TOTS reach 67 games for 2021

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The August stats are in, which means eight months have come and gone for 2021 with the coronavirus still hanging over our heads. It's a tribute to the organization that 67 official games were played during that time frame -- including just eight games this month.

Normally at this time during the season the amateur baseball club would have 104 games in the books with an outside shot at 146 to 150 games by the end of the season, which is always the 31st of December.

This year the TOTS are on pace for 99 games...maybe 100, which would be an improvement over 2020 when 74 games were played. We all remember 2020 when the coronavirus raised its ugly head the first time and sent the world into a virus nightmare.

The August stats are nothing to write home about. Of course, all the TOTS have a home and many have been in their domicile for 30 years or more. I love the word domicile. I remember the movie Hoosiers and the great character actor Dennis Hopper's line as he showed Gene Hackman his mountain retreat.  So, unless the spouse or the girlfriend want a copy of the TOTS' monthly batting statistics, it's best to file the document away and refer to it on a rainy day, now and then.

Of course, this month it's the usual suspects leading the way. Tim Tolson collected the most hits (19), the most RBI (9) and a hefty batting average of .760, while Mike Dawson ended up runner-up with 16 hits, eight RBI and a batting average of .696. David Byars had the most at bats with 11 hits in 29 at bats. Other notables included Ken Nebesny, who scored the most runs (11) and a trio of players -- Jesse Ochoa, Doc Thompson and Reed Palmer -- finished with 11 hits, along with Byars. The other players who reached double digits in hits included Bobby Long, Joe Opocensky and Nebesny with 10.

Thirty-three players took their swings and played the field for the month. The TOTS combined for 200 hits in August in 479 at bats -- a .418 club batting average.

Dawson was the top pitcher for the month with a 4-0 record. Dawson struck out eight batters for the month, while Opocensky finished with seven strike outs.

The TOTS added three young and talented players on Monday: Randy Livingston, 64, John Jarboe, 64, and Sam Dean, 65.

Go, TOTS! Keep on swinging!.

The Stingray Man

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

By his own admission, 74-year-old catcher Ron Carlson may be at the end of his career with the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers. Carlson, from Brooklyn, New York, has been a member of the amateur baseball organization since 2010 -- 12 years he's strapped on the catching gear and settled in behind the plate.

Carlson has taken care of foul balls -- off his fingers, off his chest and his noggin, too. He's been hit just about everywhere on his body at one time or another.

It's always hard for a TOT to call it quits. Some stick around too long...some may hang up their cleats too soon and find their way back to the ball park.

"I'm seriously thinking about hanging it up next year," Carlson said, in a recent interview.

He would be missed. After all old catchers are hard to find. Heck, old-time ball players are hard to find. There are not many 60-and-over baseball teams around -- especially an organization like the TOTS, who are closing in on their 54th season.

One reason for Carlson to stick around is the fact he's setting on 958 career hits and needs just 42 hits to reach the 1,000-hit club with the organization. That would lift him to number 19 on the list of the modern day players who have reached that milestone since 2003. 

Besides that the players would miss seeing his admiral blue Stingray show up in the parking lot every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. "Ron is here! Put him on the list."

There aren't too many 74 year olds tooling around in a Corvette these days.

Then again, there aren't many 74-year-old catchers out there, either. 

Pete's magic carpet ride

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Team Blue broke open a tight 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game this morning at Udall Park with a four-run, top of the fifth inning and went on to knock off Team White, 7-3.

Team White's right-hander Bob Daliege kept Team Blue off the base paths the first four innings and was locked in a pitcher's duel most of the way with hard-throwing right-hander Reed Palmer, but the roof caved in on Daliege and his teammates in the fifth and a 3-2 ball game turned into an easy win down the stretch for Team Blue.

Now, the Play of the Day was a different story.

In the bottom of the fifth, Team White's Daliege hit a shot in the hole, between short and third. Team Blue's shortstop Mike Dawson moved to his right, dove, smothered the ball and threw from his knees to third base to Pete Peters for what looked to be an easy force out.

Thus, begins Pete's Magic Carpet Ride!

Peters gloved the throw and attempted to tag the bag, which would have been in time for the out. The two base umps -- Jerry Hamelin and Robert Royer -- had different ideas about whether the runner was out or not.

The sure-handed Peters touched the carpet with his right foot and not the bag and the runner was ruled safe, after a certain amount of discussion.

You see, in the old-timers' league the carpet is used on both sides of the bag (at second and third...now at first base there's an orange bag -- just to the right of the normal first base (now...that's a whole another story). These are special rules for an old-timers' game. The rules are installed to protect the players from injury and as long as the runner reaches the carpet before the tag, the runner is safe. The runner can even run past the carpet and then can make a u-turn and return to the regular bag safely.

That said, let's get back to Pete's Magic Carpet Ride.

"I pushed the carpet up against the bag!” said Peters, a former TOTS' manager, no less.

A reasonable response for a TOT in the heat of the moment.

On second thought, Peters decided. "Yep. I'm out!" The rule: the infielder must touch the base to force out the runner... not the carpet.

