Boyd does it all in TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Centerfielder Tim Boyd, who turns 65 in August, is built for speed.

Once again he proved why he's considered one of the TOTS top outfielders as he ran down five fly balls and added a couple of key assists to lead Team White to a 10-6 win over Team Blue today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Every time Team Blue settled into a rally, Boyd was there to put out the fire as he rambled to his left and right to flag down hard hit balls. At the plate, Boyd singled, doubled, scored a run and collected two RBI as Team White collected 12 hits and scored two runs in the first inning, a run in the second, two in the third and capped the day off with five-run fifth inning.

Team White's John Mathews went 2 for 4 and drove in three runs and winning pitcher Joe Opocensky helped his own cause with three hits in four trips to the plate and picked up two RBI.

Team Blue actually out hit Team White, 14-12, with "birthday boy" Reed Palmer a perfect 3 for 3 on the day. Palmer, who turned 64 today, knocked in two runs and scored a run, while Jesse Ochoa and Ken Nebesny collected three hits apiece -- Ochoa 3 for 4 and Nebesny went 3 for 6.

Mike Dawson pitched four innings for Team Blue and was saddled with the loss and Ernie Escala threw two innings in relief.

It was another "hot one" as the temperature soared to the 100-degree mark before the noon hour and the humidity took a lot out of the old timers. The oldest players on the field today: 75-year-old Pigpen Price, 77-year-old Doc Thompson and Joe Aparicio, 86. The youngest players on the field today: Ron Ryan, 62, and Nebesny, 63.

The TOTS will be back at Udall on Wednesday. Game time: 8:30 a.m.

Photo: Boyd

Boyd, Tolson lead Team White to 6-1 TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Tim Boyd went 3 for 3 and drove in two runs, while Tim Tolson went 3 for 3 and drove in a run as Team White beat Team Blue 6-1 today in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game at Udall Park.

Team Blue couldn't get anything going in this one and collected just five hits off Team White's right-hander Mike Dawson, who struck out two and walked two. Dawson carried a shutout into the seventh inning. Ernesto Escala pitched six innings for Team Blue and was saddled with the loss. Pigpen Price collected two of Team Blue's five hits.

The TOTS return to action at Udall on Wednesday. Game time: 8:30 a.m.

Today's boxscore:

Thompson goes 5 for 5, drives in 4 runs in TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Doc Thompson, 77, went 5 for 5 and drove in four runs to lead Team Blue to a 15-5 win over Team White today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Team Blue collected 20 hits and Joe Opocensky went the distance to pick up the win and helped his own cause with three hits, scored four runs and knocked in three runs.

Team White just couldn't get anything going at the plate and collected only seven hits today. Pigpen Price went 1 for 2 and knocked in two of Team White's five runs, while Thunder Tim Tolson went 2 for 3 with a double and a triple. Mike Dawson pitched all seven innings for Team White and was saddled with the loss

Despite the record-setting temperatures, the TOTS will close out the week with a game on Friday at Udall. Game time: 8:30 a.m.

Photo: Doc Thompson

TOTS' Bobby Katz to turn 83

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The Tucson Old Timers do their best to celebrate a players'  birthday.

After all, the TOTS are a group of 60-plus old-time baseball players and every birthday is a milestone.

Bob Katz, who turns 83 on July 11, is the next birthday celebration for the organization, an amateur baseball club in the midst of its 53rd season. Katz, a 15-year member of the TOTS, grabbed his last at bat in 2014, but walked 57 times to tie for the team lead in that category.

Katz no longer takes the field for the TOTS and is now listed as an associate -- a more formal word for a retired TOT. An associate of the organization, but certainly not forgotten. How could a member of the TOTS forget a former player? It just doesn't happen.

As for Katz, he's one of those "special guys" who deserves a week-long celebration.

Bobby has had it with hospitals. He is at home with his wife of 56 years, Yolanda. They live a half a mile from the ball park. In fact it is not out of the question for the TOTS' power hitting 63-year-old Reed Palmer, who holds the record for single-season home runs at 29, to blast the baseball by the gate entrance to the couple's home at Vactor Ranch.

Katz married Yolanda in 1964. A marine, Katz, nicknamed "The Gunner," met Yolanda in Orange County, California, and eventually the couple set up shop in Tucson, Yolanda's hometown, where her father and grandfather were well-known owners of a chain of restaurants.

In fact, Yolanda's father, the late Louis Aranetta, had an old grain silo built (see photo below) on South Sixth Avenue for El Zarape's daily production of corn tortillas that were delivered to supermarkets and restaurants throughout Southern Arizona. 

 

As for Bobby, he grew up a long way from Orange County and Tucson, Arizona, in the baseball town of Philadelphia. As a young boy, Katz walked through the turnstiles at Shribe Park and watched Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts play the game of baseball.

"I grew up in Philly and my mother gave me 60 cents and I would hop on the trolley and head for a game," Katz said. It cost a quarter for the trolley and another 35 cents to get into the game." 

My goodness. Another memory from a TOT.

The TOTS have their stories and their memories.

And thank goodness we have teammates like Bobby Katz.

Happy Birthday, Bobby!.

Photos: (at top )-- the one and only Bobby Katz

A close one at Udall today

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The TOTS are off and running in July.

Today at Udall Park, the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers started off  the month of July with a real nail biter as Bob Daliege for Team White and Mike Dawson for Team Blue battled through seven innings in an old fashioned pitching duel.

Daliege, leading 4-3 after five innings, kept Team White from scoring in the sixth and in the seventh to edge out the win.  Dawson struck out six and walked three, while Daliege fanned three batters and walked only one.

Tim Tolson and Dawson had three hits apiece for Team Blue, while Roger Beebe, Joe Opocensky and Doc Thompson had three hits apiece for Team White. Opocensky knocked in two of his team's four runs.

The TOTS will finish up the week with an 8:30 start at Udall on Friday.

TOTS play 12 games in June despite coronavirus

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The TOTS play on.

Despite the coronavirus, the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) played 12 games at Udall Park  in June and 33 players logged at bats with Roger Beebe and Reed Palmer collecting the most hits for the month with 27. Beebe went 27 for 38, scored 13 runs, knocked in 11 runs and maintained a .711 batting average, while Palmer went 27 for 37 with eight doubles, a triple, four home runs, 17 runs scored and 20 RBI to go along with a hefty .730 batting average.

John Mathews had the most at bats with 41 to go along with 22 hits and 10 runs batted in. Mathews finished with a .537 batting average, while Doc Thompson, Mike Dawson and Mike Steele ended with 17 hits apiece.  Dawson batted .586 for the month and finished second in RBI with 13, Thompson batted just 24 times and maintained a healthy .708 batting average and Steele ended up with a. 515 batting average.

Mike Dawson posted the best pitching record for the month with four wins and one loss. Palmer had the most strike outs with 13 and  Ron Petersen was second with 10. Nine players saw action on the mound during the month. Joe Opocensky went 2-2 and Bob Daliege finished the month with a 2-1 record.

Photos: Roger Beebe and Reed Palmer

June/2020 stats: