Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)
60-and-over baseball
So many Tucson Old Timers pitching statistics from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and even the first 19 years of the 21st Century are lost, probably blowing in the wind at some Tucson landfill. The TOTS' shed, better known as Chico's Place, was cleaned out, and all the archive books from the past disappeared to make room for more tools and equipment to maintain our beautiful home field at Udall Park.
As the TOTS club historian, I was able to save the modern-day era, so to speak, from 2020 to 2024—five years of individual games pitched, innings pitched, strikeouts, and won-loss records, which I condensed into readable form with the help of our TOTS statistician Mike Steele.
That will have to suffice for now.
In the last five years, the majority of the pitchers who have toed the rubber at Udall Park include 11 right-handers -- Mike Dawson, Joe Opocensky, Randy Livingston, Reed Palmer, Ernesto Escala, Jon Beady, Bob Daliege, Pete Maldonado, Martin Pelger, Mark Rupert, and Glen Vann and one lefty Dennis Crowley.
Those 'dirty dozen' have one thing in common: they throw strikes, a must for a TOTS' seven-inning game, known to last upwards of two-and-a-half hours...maybe three hours at times.
Here are the stats for our top hurlers. And we thank them for their service. After all, without them and our hard-working catchers, we wouldn't have a game.
As an added little gem, I would like to make it a baker's dozen and add Gary Cuttler, 69, who is out of action with complications from a back operation and is back in New Jersey, or better yet, traveling the countryside and enjoying life.
Cuttler, one of the TOTS' most promising, hard-throwing right-handers, played in just 10 games but turned in an impressive 47 innings, posting a 4-3 record with 28 strikeouts.
Mike Dawson has been the 'workhorse' on the mound at Udall for the past five years.
Actually, he ran the table in games played (189), innings pitched (1,108), and strikeouts earned (331) while maintaining an 89-64 won-loss record.
Dawson is a local boy. He went to Santa Rita High School, just a few miles south of Udall. It was a long time ago, but at 69, he's doing just what he did in high school: play baseball.
Opocensky, at 74, is a few years older than Dawson, but he's one of the TOTS' most consistent pitchers.
Often referred to as "Opie," Opocensky has pitched in 142 games and logged 902 innings in the past five years. Joe has struck out 195 batters and held a won-loss record of 52-62.
Third in innings pitched is Bob Daliege, 76, with 128 games and 753 innings pitched. He has struck out 177 and maintained a 48-57 record.
Next in line in innings pitched is Pete Maldonado,72, who has played in 121 games, pitched 708 innings, and struck out 142 batters while winning 56 games and losing 41. The hard-throwing Reed Palmer, 68, is next with 105 games, 666 innings pitched, 289 K's, and an impressive 56-31 record.
Next up is the curveball expert, 67-year-old Randy Livingston, with 85 games in the books, 528 innings, 211 strikeouts, and a won-loss record of 33-31.
The balance of the 'dirty dozen' include Ernesto Escala, 72 (93 games, 455 innings, 155 K's, and a record of 27-38), Jon Beady, 63 (41 games, 206 innings, 141 strikeouts, and a 19-13 record), Glen Vann, 71, (41 games, 169 innings, 95 strikeouts, and a 12-9 record), Mark Rupert, 72, (48 games, 240 innings, 51 strikeouts, and 13-24 record, Martin Pelger (16 games, 81 innings, 22 strikeouts, and a 7-4 record)) and, of course, our 75-year-old lefty Dennis Crowley (29 games, 146 innings, 37 strikeouts, and a 14-10 record).
The men on the mound for the TOTS...
Mike Dawson
Joe Opocensky
Randy Livingston
Reed Palmer
Ernesto Escala
Jon Beady
Bob Daliege
Pete Maldonado
Martin Pelger
Mark Rupert
Glen Vann
Dennis Crowley
And the baker's dozen...
Gary Cuttler
Way to go, TOTS' pitchers. We need you!
