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