Palmer hits 21st homer

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Lefty Reed Palmer blasted his 21st home run of the season and Team White edged Team Blue 11-9 at Udall Park this morning in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Palmer set the club's single-season home run record in 2017 with 21 and now, with four months left in the 2018 season, needs just one more round-tripper to break his own record.

Today, Team White scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to turn an 8-7 deficit into a 11-8 advantage. Team Blue picked up a run in the top of the sixth, but that was all they could muster as lefty John Mathews picked up the pitching victory, while Team Blue's right-hander Pete Maldonado was saddled with the loss.

The humid weather continues and the TOTS continue their play despite the hot weather with a  9 a.m. game on Friday at Udall and finish off the month of August with three games next week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Photo: Reed Palmer

Team White rally falls short

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Team Blue jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and then held off Team White for the next six innings for a 7-5 win in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game today at Udall Park.

Reed Palmer highlighted a four-run first inning by Team Blue with a three-run homer -- his 20th of the season. Team Blue added three more runs down the stretch, but Team White fought back in every inning and had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the sixth.

Down 7-5 with two outs, Pigpen Price reached on a fielder's choice play and Mike Dawson followed with an opposite-field double, putting runners at second and third. Team White's next batter was the hard-hitting lefty Tim Tolson.

The Team Blue outfielders shifted to the right side of the field, leaving only Ken Nebesny in left-center field. Tolson hit the next outside pitch from Pete Maldonado to left field, but Nebesny camped under the ball at the warning track for the final out of the game.

Mike Dawson pitched well for Team White, but Palmer's first-inning homer was just too much to overcome. Palmer needs one more home run to tie the all-time club record of 21 and just two more homers to establish a new club record. Palmer established the record in 2017. Chances are good the club record will fall soon. It's still August and the TOTS' 2018 season ends on December 31.

Palmer and the TOTS are back in action on Monday at Udall Park. Game time: 9 AM.

Aces play tough down the strech in 6-3 win

60-and-over Tucson Aces

Senior baseball


The 60-and-over Tucson Aces played all seven innings without making an error and right-hander Reed Palmer went the distance in a 6-3 win today at Udall Park over the visiting Old Pueblo Club.

Old Pueblo took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI-single by Bobby Long, but the lead was short lived as the Aces picked up a run in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch and scored another run on a sacrifice fly by John Mathews to take a 4-3 lead.

The Aces added an insurance run in the fifth on an RBI-single to center by Dennis Crowley and added another run in the sixth on a single to right field by Tim Tolson.

The Aces turned two doubles plays during the game and Palmer clamped down on the Old Pueblo Club batters in the final two innings.

The 60-and-over Aces today:

C -- Pete Peters

P -- Reed Palmer

1B- Tim Tolson

2B- Pigpen Price and Bill Mishler (shared)

3B- Joe Opocensky

SS- Lloyd Barzell

LF- John Mathews

LC- Mike Dawson

RC- Dennis Crowley

RF- Ron Ryan and Ken Nebesny (shared)

Diamondbacks head for Texas with a one-game lead in NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Arizona Diamondbacks (65-54) hit five homers today to beat the Reds in Cincinnati 9-2 and head for Texas for a Monday night matchup with the Rangers and a one-game lead in the NL West.

Arizona wins 1 of 3 in Cincinnati, but the second-place LA Dodgers (64-55) have lost three in a row -- including a 4-3 loss today at Colorado to the Rockies (63-55).

Paul Goldschmidt hit two homers today, while Dennis Descalso, Eduardo Escobar and David Peralta also homered. Zack Godley picked up the win to improve to 13-6.

Zack Grienke (12-6) takes the mound for the Diamondbacks on Monday night in Arlington.

Palmer hits No. 19

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Lloyd Barzell went 4 for 4 and right-hander Pete Maldonado went the distance to pick up the win today at Udall Park as Team White rolled over Team Blue 9-3 in a 60-and-over baseball game.

Jesse Ochoa and John Mathews chipped in three hits apiece for the winners, while Team Blue's Reed Palmer blasted a solo home run, his 19th of the season. Palmer edges closer to the club's home run record of 21, set last year by the hard-hitting lefty.

The TOTS return to action on Monday at Udall. Game time: 9 a.m.

July a big month at the plate for Mathews, Barzell

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Lloyd Barzell and John Mathews finished 1-2  for the most hits in July on the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers. Barzell went 19 for 27 and a healthy .704 batting average, while Mathews grabbed 18 hits in 27 at bats for a .667 batting average.

The top man in RBI was Mathews with 13, while Doc Thompson was second in runs-batted-in with 11, and Joe Opocensky was third with 10. One home run was hit in July and the round-tripper was by Thunder Tim Tolson.

Other top hitters for the month included Bob Daliege (14 for 21, a .667 average) and Thompson ( 14 for 25, a .560 average). Barzell scored the most runs during the month with 16.

The top two players in walks were 89-year-old Billy Heiny and 84-year-old Joe Aparicio with five free passes each.

Competitive game ends up in a tie

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Joe Opocensky and Dennis Crowley were locked in a pitching duel for seven innings, but in the end no winner emerged or a loser for that matter. Instead, it was a well-played competitive game at Udall Park this morning in a 60-and-over baseball game as both Team Blue and Team White played to a 6-6 tie.

Team Blue had a great hitting lineup with two young studs in the middle of their order -- 62-year-old Reed Palmer and 62-year-old John Mathews, unleashing their powerful swings. Palmer hit his 18th home run of the season in the first inning and Mathews added a couple of timely hits and was a thorn in the side of Opocensky for most of the game.

Still, Team White found a way to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to a two-run inning as Tim Tolson opened the frame with a double to center off Crowley, while Mike Steele and Ted Davis followed with back-to-back singles, allowing Team White to enjoy a short-lived 6-4 lead.

Opocensky and Team White needed to set down Team Blue in the top of the seventh. But things didn't go as planned and with one out and a run in Team White tried to turn a double play to end the game. They got the first out at second, but the relay to first bounced in front of the first baseman Bill Mishler and the tying run scored from third.

In the bottom of the seventh, Team White had the winning run on third base with two out. Davis was at the plate and hit a fastball from Opocensky to right field. The ball was hit too hard and Team Blue's right fielder Steve Beebe grabbed the sizzling one-hopper and was able to nip Davis at first base to end the game.

The game marked the return of two injured TOTS -- Mishler, who is still nursing a rib injury, and Pigpen Price, who returned to action after a five-week bout with bone spur issues in his right foot. Mishler had two hits and was on base three times, while Price went 1 for 4.

"It's nice to be back," Price said, after the game. "I walked off the field without a limp. That's a good thing."

The top plays of the game included Beebe’s play to end the game and a nice running catch in the third inning by Team White's rookie left fielder Mike Griffo. The oldest player on the field today was Team Blue's second baseman Bill Heiny who turned 89 earlier in the week and the youngest player 60-year-old Ron Ryan, who caught for Team White.

The TOTS return to action at Udall on Friday. Game time: 9 a.m.