Regular MLB season ends with 4 100-game winners

End of MLB regular season


The Minnesota Twins are the fourth team in the Majors to go over the 100-win plateau this season. The Twins won 7 of their last 10 games to finish the regular season with 101 wins and 61 losses and won the American League Central Division title.

The New York Yankees won the AL East with 103 wins and 59 losses, while the Houston Astros won the Al West and piled up the most regular-season wins in the American League with 107 wins and 55 losses.

Over in the National League, Atlanta finished with a 97-65 record to capture the NL East Division and the St. Louis Cardinals captured the NL Central with a 91-71 record. The LA Dodgers won the NL West with 106 wins and 56 losses.

Tampa Bay (96-66) and Oakland (97-65) capture the wild card berths in the American League, while Washington (93-69) and Milwaukee (89-73) earn the wild card spots in the National League.

The second-season begins on Tuesday with the NL wild card game, pitting Milwaukee at Washington. On Wednesday, Tampa Bay travels to Oakland for the AL wild card game.

Big O at it again

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Joe Opocensky, 69, keeps on taking the mound for the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers.

The more he pitches, the better he gets.

Today at Udall Park, Opocensky threw nothing but strikes for seven strong innings and came away with a 8-4 pitching victory. He had plenty of help from his teammates, especially in the bottom of the first inning when John Mathews singled in two runs and Reed Palmer blasted an RBI-single off the right field fence to give Opocensky and Team White a 3-0 lead.

Team White scored another three runs in the third to build their lead to 6-0 and then held off Team Blue down the stretch. Shortstop Lloyd Barzell batted lead-off and went 3 for 3, while scoring all three times he was on base to help Team White maintain their lead throughout the game.

Team Blue scored a run in the top of the seventh to close to within four runs, but  Team White turned a 4-6-5 double play to end the game. Team Blue's hard-hitting Doc Thompson drilled a grounder to second baseman Pigpen Price, who made the toss to Barzell at second base for a force out. Barzell then turned and threw to Mathews at third base and caught the runner, Bob Daliege, off base for the final out.

It was a comfortable 74 degrees at game time, a far cry from the hot temperatures the TOTS have endured all summer long.  The TOTS will close out the week at Udall on Wednesday and Friday. Due to the beautiful weather, the TOTS will return to seven-inning games for the rest of the 2019 season. The TOTS continue with a 9 a.m. starting time for all games.

Barzell tosses a 4-hit shutout

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Team White scored a run in the first, another in the third, another in the fourth and then plated five runs in a wild fifth inning en route to a 8-0 shutout win over Team Blue this morning at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Lloyd Barzell allowed just four hits and struck out two batters to earn the pitching victory, while teammate Bob Daliege went 3 for 3 to lead Team White's hitting attack. Pigpen Price added an RBI- double with a smash over the head of Team Blue's left fielder Ernesto Escala to highlight Team White's 5-run fifth inning.

Joe Opocensky went the distance on the mound for Team Blue and was saddled with the loss. Team White's infielders supported Barzell today with three double plays, while two Team Blue runners were also thrown out at the plate.

KGUN TV was at Udall today filming a documentary on the TOTS, which will be broadcast later this fall. A handful of players were wired for the game as Rogelio Mares, a multi-media journalist/reporter for KGUN 9 On Your Side was on hand to cover the game.

The TOTS held their quarterly birthday game today -- honoring teammates with birthdays in July, August and September.

The TOTS return to action on Wednesday at Udall. Game time: 9 a.m.

Bookemdanosports reaches 3,600 posts

A big "thank  you" to all my readers out there. Bookemdanosports has been around for 10 years and has now reached a new milestone with 3,600 posts.

The blog is getting older and I'm aging right along with it. I was 64 when I started Bookemdanosports while I was vacationing in Greer, Arizona during the summer of 2009.

The journey continues on...

Note: Remember you can go to the right side of my Home page, select a year, a month and click on  any of the posts. It's quick and easy. Or, you can use the Search engine in the top left hand corner of the Home page, insert a name or organization and if I have done a post on your inquiry it'll pop up.

Happy reading!

