Barzell, Peters, Palmer top hitters for TOTS in October

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

With many of the Tucson Old Timers out of town in October, participating in the MSBL World Series, two players -- Billy Heiny and Reed Palmer -- stuck around and played in 10 games for the TOTS.

Heiny, 86, led all the 80-somethings with five hits in 23 trips to the plate -- a .217 average. Heiny also walked 11 times and added a sacrifice bunt to his stats. As for Reed, 60, the TOTS' new power hitter, he went 16 for 31 with eight doubles and the club lead in RBI with 15. Reed's .516 batting average was good enough for fourth among all the averages on the TOTS. Lloyd Barzell led the way in hits with 17 in 24 at bats, a hefty .708 batting average, to go along with 13 runs scored -- the most runs by a TOT for the month.

Other top hitters (with 15 or more hits), include Tim Tolson (15 for 27, a .556 average), Pete Peters (16 for 30, a .533 average) and Roger Beebe (15 for 30, a .500 average).

Photo: Reed Palmer (top photo) connecting on one of his eight doubles during the month of October. Palmer also led the TOTS in RBI for the month with 15. (bottom photo) Billy Heiny, at the plate, led all the 80-and-over somethings in October with a .217 average.

77-minute game a dandy

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Most baseball games these days last three to four hours.

Today at Udall, the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers completed a seven-inning game at Udall Park in 77 minutes. It was a pitching duel from the get go as Team White's Lloyd Barzell and Team Blue's Pete Maldonado breezed through 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball.

In the end, a bobble at second base in the bottom of the seventh inning led to a 1-0 victory for Team White. With the bases loaded, Tim Boyd scored from third on a hard hit ball off the bat of Jesse Ochoa when the ball bounced away from 86-year-old second baseman Billy Heiny.

Heiny, the oldest player on the field, tried his best to glove the ball and start a double play, but the ball  trickled away from the "ole second-sacker" and the fleet-footed Boyd scampered home with the only run of the game.

Both teams played well defensively and it was a tough loss for Maldonado and Team Blue. As for Heiny, he shook his head and commented, "I blew it."

Heiny's teammates tried to console Heiny in the dugout after the game, many of them patted him on the back. After all, Heiny had just given his best effort on the field of play at the age of 86. Heiny is a trooper. He seldom misses a game.

And you can bet Billy will be back at Udall on Wednesday and try it again. Because that's what all the players on the TOTS do. They show up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and play the game of baseball. It makes no difference what the final score happens to be or which player boots the ball and makes an error.

The TOTS vary in age from 60 to 91. Chances are the players will lose track in the next 48 hours of which team won the game, much less remember who knocked in the winning run or made the error.

What they'll remember, though, is the fact there's an 86-year-old teammate on the field doing his level best to make the play.

Way to go, Billy! We'll see you on Wednesday.

Photo: Billy Heiny

Basketball season awaits the "Magnificent Seven"

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats open the 2016-17 basketball season Friday in Honolulu with seven scholarship players.

I'll give them a name: The Magnificent Seven.

They will have to be magnificent if the Wildcats expect to roll through the non-conference schedule, starting with Michigan State,  followed by a grueling Pac-12 Conference schedule, followed by a Pac-12 Tournament and lastly, the pressure cooker of them all -- the  NCAA tournament. If Arizona can make it through that maze and still be standing, then they will be truly magnificent.

The loss of Ray Smith to injury, Allonzo Trier to (whatever?) and Chance Comanche (grades) will definitely put a hamper on things. If there's a chance for Chance to come back, that will help.  Don't look for Trier to be back...not this year...maybe not ever. The next time we see Trier on the court, he'll probably be wearing a NBA uniform.

The "magnificent seven" are talented, don't get me wrong. Any further injuries, any foul problems at all, more issues with "grades" or whatever black cloud decides to continue to follow our Wildcats, will not be good for this team. I'm praying for the rotating seven -- Lauri Markkanan, Dusan Ristic, Kadeem Allen, Kobi Simmons, Kneau Pinder, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Rawle Alkins -- to hang tough and get it done.

With two exhibition games in the books, the season begins on Friday.

Go, Wildcats!

"I really hate to post the score" -- a diehard Wildcat fan

Arizona Wildcats Football


"I really hate to post the score" -- a diehard Wildcat fan.

But, here goes.

Washington State   69  Arizona  7


The Arizona Wildcats lose in Pullman today.

Arizona falls to 2-7 overall and 0-6 in the Pac-12 Conference.

That's six losses in a row for my Wildcats.

Up next: Colorado at home next Saturday.

I feel sorry for the boys.

Cubs win! Cubs win!

MLB 2016 World Series

Ben Zobrist and former Arizona Diamondback Miguel Montero knocked in runs in the top of the 10th inning and the Chicago Cubs went on to beat the Indians 8-7 in Cleveland tonight to win Game 7 and capture the World Series -- the first Fall Classic title for the organization since 1908.

Way to go, Miguel!  We sure miss you.

The Cubs led 5-1, found themselves tied 6-6 in the eighth and won the game after a short rain delay in a wild and crazy extra inning, thanks to the key hits from Zobrist and Montero.

Despite giving up two runs in the eighth, hard-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman gets the win. Michael Montgomery pitches to one batter and gets the save. The final out: a 5-3 putout.

Great series. Way to go, Cubs!

4-run 7th inning lifts Team Blue to 5-4 win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Alan Rasmussen beat out a bunt to start the top of the seventh inning and Team Blue put together a four-run rally to come from behind and beat Team White 5-4 today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Team White held the lead all the way to the final inning, thanks in part to singles in the bottom of the first by Dennis Crowley and Lloyd Barzell. Both runners scored to give Team White a 2-0 lead.

Bob Daliege pitched all seven innings for Team Blue and picked up the win, while Arnie "The Montana Kid" White pitched a complete game for Team White and took the loss.

Team White tried to pull the game out in the bottom of the seventh when Crowley, who went 3 for 3 today, reached base safely along with Barzell. With runners at the corners and two outs, White tried to help his own cause, but he grounded out to shortstop Tim Boyd, who stepped on second for the final out of the game.

The TOTS will back in action on Friday. Game time 10 a.m.

Photos: (top) Alan Rasmussen. His bunt single in the last inning led to a come-from-behind win for Team Blue. (bottom photo) Dennis Crowley. He went 3 for 3 with a walk today for Team White.

Cubs extend World Series to 7th game

MLB 2016 World Series

The Chicago Cubs scored three runs in the first inning -- highlighted by a home run from Kris Bryant, and went on to win Game 6 in Cleveland tonight 9-3 over the Indians to tie the World Series at 3-3.

Before the dust had settled, Addison Russell added a grand slam homer in the third inning and Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run shot in the ninth. Russell, who also doubled, finished the night with six RBI, while Bryant had four hits.

Jake Arrieta goes 5 2/3 and gets the win.

Buckle up! It's time for Game 7.