It wasn't exactly a wild ride. Actually, just a footprint in time. Of course, the Steppenwolf band, back in 1969, had other ideas of what a magic carpet ride was like. I'm not sure the lead vocal for Steppenwolf, John Kay, ever played baseball, but the singer and lead guitarist for the band is now 77 and could certainly play for the TOTS, if he was inclined to give it a try.

Honestly, the TOTS would rather just sit back and listen to the music of yesteryear. It might make the players run a little faster.

The TOTS are no longer Born to be Wild, but what they can still do is play a great game of baseball.

Photos: (top photo) Reed Palmer, today's winning pitcher, (bottom photo) Pete Peters, who almost completed the Play of the Day.

TOTS' game notes: Team Blue's Dawson went 4 for 4 with a walk today, while three of his teammates -- Palmer, Peters and Bobby Long -- went 3 for 5. Thunder Tim Tolson had three hits for the losing team.

The TOTS 1,000 career hits club...and a few players who are knocking at the door

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

It takes some longevity to become a member of the 1,000 career hits club with the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers -- a club that has been around since 1968, but coming up with yearly statistics prior to the year 2003 are hard to come by.

Floyd Lance, who turns 96 on September 6, 2021 started keeping official statistics in 2003 and he painstakingly used an index card system to get the job done. After each game, Lance would record each players at bats, runs, hits, runs-batted-in, doubles, triples, home runs, and batting average -- by game, by month and finally by the year. Lance also kept track of walks, hit-by-pitches and sacrifices.

The amazing Floyd Lance finally ran out of pencils a couple of years ago and turned all his materials over first to Ron Petersen (before he retired), then to Bill Mishler, a University of Arizona professor, who is currently on a leave of absence and finally into the hands of Mike Steele, 73, who uses his trusty computer after every game to do the calculations and producing, in record time, detailed box scores, which makes all the club members -- who care about that sort of thing -- happy campers.

Of course, there may be a few arguments among the players from time to time and the official scorekeeper Mal Zwolinski, 83, might be called upon to rectify things and offer a few adjustments.

I mean this is an old-timers' baseball club and there are bound to be a few disagreements.

In reality, this is a bunch of old-time ball players who get together at Udall Park three days a week, year in and year out, to play the game of baseball. None of the players are heading for Cooperstown and certainly Mike Trout doesn't have to worry about a hot-hitting TOT overtaking him on the hitting charts.

Below are the career hits leaders since 2003: (through the 2020 season)

1.   Chico Bigham        2,134

2.   Lloyd Barzell         1,854

3.   Tim Tolson             1,834*

4.   Doc Thompson       1,642*

5.   Denny Leonard       1,634

6    Floyd Lance            1,529

7.   Jerry Smarik           1,478

8.   Pete Peters              1,425*

9.   Dennis Crowley      1,418*

10.  Danny Price           1,401*

11.  Ron Petersen          1,393

12.  Ed Rife                    1,357

13.  Jerry Hamelin        1,354

14.  Billy Heiny             1,313

15.  Brad Tolson            1,288

16.  Bob Daliege            1,262*

17.  Dave Rhoades         1,099

18.  Joe Aparicio            1,064

Closing in...

19.  Ron Carlson              958*

20.  Jesse Ochoa             853*

21.  Ted Davis                  784*

22.  Reed Palmer             715*

23.  Mike Steele               684*

24.  Dick Ducklow           681*

25.  Bill Mishler               647*

26.  Joe Opocensky         618*

27.  Arnie White              598*

28.  John Mathews          580*

29.  Mike Dawson            422*

*currently active on the 2021 roster 

*****A special note from TOTS' historian Dan Price -- It must be noted that records are meant to be broken. There are a few major league records that will never be broken, but as far as the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers are concerned all records will likely fall away from the archive books and become just a footprint in time. The TOTS have been around for 54 seasons, another 46 will put them in triple digits. The names above will be replaced by future TOTS' legends. There is one record that will be hard to beat. The Tolson's father and son combination -- Brad Tolson, 92, and Tim Tolson, who turns 69 on August 30, 2021, have amassed, as of this post, over 3, 200 combined hits. Also, many of our legendary players who have fallen short of 1,000 hits are still remembered and a little digging into the archive books show that men like Art Radtke, 83, a plumber from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, who played from 2003-2014,  collected 869 hits during his TOTS' career.*****

***Received a document from Brad Tolson, 92, one of the TOTS who played in both the 20th and the 21st century. Brad logged his stats from 1992 until he retired from the TOTS in 2012 after 21 seasons and gave his uniform #3 to his son, Tim, who continues the family dynasty and currently is just four months away from completing his ninth season and will begin his 10th campaign January/2022.

Brad's phenomenal statistics: Games Played -- 2,143 -- At Bats -- 6, 355 -- Runs -- 1,558 -- Hits -- 3,419 -- Doubles -- 495 -- Triples -- 21 -- Home Runs -- 23 -- Career Batting Average -- .538

Go, TOTS! Carry on and keep swinging!          

                        

Right-hander Livingston, I presume?

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Right-hander Randy Livingston is expected to become a TOT on Monday. Livingston will be one of a trio of new 60-somethings-- the other two are John Jarboe and Sam Dean. The three players are welcome additions to the amateur baseball club -- all three can play the infield, outfield and pitch, too. Dean is a catcher and the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers can always use players who love to strap on the gear and get behind the plate.

The TOTS are getting a little younger.

Today at Udall Park, the TOTS fielded a good mix of 60 and 70 year old players and Livingston, arguably one of the better 60-something pitchers in town, took the mound today and went up against another youngster -- 66-year-old Mike Dawson.

Now Dawson just returned from a vacation in Hawaii and Livingston hasn't pitched for a couple of weeks, but the two flamethrowers went at it today, battling the heat and humidity -- although Dean did take the mound and pitched the sixth inning, allowing a lone run, while Dawson went the distance for Team White and Livingston pitched for Team Blue and got in five innings of work.

Team White won the game, 15-3. It just wasn't Team Blue's day. They loaded the bases three times and failed to get a run across, while Team White had its hitting shoes on and found all the gaps. There were 28 hits in the game -- 15 by Team White and 13 by Team Blue.

Getting back to Livingston, the young man has a new secret weapon -- a pitch he's been working on. It's still a work in progress. Some of the players today caught on quickly. One said," that looks like a knuckler."

Livingston decided to forego his fastball and some of his breaking stuff this morning, while working strictly on his "secret weapon."

Major league pitchers do that from time to time -- especially during spring training. So, this was Livingston's opportunity to toss his new pitch and see just how the TOTS' batters handled matters.

Well, to make a long story short,  Livingston absorbed the loss today, while Dawson must have done something right in Maui because everything was going his way this morning.

It was definitely Livingston on the mound at Udall today. Livingston for sure, the TOTS all presumed! Chances are the next time the young pitcher takes the mound, the TOTS will see their share of fastballs and the outcome will be quite different.

Three players for Team White collected three hits apiece -- Ken Nebesny, Bob Daliege and Dawson. Daliege, who won Wednesday's game with a walk-off double, was on fire again today and knocked in four of his team's 15 runs. Doc Thompson was the big gun for Team Blue with a 3 for 4 day, while Mike Steele, Reed Palmer and Livingston chipped in two hits apiece.

It's good to see the youngsters at the ball park today -- 11 players in all. That left the other ten players, all over the age of 70. The oldest players on the field today -- Thompson, 79, and Pigpen Price, 76. 

The youngest TOTS on the field this morning -- 64-year-old Ken Nebesny and Livingston, also 64.

The TOTS -- young and old -- return to Udall on Monday. Game time: 9 a.m. 

Daliege takes things into his own hands in TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-over baseball

Bob Daliege, 73, is warming up for the 2021 Men's Senior Baseball League World Series, scheduled for mid October in Phoenix. Today at Udall Park, Daliege picked up the pitching victory for Team White with six solid innings of work and knocked in the winning run with an RBI double to centerfield in the bottom of the sixth for a 4-3 walk-off win over Team Blue.

Daliege was locked in a tough matchup with Team Blue's right-hander Pete Maldonado for close to two hours as both pitchers battled the excessive heat, while the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers hustled on and off the field for six innings in hopes of beating the triple digits. The temperature reached 100 degrees at high noon and the expected high for the day: a sweltering 105 at 4 p.m.

As for Daliege and three of his MSBL World Series (73-and over division) teammates -- Pigpen Price, Pete Peters and David Byars -- it's just another normal workout as they edge closer to their date in Phoenix and their first game of the prestigious annual tournament on October 25.

Also on the field of play were Tim Tolson, John Mathews and Joe Opocensky, along with the injured Bobby Long, who was on the bench today and out of action for a couple more weeks --recovering from minor arm surgery. Those four players, along with Mike Dawson, who is currently enjoying a week-long vacation in Hawaii, will play in the 65-and-over division at the MSBL World Series, scheduled for October 23-29.

Tolson and Opocensky, two hard hitting left-handers, combined for four hits and two RBI today in a losing cause for Team Blue, while Byars was one of four players to collect a hit in the top of the sixth today as Team Blue managed to tie the game 3-3, but left the bases loaded.

That left Daliege to do his thing in the bottom of the inning. Jesse Ochoa reached on an error and gave way to the pinch-runner, Mathews, who scored all the way from first base on Daliege's booming double over the head of Team Blue's centerfielder John Misiaszek.

Despite the heat,  the die-hard old-timers will close out the week at Udall with a 9 a.m. game on Friday.

Photo:  Daliege, who grabbed the pitching victory today and knocked in the winning run -- a 4-3 walk-off win for Team White.

TOTS return to action with a 6-6 tie

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers returned to Udall Park today after a 10-day layoff, which included three straight rainouts.

The boys were a little rusty as Team Blue and Team White played to a 6-6 tie. Joe Opocensky, 71, pitched for Team Blue and lefty Dennis Crowley, 71, took the mound for Team White.

Jesse Ochoa tied the game in the top of the sixth inning with a solid RBI-single to left field. With the game shortened to six innings today, Team White came to bat in the bottom of the inning, needing just one run for the win.

