The TOTS' Albuquerque connection

 From the desk of Dan Price

I look back on my fifteen seasons with the greatest amateur baseball organization in the world -- the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers --and it still amazes me the talent that passes through our turnstiles, so to speak.

They come and they go. They all have one thing in common as each one of them sign up, pay their yearly dues, order a uniform and attach a blue and white TOTS' hat to their noggin'.

And that is: each and everyone of them play for the love of  the game -- a never ending desire to play baseball for as long as they can.

I plead guilty to all of the above.

I thought for a split second last winter that I might say goodbye to the game. I took a few months off. I even relocated. I thought all the injuries I had suffered through since 2008 had finally taken its toll.

I simply couldn't stay away.  I wanted it all back: the crawling out of bed on game day, the trip to the ball park, stepping onto the field of play, stepping into the batter's box. I've done all of that so many times  -- over 1,100 games with the TOTS, 3,600 at bats and counting, while closing in on 1,500 career hits.

How does a diehard ball player call it quits? How does he walk away from the game, especially when he lives a mile away from Udall Park and can hear the crack of the bat every Monday, Wednesday and Friday?

My teammates are there! What am I missing? Will I miss an old-timer turning a triple into a single? Will I miss a 70-year old make the catch of the day? Will I miss a 65-year-old pitcher handle a come-backer and throw the runner out at first? Will I miss the jawing...the ribbing in the dugout and the camaraderie  before, during and after the game?

Sure I would. I would miss it all!

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers: the best game in town.

The Albuquerque Connection -- TOTS in the Spotlight

Two newcomers Larry "Wild Thing" Abramson 

(top photo) and Mark "Sparky" Rupert (bottom photo) hail from Albuquerque, New Mexico and both players are in their first full season with the TOTS.

They both are fitting in nicely.

Abramson, a 68-year-old right-hander who loves to pitch, joined the club three months ago and has already pitched in 13 games and owns a 5-6 record -- including a 5-2 win on Friday (July 8) when he pitched six scoreless innings before giving up two runs in the seventh.

Rupert, 69, has quickly moved up the ladder in the lineup and already finds himself batting in the leadoff spot. Mark is in his eighth month with the club and he carved out his best month with the TOTS in May when he went 24 for 38, a .632 batting average.