Mishler's 17 commandments

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Corona Games

On our 60-and-over amateur baseball team, we have enough characters to write a dozen books.

Everywhere you look on the Tucson Old Timers, you can find a teammate that'll keep you in stitches, one way or another.

For instance, we have our share of professors and at the top of the list is our catcher/first baseman/second baseman/outfielder William Mishler.

Now, Billy is no ordinary dude. His title: Professor of Government and Public Policy at the University of Arizona. Billy boy is a Visiting Professor at the University of Aberdeen, and co-editor of the Journal of Politics.

When Bill Mishler talks, people listen.

So, Bill has come up with the 17 commandments, which we, the TOTS, need to put in place for us to return to the baseball diamond, despite this coronavirus thing that's going around.

Here goes:

1)  Limit players to 20 -- 10 per side, no subs and the first 20 to arrive play.

2) Temperatures must be taken of all players on arrival; anyone with a temperature in excess of 99.5 will be sent home (and we are not talking about an FM radio channel here).

3) No one is allowed to sit in the dugouts. A sign up table will be provided outside the dugout.

4) Players will maintain a 6 foot distance from others at all times.

5) Players will sit outside the dugouts in plastic chairs -- 6 feet apart.

6) All players on the sidelines will wear face coverings.

7) No spectators allowed on the field. They may sit properly spaced in the stands.

8) All players, except pitchers, must wear batting or other protective gloves at all times. Exception: Pitchers may pitch with a glove on their pitching hand but must sanitize hand before each inning.

9) Batting team provides all umpires who must wear face coverings on the field. Batting team also provides the scorekeeper.

10) First basemen and catchers must wear face coverings in the field.

11) Any batter who reaches base must put on face covering immediately upon stopping.

12) All players must wear gloves on both hands at all times.

13) No players may use the water fountain.

14) No players allowed over 80 (that one, not so much).

15) No beer, prayer, or other post-game social gatherings will be allowed.

16) Sharing of bats is permitted. Players are encouraged to use their own bats. Those without personal bats may choose one TOTS' bat for their exclusive use before each game on a first-dibs basis. TOTS'-owned  bat handles must be sanitized with alcohol or Clorox by its batter before bat's first use each day.

17) All tag plays are eliminated and treated as force plays. If you start for a base, you are committed to going. Players are automatically out if caught in a run-down.

So, there you have it.

It might be easier to park your car in the parking lot and stay six feet apart and roll the windows down and take turns reliving how we used to play the game.

Nice effort, Bill!  I thought the author of this blog, yours truly, had a lot of time on his hands. Bill has me beat!

Photo: Professor Bill