Big Bad John Mathews goes 4 for 4, drives in 3 runs in TOTS' win

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

John Mathews went 4 for 4 and drove in three runs to lead Team Blue to a 8-6 win over Team White in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game yesterday at Udall Park. Team Blue collected 22 hits in the seven inning game with Tim Tolson going 4 for 5 and Bill Mishler added three hits in five plate appearances.

Brad Vermeer allowed 11 hits to pick up the pitching victory. He struck out three and walked three, while Reed Palmer went the distance for Team White and was saddled with the loss. Palmer struck out six batters.

Team White scored two in the third inning, a run in the fourth, a run in the fifth and two more runs in the sixth, but were shutdown by Vermeer in the bottom of the seventh. Pete Peters was the big gun for Team Blue with three hits in four trips to the plate.

The TOTS close out the week with a game on Friday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photo: Big John Mathews

Palmer's 2nd home run, Maldonado's solid 4 innings of relief pitching lifts Team Blue to 9-4 TOTS win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Team Blue's slugger Reed Palmer hit his second homer of the season and knocked in five runs, while reliever Peter Maldonado shutdown Team White for four innings for a 9-4 win in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game yesterday at Udall Park.

It was Palmer's second homer of the year and second round-tripper this month. Maldonado relieved starter Ken Nebesny in the fourth and allowed just four hits and no runs the rest of the way.

Pete Peters led the losing team with four hits in five trips to the plate -- including a double. Team Blue scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at 4-4 and added three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh for the win. Team Blue finished with 11 hits in the game, while Team White collected 12 hits.

The TOTS return to action on Wednesday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photos: Slugger Reed Palmer and pitcher Pete Maldonado.

Long double trouble in TOTS win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Bobby Long collected two doubles in four trips to the plate and drove in three runs to lead Team White to a 5-3 win over Team Blue today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Long also scored a run and helped support another pitching victory for Mike Dawson, who went the distance for Team White, striking out five batters in the process. Dawson allowed eight hits, while Bob Daliege was saddled with the loss, allowing five runs and 11 hits.

Pete Peters and David Byars collected three hits apiece for Team Blue.

The TOTS return to action on Monday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photo: Bobby Long at the plate.

Tolson's 5 doubles lifts Team White to 7-6 TOTS win

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Thunder Tim Tolson ripped five doubles and knocked in two runs, while teammate Mike Dawson contributed four hits and three RBI to lift Team White to a 7-6 win over Team Blue in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game today at Udall Park.

Team White collected 16 hits in the game, while Team Blue banged out 14 hits -- including a 5 for 5 day from Ken Nebesny. Dawson went the distance for Team White with four strike outs for the pitching victory, while Brad Vermeer went the distance for Team Blue and was saddled with the loss.

The "Play of the Day"  came from 87-year-old right fielder Joe Aparicio, who caught a towering fly ball off the bat of Team Blue's Joe Opocensky. John Mathews and David Byars knocked in four of Team Blue's six runs.

The TOTS will be back in action at Udall on Wednesday and Friday. Both games get underway at 10 a.m.

Byars, Dawson lift Team Blue to 9-2 TOTS win

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

David Byars went 3 for 4 and Mike Dawson pitched seven strong innings, allowing just six hits and two runs, as Team Blue knocked off Team White 9-2 today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Team Blue collected 14 hits in the game with Ken Nebesny, Dennis Crowley, Joe Opocensky and Dawson chipping in with two hits apiece as Team Blue scored two runs in the first inning, four in the third, two in the fourth and a lone run in the seventh to ice the win. Big John Mathews was the big gun for Team White with a 3 for 3 day. He also drove in the only runs for Team White.

The TOTS close out the week with a game on Friday at Udall. First pitch at 10 a.m.

TOTS close out week with a kiss-your-sister 3-3 tie

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers closed out the week with a 3-3 kiss-your-sister-game at Udall Park today. It turned out to be a well played tussle as Team Blue's Mike Dawson and Team White's Ernesto "Doc" Escala locked horns for seven innings. Dawson struck out five and didn't walk a batter, while Escala struck out six and walked two. Dawson allowed seven hits, while Escala gave up nine hits.

Team Blue held a 3-0 lead after three innings, but Team White chipped away at the lead with two runs in the fourth and a lone run in the bottom of the sixth. Bobby Long knocked in two runs and Escala drove in a run for Team White, while Joe Opocensky went 3 for 4 to lead Team Blue. Ken Nebesny knocked in two runs and Jesse Ochoa drove in a run.

The TOTS were able to play all three scheduled games this week. The TOTS are back in action at Udall on Monday. Game time: 10 a.m.

Garcia, Palmer lead Team White to 7-3 TOTS' win

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Ray Garcia, 68, could be shoveling snow in New York City today, instead he's swinging a baseball bat at Udall Park, on the east side of Tucson, as a member of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers.

Every year, Garcia spends at least three months in Tucson playing baseball and in his first two games back this year,  he finds himself playing in 75-degree weather, under a clear blue sky and the only snow visible is directly north of Udall on the mountaintops of the Catalinas.

Garcia is, to say the least, sizzling at the plate. A former cigarette salesman, Garcia has lit up the TOTS' pitchers with seven hits in eight trips to the plate in two games at Udall this week -- including a 4 for 5 effort today as Team White knocked off Team Blue, 7-3.

"I hope to stay around until late April this year," said Garcia, who obviously is in no hurry to get back to New York where a strong nor'easter has canvassed the city and the surrounding areas with two feet of snow.

Meanwhile, Reed Palmer, the starting pitcher for Team White today, is happy to have Ray back in town. Garcia led off today and scored three of Team White's seven runs, while Palmer allowed just one earned run and went the distance for the win. Brad Vermeer pitched six innings for Team Blue and absorbed the loss.

By the way, Palmer helped himself at the plate with a 3 for 4 day and four RBI. Everyone in the starting lineup hit safely for Team White today as they collected 14 hits, while Palmer limited Team Blue to just 11 hits with Pete Peters and Dave Byars collecting three hits apiece for the losing team.

With two games in the books this week, the TOTS will finish out the week with a game on Friday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photo: Ray Garcia

TOTS back in action

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The TOTS are finally back in action.

After a month layoff due to Covid-19, the TOTS returned to Udall Park this morning as Team White scored three runs in the first inning and held on for a 5-1 win over Team Blue.

Team White collected 13 hits in the game with Ken Nebesny, Reed Palmer, Joe Opocensky, John Mathews and Ray Garcia combining for 10 of the hits. Nebesny went 2 for 4 and scored a run, Palmer went 2 for 3, scored twice and knocked in a run, Opocensky went 2 for 3 and  knocked in a run, while  Mathews doubled, scored a run and knocked in a run. Garcia had a perfect 3 for 3 day at the plate and picked up two RBI.

Opocensky went the distance to pick up the pitching victory, while Mike Dawson took the loss.

Team Blue collected just eight hits with Tim Tolson, Brad Vermeer and Dawson picking up two hits apiece.

The TOTS return to action with games at Udall on Wednesday and Friday. Both games get underway at 10 a.m.