Yankees, Astros break the 100-win barrier

MLB

With one week to go in the regular 2019 MLB season we have two teams in the books with 101 wins -- the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros. The LA Dodgers could grab their 100th win at home today against the Colorado Rockies.

The MLB's best heading into the final week: New York Yankees (101-55), Houston Astros (101-54) and the LA Dodgers (99-56).

Let the games begin...

Men's Senior Baseball League 2019 World Series

We are just three weeks away from the start of the 2019 Men's Senior Baseball League World Series. The games will be held in the Phoenix area from mid-October and into the first week of November.

The following are the schedules for the 65-and-over, 70-and-over and 73-and-over divisions. 12 members of the Tucson Old Timers will participate.

70-and-over Central Division: San Antonio Texans (TOTS' players Bob Daliege, Bill Mishler, Pete Peters, Lloyd Barzell and Pigpen Price)

vs. Seattle - Sunday, Oct. 13 9:30 a.m. Fitch Park/Mesa #3; vs. Kansas City - Monday, Oct. 14 9:30 a.m. Hohokam Stadium/Mesa; vs. Australia - Tuesday, Oct. 15 1:45 p.m. Peoria M#4; vs. New England - Wednesday, Oct. 16 9:30 a.m. Maryvale #6; and the fifth game of the round robin against Driscoll - Thursday, Oct. 17 9:00 a.m. Red Mountain #3 in Mesa.

65-and-over Cactus Division: Tucson Toros (TOTS' players Mike Dawson, John Mathews, Joe Opocensky, Tim Tolson and Ernesto "Doc" Escala)

vs. Red Deer (Canada) Legends - Saturday, Oct. 19 9:15 a.m. Hohokam Stadium/Mesa; vs Palidan (New Mexico) - Sunday, Oct. 20 10:00 a.m. Goodyear Indians #6; vs. Mudville 9 - Monday, Oct. 21 10:00 a.m. Red Mountain/Mesa #2; vs. Dodgertown - Tuesday, Oct 22 9:45 a.m. Maryvale #5; and the fifth game of the round robin against Raynham - Wednesday, Oct 23 10:00 a.m. at Fitch Park NW#3 in Mesa.

73-and-over Arizona Scorpions (TOTS' players Pigpen Price and Arnie White)

vs. Aqua Sox - Monday, Oct. 21 9:30 a.m. Salt River #R5; Red Deer (Canada) Legends - Tuesday, Oct. 22 10:00 a.m. Fitch Park SE#2; vs. San Antonio Broncos - Wednesday, Oct. 23 10:00 a.m. Red Mountain #1; vs. San Diego Padres - Thursday, Oct. 24 2:00 p.m. Goodyear Indians #5 and the fifth game of the round robin against Cambria - Friday, Oct. 25 12:30 p.m. at Tempe #2.

70-and-over Seattle Mariners (Dan Boxberger)

vs. San Antonio Texans - Sunday, Oct 13 9:30 a.m. Fitch Park NW#3/Mesa; vs Driscolls - Monday, Oct. 14 12:30 p.m. Tempe Diablo Stadium; vs Kansas City - Tuesday, Oct. 15 9:30 a.m. Peoria #M3; vs. Australia - Wednesday, Oct. 16 9:30 a.m. Maryvale #5; and the fifth game of the round robin against New England - Thursday, Oct. 17 9:00 a.m. Red Mountain #2.

65-and-over Desert Division: Seattle Mariners (Dan Boxberger)

vs. Albuquerque - Saturday, Oct. 19 1:30 p.m. Maryvale #6; vs. MLW Braves - Sunday, Oct. 20 9:00 a.m. Tempe #5; vs. CA Vets - Monday, Oct. 21 1:30 p.m. Salt River D#4; vs. Snowbirds - Tuesday, Oct. 22 9:00 a.m. Tempe #2; and the fifth game of the round robin against Australia - Wednesday, Oct. 23 9:00 a.m. at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

**playoffs and championships rounds to follow after each round robin is completed.

Photos: of Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona -- headquarters of the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series.