Newcomer John Jarboe, 65, and Doc Thompson, 79,  reached base with solid singles, but with one out Mike Steele, 73, hit a hard ground ball into a force play for the second out and that brought up Pigpen Price, 76, with a chance to be the hero.

Not!

Price took a border line pitch at the knees for a strike and then fouled off a change up from Opocensky. The next pitch sailed high and outside.  The final pitch from Opocensky nailed the outside corner and Price was called out on strikes as the game went on record as a kiss-your-sister game.

"I'm not sure about the last pitch, but Team Blue's catcher Ron Carlson thought is was a strike and the umpire Denny Leonard thought it was too. Of course, Denny has the final say," Price added.

There were plenty of players who made contact with the ball today. Team Blue had three players with three hits -- Ochoa, Opocensky and John Mathews. The trio combined for five RBI and Mathews had three doubles. Doc Thompson led Team White with a 4 for 4 day and two RBI. 

The good news for the TOTS -- they are back playing. The rain went away and the morning turned into a hot one as the temperature reached 97 degrees by the noon hour.

The TOTS return to action on Wednesday at Udall. Game time: 9 a.m.

Photo: Jesse Ochoa, 69, made it a kiss-your-sister game today at Udall with an RBI-single to tie the game at 6-6.

To sleep...perchance to dream

 Let's see if I can piece together my latest dream...

On our old-timers' baseball team we have a centerfielder -- the smilin' Bobby Long, and one of our top infielders is Pistol Pete Peters and then there's me.

In my latest dream (and there has been many lately, cool dreams, wonderful dreams...soothing dreams all of a non-violent nature) of which I attribute to a new sleeping pill. Now, this one works. It is called gabapentin and supposedly it does wonders for back pain or any nerve pain for that matter. In my case, it is used to calm you down and allow for sweet dreams. It's a very low dose. So not to worry.

Getting back to the dream, I step to the plate and collect my third hit of the game (this was the first sign I was dreaming). The ball sailed over the head of the shortstop for what I thought was a solid single. In the meantime, Bobby grabs a ball out of his pocket and throws a bullet to Peters at first base. Suddenly, I'm out by a step.

Bobby's smile turns into a full out laugh and Pistol Pete giggles. It's all in fun, of course, and I have my hit.

Later on in the dream, we all head for Johnny's Drive-in, the famous eatery in Tucson -- the teenage hangout from the 1960s. Suddenly a cloudy mist hovers over the rooftop of the restaurant and I realize I'm in a dream. I'm not in Tucson anymore and I'm certainly not in Iowa.

I'm in heaven! 

I slept comfortably the rest of the night.

Photo: The Dreamer

Weinstein -- manager of New England Red Sox in the MSBL Hall of Fame

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

We are two months away from the MSBL World Series in Phoenix. The 73-and-over New England Red Sox will be one of the teams participating and I will be on the roster, which will also include some of my teammates from the Tucson Old Timers and the Tucson Old Pueblo Club.

See below a link to a story about the manager of the team and a couple of well-known names on the roster for the 2021 MSBL 73-and-over MSBL World Series team.

Check out the link:  https://www.englishhighalumni.org/post/baseball-is-the-fountain-of-youth-for-joel-weinstein-ehs-56

Quite the story including the profile and history of Joel Weinstein, the manager of the team, also a member of the team by the name of Bill “Spaceman" Lee, who played professionally for the Boston Red Sox and the Montreal Expos -- winning a total of 119 games while in the majors and also a player on the roster named Peter Funt, an actor, producer, journalist and the son of Allen Funt of Candid Camera fame. 

You can't make this stuff up!

The 2021 MSBL New England Red Sox roster:

00    Danny "Pigpen" Price (Tucson Old Timers)

1      Bob Daliege (Tucson Old Timers)

2     Joel Weinstein (manager)

3     Mike Morales (manager of the Tucson Boys and a player)

4     Joe Jimenez (Old Pueblo Club)

8    Rene Smith

      Dick Scullary

12  Simon Bejarano (Old Pueblo Club)

16  Jack McGroarty

23  David Byars (Tucson Old Timers)

24  Peter Funt (actor, producer, journalist and son of Allen Funt, Candid Camera fame)

28  Pete Peters (Tucson Old Timers)

32  Curt Gustafson (Old Pueblo Club)

37  Bill "Spaceman" Lee (former pro pitcher, who won 119 games in the majors -- mostly with the Boston Red Sox and the Montreal Expos)

41  Joe Banner (Old Pueblo Club)

43  Ozzie Espinoza (Old Pueblo Club)

46  Philip Grajeda (Old Pueblo Club)

Photo: Tempe Diablo Stadium, the headquarters and one of the spring training facilities used for the 2021 Men's Senior Baseball League World Series. Over 4,000 players and 400 teams are expected this year and games will be played at many of the spring training facilities in Phoenix and surrounding areas like Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Goodyear and Surprise.

Step lightly

 From the desk of Dan Price

I'm an old timer and one of my rules I make sure I abide by is to walk slowly and carry a big stick.

Well, I forego the stick. Too cumbersome, yet you might find me with a coffee cup in my hand. 

