90-year-old toes the rubber

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Billy Heiny, 90, established a new TOTS' record today when he took the mound in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

With a 11-0 lead, Team White starter Pete Maldonado gave the ball to Heiny in the top of the fifth inning. Heiny finished his warm up pitches, toed the rubber and unleashed his first pitch, becoming the oldest player to pitch for the Tucson Old Timers, a 52-year-old amateur baseball organization, which has been in existence since 1968.

Heiny pitched to three batters without allowing a hit and then gave the ball back to Maldonado with two outs in the books. Maldonado finished up the inning and Team White headed into the sixth with a shutout still intact. Maldonado cruised through the sixth, and in the seventh inning gave the ball back to Heiny, who once again pitched to three batters without allowing a hit. With two outs, Maldonado returned to the mound with a runner on first base and got the final out of the game on a ground out.

Maldonado picked up the win, while Heiny pitched to a total of six batters. The 90-year-old retired four batters, hit a batter and walked one.

As for the game, the final score was 12-0 with Team White's third baseman Ray Garcia having "his day" at the ball park. Garcia went 3 for 3, with a walk and four RBI.

The TOTS will take the weekend off and return to Udall on Monday for a 10 a.m. game.

Photo: Heiny