Opie led all TOTS' at the plate, on the mound in August

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-an-over baseball

Not this Opie...

Some call him "The Big O, others on the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) refer to him has Opie, but his real name is Joe Opocensky.

He's certainly not an Opie Taylor look a like and it has never been documented that the actor-director Ron Howard, now 68, ever played baseball, amateur or professionally.

But as for Opocensky, 72, he certainly can play the game as he led the TOTS during the month of August in hitting and pitching.  

This Opie...

Opocensky stepped to the plate 38 times and banged out 19 hits during the month for a blistering .576 average. He scored eight runs and was second on the club in RBI with 12. On the mound, he posted a 4-1 record to lead all TOTS' pitchers. Opie, aka Joe O, hurled 33 innings, struck out six and walked eight.

Reed Palmer, 66, who hit his 100th career home run for the organization in August, won the RBI battle with 13.

Other top hitters for the month included Bob Daliege (18 for 36, a .500 average) and Mike Dawson (18 for  27, a healthy .667 average). Palmer finished the month 12 for 27, a .444 average. Also with a dozen hits for the month: Mark Rupert (12 for 33), Ron Ryan (12 for 19) and Ken Nebesny (12 for 26).

As a club, the TOTS collected 240 hits in 594 total at bats -- a .404 batting average. Ten pitchers toed the rubber in August and 36 players took their cuts and played the field.

Way to go, TOTS!