There are plenty of critters out there. Although after all this record-setting rain in Tucson the past month or two, there's nothing but weeds in my neighborhood. Of course the mountains and the desert are green...plush and that's a very good sign. Yes, we need the rain. It wasn't long ago when I was forced to smell smoke on my morning walk as a stubborn and unwanted fire in the Catalina Mountains inched closer to my subdivision.

This morning, I was a 100 yards away from my first critter of the day. Or, so I thought. Moments later, I realized in was a camouflaged mask. It was flat as a pancake. Chances are the poor thing was run over by a car or two.

I thought, do I pick up the poor thing or let it rot? I mean occasionally I listen to the news and maybe I should just shoot the poor thing. Luckily, my shotgun was back at the house.

As I continued to walk, I thought to myself. What if? What if I started my own business? I'd get myself  a new van and stencil the words Danno's Mask Removal on the side of the vehicle. Maybe someone would pay me a quarter per mask. I could take the unwanted masks to the recycle center, you know next to the place you turn in aluminum cans. Push a button and receive my funds for the day.

I'm always looking for a part-time job. Not really. I'd rather go to the the ball park and play baseball.

Of course, that brings us back to the rain...and that washes away all those thoughts in my head.

Please, mask up if you need to. If not call Danno's Mask Removal before you toss your nose covering to the wind.

Should I pack up and head for Iowa?

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Should I pack my bags and head for Iowa?

This aging baseball player wants to know. After all, I'm 76 years old and have been playing baseball for most of my life. Heck! I'm older than Moonlight Graham, for goodness sake. Well, not really. As usual, bear with me on this.

All my blog readers know how I can fly off the handle at times, but I'm being serious here. I'm ready to emerge from the cornfields in Dyersville, Iowa, in my TOTS uniform. The TOTS, of course, are the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers, an amateur baseball team of which I'm now one of the elder statesmen.

Well, a middle-aged TOT anyway, according to my teammates.  The TOTS have been around since 1968. The youngest player to pass through the turnstiles at one time or another is a 60-year-old. Still is, for that matter. The oldest on the current roster is 96-year-old Floyd Lance, at one time a heck of a first baseman who could handle his position with finesse and grace -- resembling someone from his era like a Lou Gehrig or a Jimmie Foxx or even a Johnny Mize or a Hank Greenberg.

The Field of Dreams game Thursday night was a showcase, an extravaganza...simply a magical night for a baseball fan or at least a movie buff.

Maybe I'll pack just one suitcase and head for Dyersville with my glove in one hand and my baseball bat in the other, much like I did in the 1950s as a little boy when I headed off to the local park for at least a "catch" and maybe a game with the other kids in my Tucson neighborhood.

Of course, I lived in the desert. Back in the day, there was less cement in Tucson, more dirt, and nothing but cacti east of Swan Road. There were neighborhood ball fields back then with enough grass to allow for a lovely Sunday hop, but not a well-manicured emerald green ball field with a cornfield surrounding the outfield and beautiful two-story farmhouses at the end of every block.

No stranger ever came to me and said: 'Is this Iowa."Or asked.  'If this was heaven?' as a tumbleweed blew by, followed by a twister...I mean a dust devil.

A twister may show up in Iowa in the cornfields, but at least Thursday night, that wasn't the case as the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees 9-8 in the first Major League game ever played in Iowa.

The farmhouse used in the movie Field of Dreams is still at the top of the hill. The owner is gone after selling out to a corporation in 2012. One hundred thousand or more baseball fans and non-baseball fans visit the site year around as the corporation sees to it the farmhouse and the surrounding property continue to look just like it did in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, and Burt Lancaster.

Baseball is part of all of us. It has stood the test of time.

Maybe, I'm exaggerating. Life is tough. So much of the world is in turmoil, and yes, to be honest, there are many out there who could care less about America's Favorite Pastime. Thank goodness I'm not one of them.

It's just a game. A game of strategy. A game of failure, just as much as success. Bat four times, get one hit, and someday, you'll find yourself in the majors. Just ask the current major league players who battle every season to stay above the Mendoza Line. A diehard baseball fan knows what that is. I'll save that story for another day.

As for me, I doubt that I'll ever become a resident of Dyersville, Iowa. But, someday soon, just maybe, I'll take a trip there, pull up to the farmhouse, and sit on the porch swing like the characters did in the Field of Dreams. I'll look out over the Iowa landscape and realize I'm not a little boy anymore.

Chances are that may never happen, mainly if the virus stays with us for much longer, but someday, there is a chance, say in the year 2060, I will emerge from the cornfields...with my current teammates on the TOTS looking for a "catch" or maybe a game. 

.

A nail biter at Udall today

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Let's call it the TOTS game of the month.

Just in case the raindrops keep falling the rest of the month.

Rain is in the forecast for the next seven days, but the TOTS did get a "good one" in today at Udall Park -- a real nail biter as Team Blue escaped with a 8-7 win over Team White in a 60-and-over baseball game.

The rain stayed away for a few hours, allowing the field to dry just enough to get an official game in today as two hard-throwing right-handers took the mound -- Mike Dawson for Team Blue and Ernesto Escala for Team White.

