TOTS at the hot corner

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The third basemen

Corona Games


The hot corner. A tough position to play at any age.

If you happen to be a member of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers and you are trying to hold down the third base spot, you better have had a good night's sleep. Most of the players use aluminum bats and if the batter connects with the sweet spot and pulls the ball toward third...you'd better be awake.

The TOTS' managers will normally assign a 60-something to play the spot. Chances are pretty good all our 80-year-olds are happy to stay clear of third base. The TOTS have plenty of fellas who can handle the position.

Pigpen Price, who turns 75 in July, has played the position for 12 years, but recently due to a neck injury and arthritis in both hands, has been "labeled" a middle-aged TOT and has moved over to second base.

"I miss playing third, but the younger set has taken over the spot," Pigpen said. "You need someone that has a strong throw. Besides, it's a long way across the diamond for an old-timer, especially if you have arthritis in your throwing hand, a recent thumb operation and a bothersome trigger finger."

So in steps, Ray Garcia, 67, a talented, strong-armed infielder from Da Bronx. Ray (photo below) has all the tools to play third or short. Ray spends his winters in Arizona and his summers in New York. Garcia went to high school with two members of the TOTS -- Lloyd Barzell and Pete Maldonado.

Joe Opocensky, 70, the man from Virginia, is a right-handed third baseman, but bats left and can hit with power. A steady third sacker, Joe has been with the TOTS since 2014 and wears #54. His nickname is "Big O" for his ability to pound the ball off the fences.

Pete Peters, 71, can play all positions, but he has the quickness and the strong arm to play third. Pete is from Fairfield, Iowa. He wears #29 and has been with the TOTS since 2011.

Steve Foster, 62, is our youngest TOT, so he's definitely young enough to stay awake at third. Steve recently joined the club and is a good friend of TOTS' teammate Roger Beebe. He's got plenty of time to get his feet wet at third. Steve has already shown he's a contact hitter and can spray the ball to all fields.

Bob Daliege, one of the TOTS' top pitchers, who catches and plays all outfield positions, can also play a "mean" third base. Daliege, who wears #9, and a member of the TOTS for 10 years, displays a strong arm and fields the ball well. Bob is no spring chicken at 71, but he can still get the job done at the hot corner.

Then there's the man from Las Cruces, New Mexico -- Brad Vermeer. He's just a youngster at 68, Brad joined the club in the winter of 2017. A high school teacher, Brad definitely has the smarts to maneuver his way around third base.