Peters knocks in 5 runs in TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Pete Peters, 70, collected two key hits and drove in five runs as Team Blue knocked off Team White 11-5 today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Team Blue, behind a complete-game pitching performance from Mike Dawson, cruised to an easy win, while a couple of key throwing errors allowed Team Blue to add to their run total. The game ended when Team White's Rob Morse hit a ground ball to Team Blue's shortstop Lloyd Barzell, who  started a double play with 90-year-old second baseman Billy Heiny. The relay throw to first base was just in time to complete the twin-killing.

Tim Tolson collected three hits for Team White and drove in three of their five runs. Right-hander George Staas, who used his knuckle ball and a slow curve ball to earn a pitching victory earlier in the week, was saddled with the loss this time.

The TOTS return to action on Monday, the first day of fall. It'll be dress-out day and a quarterly birthday day game will be played, honoring all teammates with birthdays during the months of July, August and September.

Way to go, TOTS!

Photo: Peters

Aces pound Rattlers, 12-6

Tucson Aces

60-and-over baseball

Reed Palmer homered, Tim Tolson doubled and pitcher Lloyd Barzell went the distance as the Tucson Aces beat the Arizona Rattlers 12-6 today at Udall Park.

The Aces jumped to an early lead with four runs in the first inning, added three in the second, two in the third and capped things off with a three-run sixth. Pete Peters, Tim Boyd and Brad Vermeer collected two hits apiece as the Aces had little trouble putting away the visiting Rattlers.

Photo: Barzell, today's winning pitcher.

Tolson's 21-seasons with the TOTS were remarkable

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The Tucson Old Timers started keeping yearly batting statistics in 2003. In January of 2020, Floyd Lance, 94, will officially begin his 18th year as the club's statistician.

He uses index cards and painstakingly keeps track of every players at bats, runs, hits and batting averages. Before 2003 and dating back to the club's formation back in 1968, the stats were handled differently, nothing like the process currently used by Lance.

It may be time for the TOTS  to modernize the process. But then again, no one wants to take over for Lance and begin figuring the stats for 40 to 50 players for all 52 weeks -- three games a week, month after month...year after year. The members of the TOTS would just as soon leave all the arithmetic to Lance and then let the club historian Dan Price turn the daily batting stats into interesting stories --- or at least yarns, allowing Price to turn a TOT into a Babe Ruth, or a Mickey Mantle or an A-Rod for the day.

The stats are no more than guidelines...or goals for a TOT to strive for. For instance, since 2003 there are around 25 players who have collected 1,000 hits on the club with the late Chico Bigham leading the way with 2,134 hits. That is a lot of hits and it looks like Chico's modern-day record could be broken by 2022.

Recently, the TOTS' Chairman of the Board Brad Tolson has come forward with a stat sheet of his own -- 21 years (1992-2012) of his own batting statistics. Tolson, 90, might be the only player from "the old days" who will ever display a document official enough to be used as a guideline for the TOTS' hitters to strive for.

In 21 seasons, Brad played in 2,143 games. He batted 6,355 times, scored 1,558 runs and collected 3,419 hits and maintained a career batting average of .538.

For all the 60-somethings out there on the TOTS. There's a new guideline for you to strive for.

Keep swinging!

Photo: Brad Tolson, the TOTS' Chairman of the Board.

The leather was flashing at Udall today

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The leather was flashing at Udall Park today.

In a well-played, almost error free game, Team Blue edged Team White 4-2 in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game. The big story were the gems on defense turned in by the old timers.

Team White's Floyd Lance, 94, started things off with a dandy catch in short left field in the second inning when he took a hit away from Team Blue's Jesse Ochoa. The play seemed to open up[ the gates for one thrilling play after another.

Reed Palmer, playing shortstop for Team Blue, snared a live drive off the bat of Team White's Lloyd Barzell in the third inning. Team White's Ron Carlson followed an inning later with a backhand snag at first base and second baseman Pigpen Price got in the act in the same inning with a running backhanded play on a hard hit ball, again off the bat of Team Blue's Ochoa.

In the meantime, the pitchers of record -- Team White's Tim Boyd and Team Blue's Joe Opocensky -- were either snagging comebackers or running down fly balls. Not to mention the fact that both pitchers did not walk a batter and threw nothing but strikes in a seven-inning game, which took just one hour and twenty minutes to complete.