There was a lot to like about this one. The play of the day came in the fourth inning when Team White's right fielder David Hurley nailed the fleet-footed Pete Peters at first base, after Peters had drilled a hard shot to Hurley, a bang-bang 9-3 putout.

By the time the bottom of the seventh inning rolled around, Team Blue owned an 8-3 lead and Dawson needed just three outs for the win, but Team White loaded the bases and scored four runs -- including RBI-singles from Ernesto Escala, Joe Opocensky and Reed Palmer.

Unfortunately for Team White, Palmer's hit resulted in a relay throw from right fielder Jimmy Kinion to Dawson to Peters, at third base, for the final out of the game. Peters tagged out Escala, who represented the tying run.

The TOTS hope to be back in action at Udall on Monday. Weather permitting.

A dog named Wrigley

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

 

Dave Byars, 73, has been a member of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) since 2017, and like most of the members of the amateur baseball organization, Dave can be found on the ball field three days a week at Udall Park playing America's Favorite Pastime. 

When Dave is not playing baseball, chances are he's shuffling grandchildren around town or he's taking care of matters at home along with his wife, Nancy, who recently retired from the phone company.

Recently they lost their dog, Lakota. The Byars inherited Lakota seven years ago from a family who had named him after the Native American Sioux Indian tribe -- the tribe that took down Custer and his calvary.

Dave isn't sure why the family settled on the name Lakota, but Dave and Nancy loved the name and didn't consider changing it. Lakota became a big part of the Byars' family.

There was now a big spot to fill in the Byars' home. It didn't take long for a visit to the Pima Animal Control Center and a sleepy-eyed, black and white fury little thing, less than a year old, entered the Byars'  home for the first time.

Of course, this time Dave and Nancy would need to come up with a name. This dog surely didn't come from anyone with an Indian tribe connection and besides they had a special name in mind.

Luckily, Nancy was from Chicago and a Cubs fan, while Dave, a Tucson boy who just happened to be an Ernie Banks fan -- the Hall of Fame infielder who played for the Cubs from 1953 to 1971.

Well,  I guess Ernie was out of the question for a name.

So, they named the new addition, Wrigley, after Wrigley Field, of course.

Someday soon, Dave and Nancy will add another four-legged critter to their home.

Want to take a guess at a name? You'll probably never guess.

"Fenway."

The Byars' family must have a story behind that one, too.

Photos: Dave Byars in action at Udall…and Wrigley at Udall Park today.

Billy's Victory is still out there...

 Field of Dreams

My book: Billy's Victory

Tonight in the cornfields of Iowa we see why so many athletes play baseball for the love of the game.

The Yankees and the White Sox.

Enjoy.

"They will come, Ray. They will definitely come."

I wrote a story many years ago about a young boy's dream to play in the majors. The book is entitled Billy's Victory and is still available on Amazon Kindle. In paperback, too.

"We can certainly dream, Ray. We all can certainly dream." -- Dan Price

The Aging TOTS

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Are the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers getting older?

The amateur baseball organization has been around since 1968 and players in their 60s, 70s, 80s and even in their 90s have come and gone. Each one of them leaving their footprint -- their mark on the field of play. Legends of the game like Brad Tolson (photo below), now 92, who recently celebrated his 70th wedding anniversary in Tucson with his wife, Alice, and the organizations's numero uno scorekeeper Mal Zwolinski, who turns 84 in October and continues to pencil in all the runs, hits and errors every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from the dugout at Udall Park.

The TOTS have lost "a few good men" over the years. In recent times the TOTS have said their goodbyes to Clarence Fieber, Ed Rife, Dick McAnally, Jerry Smarik, Bobby Katz, Jim Pagels, Conrad Royskund, Carl Brutovsky, Chico Bigham, Don Wood and Mort Adkins -- all players who played two decades or more for the organization.

They were the heart of the Tucson Old Timers at one time or another.

Many more have retired from the field of play, but now grab their blue and white TOTS' hat and show up,  take a seat in the stands and cheer on their fellow TOTS. Men like Art Radtke, 83, Denny Heath, 85, Richard McCorkle, 88, Ed Seelbinder, 75, Eddie Eckert, 81, and Archie Burke, who turns 89 in September.

The TOTS even have an umpire corps -- three former players Denny Leonard, 84, Robert Royer, 84 and Jerry Hamelin, 81. They take their share of jibes and may be accused of having poor eyesight. Of course, everyone on the field has probably had cataract surgery at one time or another. 

The TOTS oldest players -- Billy Heiny, who turned 92 on August 5, 2021, and Floyd Lance, who turns 96 in September -- may show up at anytime, find themselves in the starting lineup and take their cuts (Billy actually played in two games and recorded three at bats in June).

The above are just a few of the 250 players who have logged their share of at bats, drilled their share of singles and even hit a few dingers over the fence since the organization began play at Himmel Park in 1968.

On the field at Udall Park the games continue three days a week with a new flock of players -- some are  newcomers, some are rookies and some are settling in with the realization they are now a middle aged TOT -- the ones who need to renew their driver's license every five years and could be labeled a Silver Sneaker. No way! They are a member of the TOTS and they wear baseball shoes and swing aluminum bats (wood, too!).

