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.