Another stressful situation at Udall for a bunch of old timers

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Players on the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers find themselves in some stressful situations.

Well, that sounds a little dramatic. After all, these old dudes, between the ages of 60 to 80, who play the game of baseball at Udall Park three days a week have already raised a family, held on to a job or a career, battled life and all the obstacles thrown at them for more than 50 years.  They have taken on the word "stress" many, many times.

So an amateur baseball game in their "golden years" is really stress free. Or, is it?

There's been a slew of one-run games over the past couple of months at Udall as a bunch of old timers battle for seven innings to decide a winner. On Friday, for the second time in eight days, the two-hour game had come down to one pitch. And just like the days of old, the players on the field of play want to make the play -- get the winning hit, throw out the runner or save the game with a running catch.

The situation: Team White was up 3-2 in the top of the seventh. Right-hander Joe Opocensky was on the mound for Team White and needed three outs to preserve the win. The first two outs came easy, but the next two batters reached baseball safely, putting the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first base.

Team Blue figured they had Team White in a tight spot, right where they wanted them. Strolling to the plate, was one of the organization's top power hitters -- the hard-hitting lefty Thunder Tim Tolson.

Tolson's .600 batting average and his ability to drill balls to the gap in right center or over the fence -- some 300 feet from home plate -- are legendary. Tolson worked the count full. You could almost see sawdust trickling off the handle of the bat as Thunder Tim squeezed the bat tightly.

Opocensky figured another fastball anywhere near the middle of the plate and Thunder Tim would bring home two runs...maybe three. The "Big O" took a deep breath. He went into his wind up and unleashed a change up. The ball was high and just off the plate.

Thunder Tim swung and came up empty. "Strike Three!"

The above: Just another game for a bunch of old timers who love the game of baseball.

No stress. Just a bunch of fun.

The TOTS return to action on Monday. Game time 9 a.m.

The Play of the Day: A running over-the-head catch by Team White's left fielder John Misiaszek, 72.

TOTS footnote: By the way, Thunder Tim's bat was aluminum, disregard the sawdust. Most players use aluminum, but a few will bring out their wood bats from time to time. A 60-and-over baseball player can get more hits, using aluminum, while some players still like that old familiar sound when the ball finds the "sweet spot" on a Louisville Slugger.