The TOTS are back

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers have had a hand full of unofficial games the past two weeks with 25 percent of their roster off to Phoenix to play in the prestigious Men's Senior Baseball League World Series.

Well, the fellas are back now -- all 12 members -- at Udall Park to play baseball every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The winter or fall hours, depending on how you want to look at it, changes on Wednesday, Oct. 30, to 10:00 a.m. starts instead of 9:00 a.m. starts. Warm ups and batting practice begins around 9:00 a.m.

Today, the TOTS had plenty of players. Reed Palmer pitched for Team White and Joe Opocensky started for Team Blue. Opocensky collected three hits today to lead Team Blue to a 6-2 win. John Mathews went 2 for 3 for the losing team.

The score was deadlocked at 2-2 in the top of the sixth when Team Blue's Ron Ryan drilled an RBI-single to right field for a 3-2 lead and teammate Doc Thompson followed with an infield hit to score another run. Team White added two insurance runs in the seventh inning.

The play of the day: a backhanded stab by Team Blue's shortstop Tim Tolson to snuff out a Team White rally. The oldest player on the field today was 85-year-old Joe Aparicio.

The TOTS finish out the month of October with a game on Wednesday and begin the month of November with a game on Friday. The TOTS have just two months left in its 51st season (1968-2019).

Go, TOTS!