The coronavirus the past 16 months has put a dent into the active TOTS' roster. Most of the players who take the field regularly are between the ages of 63 to 79. The young men between 63 and 69 battle right along with the 70-somethings. At times, it's hard to distinguish the difference in their age. At this point each player is busy trying to get the other man out and win the game. No one cares how old you are.

In fact, there may come a time in the near future when the 60-year-olds take on the 70-year-olds for bragging rights.

This summer, the oldest active player to take the field has been Doc Thompson, who turns 79 on August 18, and is one of the top pitchers on the club, while the second oldest is 76-year-old Danny "Pigpen" Price. The 70-somethings could field a competitive lineup with the likes of Mike Steele, 73, David Byars, 73, Bobby Daliege, 73, Pete Peters, 72,  Joe Opocensky, 71, Ron Carlson, 74, Miguel Urtaza, 79, Bobby Stofft, 82, Dennis Crowley, 71, Ted Davis, 70, John Misiaszek, 72, Danny Boxberger, 70, Brad Vermeer, 70, Brack Whitaker, 75, and Rob Morse, 74.

But then again.

The youngsters are pretty good, too. Relatively speaking, the 60-somethings can take the field with the likes of pitchers Mike Dawson, Pete Maldonado and Ernesto Escala; catchers Ron Ryan and Roger Beebe; infielders John Mathews, Tim Tolson, Jesse Ochoa, Ray Garcia and Rick Bitzer; outfielders Ken Nebesny, Reed Palmer, Tim Boyd, Bobby Long, Randy Livingston, David Hurley and Greg Seader.

All of the above are a group of guys who play for the love of the game. This author may have missed a few names. I apologize for that.  The TOTS have 50 players on the roster, but this year, due to the coronavirus, the excessive heat and an abnormal monsoon, has limited the turnout to 27 to 30 players this summer. Still, a good turnout, if you take everything that has been thrown their way into account.

The TOTS are getting older.  Undoubtedly, there are a few 59 year olds out there chomping at the bit to turn 60 and play for the best amateur baseball organization in Tucson. The best baseball club in the state of Arizona, or the country for that matter.

Go, TOTS!

Thompson, Byars lead Team Blue to 5-2 TOTS' win

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Doc Thompson, who turns 79 next week, broke open a 2-2 ball game with a perfect bunt down the first baseline to score the go ahead run in the top of the fifth inning and David Byars, 73,  followed with an RBI-single to centerfield as Team Blue went on to a hard-fought 5-2 win over Team White today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

It was another pitching duel as right-hander Joe Opocensky started for Team White and left-hander Dennis Crowley took the mound for Team Blue. As it turns out the Team Blue batters found just enough holes to get the job done, while Team White hit the ball hard but could muster up just two runs.

Opocensky, 71, has been stacking up the pitching victories in recent weeks, but not today as Crowley, 71, held on for the win.

The TOTS hope to complete the week with games on Wednesday and Friday at Udall, but the rainy weather is expected to put a damper on the old-timers. The rain came late this morning and the game was suspended in the bottom of the sixth.

Game time 9 a.m. for both games.

Photos: 1) Thompson 2) Byars

TOTS limited to 3 games in July

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Nebesny hits leader in July

Opocensky top pitcher

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers continue to sputter along. If it's not the coronavirus, it's a heat wave or for the month of July it turned out to be rainouts as the Old Pueblo was hit with daily thunderstorms.

Udall Park, the home of the TOTS, was underwater for the most of July --- only three official games were played.. The most at bats and hits were by Ken Nebesny, who went 6 for 12 to lead the 27 players who saw action for the month. Joe Opocensky led the club with just four RBI. Roger Beebe went 5 for 10 and also batted .500 during the month.

Slim pickings for the stat sheet.

Opocensky was the pitching star for the month. He won two of the three games.

Rain totals: a record-setting nine inches. The most rain in Tucson for a July since Arizona became a state. Well, I might be wrong about that, but the most rain for a month was close to eight inches, recorded in August of 1955.

I remember that month! I was 10 years old and my Little League game was rained out.

Now we are four days into August and the TOTS have two games in the books -- a 9-8 win by Team Blue on Monday and a 9-1 win by Team White today.

In Monday's game, Team Blue's Tim Tolson went 4 for 4 to lead a 19-hit attack, while Bobby Long and Jimmy Kinion collected three hits apiece for Team White.

In Wednesday's game, Pete Peters, Tim Tolson, Bob Long and Dave Byars went 3 for 4 and drove in five of the nine runs to lead a 17-hit attack, while right-hander Mike Dawson allowed Team Blue just one run. Dawson picked up the pitching victories on Monday and Wednesday.

Weather permitting, the TOTS will be back in action on Friday at Udall for their third game of the week. The fun begins at 9 a.m.

A stressful day at the ER

 My stressful visit to the ER

After avoiding hospitals for 16 months, I found myself in an ambulance and on my way to the ER at the Tucson Medical Center yesterday. Another dehydration, and heart-related scare.

