TOTS are back! TOTS are back!

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Taking swings at the coronavirus

The TOTS are back!

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers are back on the field and playing baseball again as Arizona Governor Doug Ducey's stay-at-home orders expired on Friday. That left the gate open for the old-timers on the TOTS (players between the ages of 60 to 94) to play an official game at Udall Park today.

The coronavirus has played havoc with everyone in this great land of ours, and the world, too. But here, in Tucson, Arizona, the players on the amateur baseball club (some 45 members) have been chomping at the bit to return to their favorite pastime.

Today, 27 players showed up this morning at the TOTS' field at Udall and 21 players saw action in the first official game to be played since March the 9th when Bob Daliege tossed a 4-hit shutout as Team Blue edged Team White, 4-0.

Daliege took the mound again today and went up against another hard-throwing right-hander Joe Opocensky. This time Opocensky came out the victor as Team White beat Team Blue, 10-5.

All the scoring for Team White came in the third and fourth innings when they plated 10 runs, while Team Blue scored two runs in the first and three runs in the fourth. DeLon "Doc" Thompson was the big gun for Team White, a 3 for 3 day and four RBI. Mike Dawson went 3 for 3 and knocked in a run, while Opocensky helped his own cause with a 3 for 3 day as well. Lefty Dennis Crowley, who normally hits to the opposite field, crushed a Daliege fastball to deep centerfield for an RBI-double.

John Mathews, Tim Tolson, Ray Garcia, Dave Byars and Jesse Ochoa were the top hitters for Team Blue. Tolson went 3 for 3 and knocked in a run, Mathews had two hits and knocked in two runs, while Garcia, Byars and Ochoa collected two hits apiece in the game.

The TOTS adhered to all the rules-of-play today, and there were many. Normally, the TOTS use one dugout, but today both dugouts were used (well, not really). Chairs were set up, six feet apart in front of the dugouts and up and down the first and third baselines (away from the field of play, of course). An extra base at first was used to avoid possible collisions and the extra base at home for runners has always been the norm.

Wearing a mask was optional, but more and more players are showing up with neck gaiters, a more formal-looking face covering. Plenty of handy wipes were on hand as well as bottles of hand sanitizers. Safety is key.

According to co-managers Dawson and Reed Palmer "being safe" on and off the field is paramount.

"The managers really appreciate all the guys adhering to all the rules today. It worked out fine and we had a great turnout," Dawson said, after the two-hour game was in the books.

One thing is for sure. The TOTS will be back on Wednesday to play another game. The Tucson Old Timers are heading into the summer months, but currently schedule their warmups at 8:00 a.m., followed by batting practice and then the first pitch every Monday, Wednesday and Friday is set for 9:00 a.m.

Today's lineups:  Team Blue -- Roger Beebe, Ken Nebesny, Tim Tolson, John Mathews, Ray Garcia, Dave Byars, Bobby Daliege, Bill Mishler, Jesse Ochoa, Brad Vermeer and Miguel Urtaza. Team White -- George Staas, Dennis Crowley, Reed Palmer, Joe Opocensky, Ron Ryan, Mike Dawson, Doc Thompson, Danny Price, Mike Steele and Brack Whitaker. Umpires: Robert Royer and Jerry Hamelin and Pete Maldonado. Scorekeeper: Mal Zwolinski. Also on hand, but did not bat today, Tim Boyd and Ron Petersen.

Photos: Today's pitchers Joe Opocensky, Bob Daliege, Tim Tolson, Doc Thompson and our scorekeeper Mal Zwolinski.