Team White's third baseman John Mathews hauled in a shot off the bat of Team Blue's Doc Thompson in the fifth, Thompson returned the favor with a couple of nice plays at third in the sixth, while Palmer finished things off by controlling things from his shortstop position -- gunning down runners at first base on four of the final six outs -- including a one-hop, backhanded snag off the bat of Price.

"It's hard to get a ball by Palmer," Price said. "At 6 feet, 5 inches tall, he can cover his position well."

One thing is for sure, time goes by quickly when the pitchers throw strikes and the defenders make the plays. "In games like today, you just want to keep on playing," Price said. "The game was a blur."

Fortunately, their are plenty of games on tap for the TOTS. Next game: Friday at Udall, 9 a.m.

A TOTS' Hall of Famer -- a mix of talent and longevity

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

It takes time to reach Hall-of Fame status with the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers, an amateur baseball organization currently enjoying its 51st season.

A little bit of talent, longevity with the club...and age counts, too.

When you reach the above milestone with the club, you are old and undoubtedly own a list of injuries a mile long.

For example: An aging member of the TOTS who can still deal with basic arithmetic knows when his age plus his years of service with the club adds up to 80, then he's awarded the club's Hall of Fame Award.

The current list of 21st Century Hall of Famers includes a handful of current TOTS, along with a number of club members who have passed on. Just for the fun of it, here's a list and some are currently legends in their own mind.

Of course, the 60-somethings on the club have a long way to go before they too will be presented with the longevity award. In other words, it's an honor to be on the list, but the members are in no hurry to get there.

C -- Ron Petersen*

       Clarence Fieber

       Dick McAnally

       Ron Carlson*

      Mike Steele*

P -- DeLon "Doc" Thompson*

1B-  Brad Tolson (now retired and just turned 90)

       Floyd Lance*

      Jeff Helzel*

      Dave Rhoades*

2B   Billy Heiny*

3B   Danny "Pigpen" Price*

SS   Ed Rife

OF   Bob Daliege*

      Chico Bigham

      Carl Brutovsky

      Jerry Hamelin*

      Denny Leonard*

      Joe Aparicio*

     Arnie White*

     Bob Stofft*

     Dick Ducklow*

     Joe Dinich*

along with Associate members who are still with us:


    Eddie Eckert

    Art Ratdke

    Bob Royer

    Ed Seelbinder

    Mal Zwolinski

   Leon Glasshoffer

   Bob Katz

 

Newcomers to the list in 2019:

 
   Lloyd Barzell*

  Dennis Crowley*

  John Misiaszek*

*active players


Now there is a Century Award -- awarded to the player when his age plus years of playing time adds up to 100. The list is a short one with four active players:

Floyd Lance  (age 94, years of service 20 = 114)

Billy Heiny (age 90, years of service 22  = 112)

Joe Aparicio (age 85, years of service 21 = 106)

Denny Leonard (age 81, years of service 21 = 102)

Along with TOTS' Associates, now retired from the playing field:

Denny Heath (age 83, years of service 24 = 107)

Jerry Smarik (age 87, years of service 28 = 115)

Richard McCorkle (age 86, years of service 27 = 113)

Archie Burke (age 87, years of service 28 = 115)



TOTS' note:  Brad Tolson, 90, and a Hall of Famer and a Century Award winner (90 plus 28 years of service -- 118), passed his jersey on to his son, Tim, in 2012. Tim will be eligible for the Hall of Fame Award in five years. Time marches on!





 

 

   

Palmer's 17th home run lifts Team White to 9-2 TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Reed Palmer belted his club-leading 17th home run in the bottom of the third inning as Team White cruised to a 9-2 win over Team Blue today at Udall Park.

Team Blue sent newcomer Doc Escala, 66, to the mound to face Team White and its hard-hitting lineup,  which included Palmer, who owns a home run off all of the TOTS' pitchers. Escala joined the club as he watched Palmer's high drive bounce off the trees beyond the 300-foot fence in right field.

