Tall man handcuffs Team Blue in TOTS' win

 

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

He stands six-foot-five. He's a "young-in" as far as the 60-and over Tucson Old Timers are concerned.

At 64, Reed Palmer is intimidating as he toes the rubber and unleashes his fastball toward the plate.

The TOTS hitters, ranging in age from 62 to 86, are normally shaking in their boots (sorry, their baseball shoes) as a high fastball blazes under their chin and pounds into the catcher's mitt, leaving that familiar sound only a baseball can make as it collides with leather.

The batters await the next pitch and are caught off guard as a nasty slow curve ball makes its way to the plate. A swing and a miss.

Well, it was more of the same today as Palmer hurled seven strong innings to lead Team White to a 9-5 win at Udall Park. Palmer (above photo) struck out three and walked one, out dueling Mike Dawson, 65, who pitched six tough innings, while striking out three and walking just one batter.

The TOTS' hitters are learning and some are getting their share of hits off the TOTS' giant. Today, the top seven batters in Team Blue's lineup hit safely with Joe Opocensky and John Mathews timing Palmer's offerings for three hits apiece, while Dawson managed a 2 for 4 day.

On the other hand, Team White collected 17 hits in the game as all nine batters in their lineup reached safely with Thunder Tim Tolson and Palmer leading the way with three hits apiece and four of the nine RBI. Doc Thompson, Ken Nebesny, Ron Ryan and Brad Vermeer collected two hits apiece. Pete Peters added a hit, as did Bobby Long and 78-year-old Miguel Urtaza (photo below) chipped in a hit with an RBI-single in the fifth inning.

As for all the TOTS' hitters, they are getting used to facing the "kitchen sink" as they step to the plate three days a week in a TOTS' game. Fastball. Slow balls. Knuckleballs. They try to be on their toes with every pitch, but once in a while, Palmer has them on their heels.

Still, it's the best game in town. Instead of a 60-and-over guy at home, sitting on the family sofa, they find themselves at the park in the middle of a baseball game trying to turn a 70-mile-an-hour fastball from Palmer into a hit.

You gotta love it. That's what the TOTS are all about.

Next game: Friday, at Udall, at 9 a.m.