Nine inches of rain fell in July in my neighborhood and at the ball field where I normally play baseball three days a week, year in and year out. In fact, we had so many rainouts in July, my teammates, a bunch of old-timers between the age of 60 to 80, were starting to have withdrawals -- anxiety, if you will, with the possibility of being forced to learn how to play the game of baseball all over again.

Not to worry. It's like riding a bike. How can you forget the game when you've played America's Pastime for more than 70 years?

Of course, our first day back was Monday, August 2 -- a sticky morning and a tough day to breathe normally, especially if you have a medical history like mine. Did I mention the lack of enough water yet?

Well, after five innings on the field and three at-bats, I began to fade.

It wasn't long before I heard the sound of an ambulance heading my way.

Fast forward, to the ER and the fun began.

"Put him in 31!"

Up next: the IV.

Three bottles of fluids later, three blood withdrawals, and nine hours on my back with nothing to listen to but the turmoil outside of my room, I started humming the Animals' tune: "We got to get out of this place!"

Not so fast, I have a lot of reporting to do. I mean my door was always open, except for one precious moment. I'll get to that later. I felt so sorry for the doctors and the nurses. I wanted to hide under the bed. Of course, that was impossible. I was hooked up to the wall like a lamp!

Let's see: The poor old lady next to me was in the middle stages of Alzheimer's. Her son was trying to explain a recent trip she had with Charles Bonnet Syndrome (my mother dealt with that...not fun). Among other things, the eyes do tricks on you and you might see little people in the ceiling fan above you. In the entrance to the room to the right, the nurses were scurrying around tossing on extra protective gear. 

"Remember she just tested positive for Covid." The door slammed shut.

Getting back to my room, my temporary pad, if you will. It seemed like I was alone in my thoughts for hours at a time. After all, there were sicker people around me. I was just a 76-year-old baseball player who didn't have enough sense to stay out of the rain. I mean sun. I'm getting my days mixed up.

"Your potassium levels are abnormal. If we can't get them down, we may have to admit you."

"More oxygen please!"

It turns out I was having breathing problems. "We'd like to have you around 95 to 97."

"Okay. Let's do it."

The nurse then brings in a jug. I mean an elongated apparatus. "We want you to urinate into this as much as you can and then transfer a sample into this cup and seal it."

All while on my back of course with that troublesome IV in my left arm and my chest full of wires that looked more like the interstate system in downtown Los Angeles.

"Could you please close the door?"

Mission accomplished. I put the jug on the little nightstand next to me and grabbed a sip of water.

An hour later, I dropped my phone on the floor. I could barely reach it and needed a stick or something to move the phone over a foot or two. So, I grabbed the jug, made sure the cap was snug, and reached down and moved the phone just enough so I could grab it. Success. Life at the ER at its best.

By nightfall, the doctor arrived. "You're good to go. Here's your paperwork and be sure to make an appointment with your cardiologist."

At this point, my significant other, Susie Q, is afraid to enter the ER. I don't blame her. 

On my way out, I walked toward a couple who were holding hands and sitting on a bench near the entrance to the hospital.  They yelled out: "Don't come near us. We just tested positive for Covid."

Sue arrived. I looked up, tipped my mask toward the entrance of Tucson Medical Center, and said my goodbyes.

A million thanks to everyone who helped me return to normalcy.

Whatever normal is these days. 

Giants still running The Show

 Major League Baseball

With 102 games in the books and 60 more regular season games to go, the San Francisco Giants are still leading the major league teams with 64 wins and 38 losses -- a .627 winning percentage.

A serious contender and now they have Kris Bryant (photo above).

The usual suspects follow close behind. The LA Dodgers at 64-43, the San Diego Padres at 61-47, the Tampa Bay Rays at 64-42, the Boston Red Sox at 63-44 and the Houston Astros at 64-42.

Add the New York Yankees to the mix at 56-48, the San Diego Padres at 61-47, the New York Mets at 55-49 and the Milwaukee Brewers at 63-43. 

There you have it. There's a winner among the above, a World Champion for 2021.

Should be fun as we head down the stretch.

On the other end, some teams are in for a grueling finish.

Our poor Arizona Diamondbacks are at 33-73, the Texas Rangers at 38-67 and the Baltimore Orioles at 37-67.

My goodness, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

If -- and it is a big if -- the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers take the field at Udall Park tomorrow, it'll seem like spring training all over again.

After all, the amateur baseball club played just three games in July. The cause: a record-setting month of rain with over eight inches of raindrops in and around the Tucson area. The late crooner B.J Thomas released his hit song Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my Head back in 1969. The TOTS organization was just a year old back then.

The TOTS are trying desperately to complete its 54th season. Of course, the coronavirus has played havoc with the TOTS' scheduling of games the past 16 months and now the lyrics from the Thomas hit song continues to pound through the noggin of the old-timers, bringing tears to their eyes instead of raindrops.

For goodness sakes, let's play ball!

It's time for "the boys of summer" to step to the plate and start swinging the lumber again.

Game time Monday -- August 2, 2021 -- 9 a.m.