Escala, the newest member of the TOTS and the recipient of his blue and white club hat today, is a Hall-of-Fame player and a former member of the 38-and-over Tucson MSBL. Welcome aboard, Doc!

Photos:  (top) Doc Escala, (bottom) Palmer, the reigning TOTS home run hitter.

Lance, 94, the oldest player to ever play for the Tucson Old Timers

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Floyd Lance has done it so many times before. He grabs his bat and moves to the on deck circle. He awaits his turn -- his next swings...his chance to hit the baseball -- maybe a single to left field, a blooper to center or maybe an opposite-field hit to right field.

Every time Lance steps to the plate he breaks a club record.

Today is Floyd's birthday. He turned 94 today and batted three times at Udall Park for Team White this morning in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game. He faced Team Blue's flamethrower Reed Palmer, who is 31 years younger and stands six feet, five inches tall and throws a ball to the plate with more speed than Floyd's first car -- a 1934 Ford.

That is probably stretching things a bit. Palmer's fastball may top out at around 60 mph and Lance recalls the speedometer on the Ford he won in a raffle back in 1943 topped out around 65.

"Yeah. I entered a church raffle and won the car," Lance recalls. "I was 18 years old."

Fast forward 76 years and Sir Floyd drives to the ball park in comfort these days in his 2015 Jeep Cherokee. His mode of transportation has changed, but his desire to get to the ball field on time and play America's Favorite Pastime remains in tact.

"I love playing the game and I'll continue for as long as I can," says Lance, the oldest TOT to ever suit up and play for the organization, an amateur baseball club in its 52nd season.

Lance, a member of the TOTS for more than 20 years, was born in Glen Gardner, New Jersey on September 6, 1925 and he doesn't recall the first professional baseball game he attended.

"I'm not sure, but it had to have been a Giants-Dodgers game," Lance said. He can certainly be forgiven if he can't remember the game or the score.

One thing is for sure, it is a familiar scene to see Sir Floyd step to the plate every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Udall Park. His teammates all agree. It never gets old watching Floyd Lance adjust his batting helmet and take his stance in the batter's box.

Whether the next pitch is a strike or ball...whether the ball dribbles down the third baseline or bounces into the outfield, it makes little difference. His teammates watch in awe.

Hats off to you, Sir Floyd.



Photo: Floyd Lance

Palmer leads Team Blue to 4-2 TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Despite a rare triple play by Team White in the fourth inning, Team Blue held on at Udall Park today for a 4-2 win in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game. Team Blue's Reed Palmer hurled a complete game to pick up the pitching victory and he knocked in three of the four runs with a couple of key hits.

Everything was going Team White's way in the first four innings. Pitcher Mike Dawson recorded six of the first nine outs with four assists and two putouts. In the top of the fourth with two runners on base, Dawson coaxed Team Blue's Joe Aparicio into hitting a ground ball to third. Doc Thompson gloved the ball, tagged the bag and threw to shortstop Tim Tolson, who stepped on second base and relayed the ball to first baseman Pigpen Price for a 5-6-3 triple play.

Unfortunately for Team White, Palmer was cruising along, striking out six batters, during his six innings  of work while allowing just two runs.

The TOTS return to action next week with games at Udall slated at 9 a.m. for Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Aces edge Old Pueblo Club, 8-7

Tucson Aces

60-and-over baseball

Mike Dawson went 3 for 3, Reed Palmer drove in three runs and John Mathews added two key hits and scored the game-winning run as the 60-and-over Tucson Aces edged the Old Pueblo Club 8-7 this morning at Udall Park.

The Aces scored two runs in the first inning, put together six hits to score four runs in the bottom of the third inning and completed their scoring with two insurance runs in the sixth to put away the visitors from the southside of Tucson. Pete Peters, Tim Tolson, Joe Opocensky, Dawson, Palmer and Mathews all hit safely in the third inning off Old Pueblo's starter Rudy Duarte.

Duarte pitched well. He struck out six batters, but it was Opocensky, the Aces' starter, who picked up the win, allowing only six hits, while striking out two in seven innings of work. The Aces' eighth run of the game occurred with two outs in the bottom of the sixth when Mathews scored from third base on a passed ball.

