The triple-digit men -- 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Triple-digit men shine in unofficial game at Udall

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers, an organized amateur baseball team, play three days a week at Udall Park.

The clock is always ticking as the diehard regulars, ranging in age currently from 61 to 77, find their way to the ball park for early-morning games year around -- in the winter the first pitch is at 10 AM and during the grueling hot summer days, it's an 8:30 AM start with hopes of avoided those unforgiving triple-digit temperatures.

Today at Udall was a perfect example as the last pitch of the day and the temperature colliding at 100 degrees. Today's game went down as an unofficial game -- only sixteen TOTS' players braved the heat for this one with two players volunteering to play defense only.

Old-timers can adapt -- heck they all have spent their lifetimes adjusting to all kinds of situations. Figuring out how to get in a game of baseball is a piece of cake. Two men -- 72-year-old Dennis Crowley would play second base for both teams, while 74-year-old David Byars would do double duty at first base.

That filled all nine spots on the field for each team. The TOTS normally play their games with four outfielders, but not today as three players for each team would be forced to cover the wide open spaces.

In short, the hitters would have the advantage today. With only three defenders in the outfield, it was no-man's land in the gaps in left center and right center field. All eight players on each side garnered hits, but the pitchers of record-- Ernesto Escala, 70, for Team Blue and Joe Opocensky, 72, for Team White, held their own and got the job done as they toed the rubber in the two-hour game, which went down to the wire and a 11-8 win for Team White.

It also gave the pitchers the time to work on some new pitches. "It gave me a chance to work on my slider," said the hard-throwing Escala, who took the unofficial loss today.

The big hitters this morning turned out to be Escala, Tim Tolson, Pete Peters and Mark Rupert for Team Blue, while Opocensky, Pigpen Price and Bob Daliege for Team White knocked in their share of runs with multiple extra-base hits -- taking full advantage of the wide open spaces in the outfield.

"That was my first multiple hit game in a while, said Price, 77, the oldest codger on the field of play today. "Too bad it was an unofficial game!"

Rounding out the triple-digit men today were Pete Maldonado, Jesse Ochoa, Ken Nebesny, Brack Whitaker, JB Bulawin, Rob Morse and Frank Garcia.

Chances are there will be some ribbing going on in the dugout at the game on Wednesday at Udall.

The triple-digit men will be asking Monday's no-shows, "Where were you guys?"

The TOTS are on a pace to play 145 games this season. Officially, that is.

Go, TOTS!