'I'm back'

I'm pulling a Brett Favre.

I guess Arnold's favorite line from one of his action-packed thrillers sums it up.

"I'm back.'

I stayed away from baseball for 28 days. I miss the field of play. I miss my teammates. I can't exist without playing America's Favorite Pastime with my buddies at Udall Park every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 

I'm batting a cool .207 since my return to the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers. It's a bit scary at times. I played my favorite position the other day -- the hot corner. I hadn't seen a fly ball since late March. And wouldn't you know it, our young 61-year-old new home run hitter Jon Beady stepped to the plate.

My teammates yelled, 'Back up!'

Beady swung. He didn't quite square up a Randy Livingston curveball but sent a towering flyball in my direction. I took five steps into foul territory and waited for what we refer to on the TOTS as a major-league popup.

At first, the shadowy oval looked like a plane, then a bird, and finally turned into a baseball as the ball crashed into my 20-year-old Rawlings' mitt. I smiled and walked off the field. I could hear the jawing from my teammates in the dugout.

Boy! It's good to be back.