Down 8-5 in the top of the seventh, the Old Pueblo Club tried to put together a rally with run-scoring singles from Joe Jimenez and Bobby Long, but Opocensky wiggled his way out of trouble to earn the win.

Photo: Today's winning pitcher Joe Opocensky

Today's Aces:

C --   Pete Peters and Roger Beebe

P --    Joe Opocensky

1B --  John Mathews

2B --  Pigpen Price

3B --  Tim Tolson and Mike Dawson

SS --  Lloyd Barzell

LF --  George Staas

CF -- Reed Palmer

RF -- Ron Ryan

Tolson, Palmer combine for 46 hits, 38 RBI to lead TOTS' hitters in August

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Two lefties with powerful swings -- Tim Tolson and Reed Palmer -- led the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers in hits and RBI at Udall Park during the month of August.

Both players finished the month with 23 hits apiece, while Tolson edged Palmer in RBI, 20 to 18. Tolson went 23 for 33 (a .697 batting average), while Palmer went 23 for 28 (a hefty .821 average).

Other players who stood out during the month includes Doc Thompson (18 for 33, a .545 average), Mike Dawson (17 for 26, a .654 average), John Mathews (16 for 28, a .571 average) and Lloyd Barzell (17 for 34, a .500 average).

Floyd Lance, who turns 94 on Friday, led the super seniors (ages 80-and-over) in August with two hits in 10 trips to the plate, a 200 average. As of September 4th, the home runs leaders for 2019, are Palmer with 16, Tolson with 8 and Joe Opocensky with two. Palmer hit three home runs during the month, while Opocensky hit one round-tripper.

In the pitching department, Opocensky led the way in August with three wins and just one loss, while Barzell was next in line with a 3-2 record.

6-run rally lifts Team Blue to 9-7 TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Team White's Thunder Tim Tolson went 4 for 4, drove in five runs and hit his eighth home run of the season, but Team Blue put together a six-run rally in the top of the sixth inning and held on for a 9-7 win at Udall Park today in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Tolson and his teammates held a 5-3 lead heading into the sixth inning, but a couple of infield errors and some timely base hits helped Team Blue plate the six runs and pick up the come-from-behind win.

Pigpen Price went 3 for 3 and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth, while Reed Palmer added two hits and knocked in two runs for Team Blue. Tolson added his fourth hit of the game -- a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, but Team Blue's pitcher George Staas wiggled his way out of trouble and picked up the pitching victory.

It was another hot and humid day with the temperature in triple digits by the end of the game. It seems to be more of the same on tap on Friday when the TOTS end the week at Udall with  a 9 a.m. game.

Photo: Tolson, who went 4 for 4 today at Udall, included his eighth home run of the season.

TOTS' Labor Day Game a close one

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers held their Labor Day Game this morning at Udall Park.

It turned in to a battle til the end and a 3-2 win for Team Blue.

Team Blue scored a run in the first, another in the third and another in the fifth. They started right-hander Joe Opocensky, who gave way to Lloyd Barzell in the fifth and Tim Boyd in the sixth, while Mike Dawson went the distance for Team White.

Doc Thompson led the way at the plate for Team Blue with a perfect 3 for 3 day, while Pigpen Price singled in two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning for Team White.

In the top of the sixth, Team Blue failed to score and Team White came to bat needing two runs for a come-from-behind win. With a runner on third and two outs, it looked like Team White had Team Blue just where they wanted them. Team White's home run threat Reed Palmer, who leads the club with 16 round trippers this season, stepped to the plate to face Boyd.

The Team Blue outfielders scampered to the edge of the warning track and waited for one of Palmer's hefty swings. The lanky left-hander found the pitch he wanted and delivered a mighty blow to deep right field.

Team Blue's right fielder Brad Vermeer positioned himself two feet from the fence, shaded his eyes from the sun and made the catch to end the game. It looked like Palmer had hit his 17th homer of the year for sure. Instead, it turned out to be just a long and deep fly ball out.

Another game in the books for the Tucson Old Timers.

The TOTS return to action at Udall on Wednesday and Friday. Game times: 9 a.m.