.

An up and down showing in Oregon. The good, the bad and the ugly -- the ugly being a 16-point effort in the second half against the Oregon Ducks.

The Wildcat fans were ecstatic on Devonaire Doutrive's put back at the buzzer against Oregon State last Thursday, but there were no smiles by the Arizona fans in the lopsided loss to Oregon.

Arizona falls to 17-13 overall and 8-9 in the Pac 12.

ASU awaits.