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!.