TOTS off and running again this week at Udall

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The TOTS are off and running with another week of baseball at Udall Park. The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers returned to the playing field on May 18 and today, despite a smoky mountain to the north, played their 15th game in 36 days.

Only one cancellation occurred on June 12 due to a broken sprinkler head, which flooded the third base area, causing a disappointed bunch of old-timers to pack up their bat bags and head home.

Not the coronavirus, nor day after day of triple digits, nor two weeks straight of a stubborn forest fire in the Catalinas can keep the TOTS from playing baseball, but a puddle of water a couple of inches deep at third base kept the old-timers off the ball field.

Today was a hot and dusty affair as both teams sprayed a total of 29 hits around the confines of the TOTS' field at Udall Park. In the end, Team White came out on top 10-7 over Team Blue. The hitting stars for the winning team were Doc Thompson and Bob Daliege as the duo were a combined 6 for 6, while George Staas and Ron Ryan collected two hits in three trips to the plate. Staas, Daliege and Mike Steele drove in two runs apiece.

Team White scored five runs in the first inning, one run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth.

Team Blue's Thunder Tim Tolson had a perfect day at the plate, going 4 for 4 with three runs batted in, while Roger Beebe went 3 for 3, scored three times and drove in two runs.

With the temperatures expected to reach 108 and 109 by the end of the week, the TOTS will continue to take the field with games scheduled for Wednesday and Friday. Game time for both at 8:30 a.m.

Today's boxscore: 

Team  White  10  Team Blue  7

Little Joe

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Joe Aparicio, 86, returned to the playing field at Udall Park on Friday and batted three times, his first at bats since last February. Aparicio, who hails from Santa Paula, California, has been a member of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers since 1998. He's currently in his 23rd season with the organization.

The coronavirus has caused him some concern, which is the main reason Aparicio has been away.

But he's back and taking his cuts. There was a time, back in 2006, when he reached the 100-hit mark for a season, but by the time Little Joe reached his mid 70s the hits were no longer coming in bunches.

In the year 2017, Aparicio reached the 1,000- career hit club with the organization. Little Joe finished 2017 with 39 hits, 22 runs-scored and 22 RBI. Not bad for the "young man" who was 83 years of age at the time. Aparicio's best season was in 2006 when his stat line consisted of 119 hits, 89 runs, 45 RBI and 40 walks to go along with a respectable .344 batting average.

With his appearance on Friday, Aparicio becomes the oldest player to step into the batter's box since the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Little Joe's claim to fame is the fact he has the ability to work his way into a full count and has consistently led the club in walks every year. He's not a favorite for the TOTS' pitchers. Collectively, they all agree. Little Joe has that rare ability to wait you (the pitcher) out and suddenly he has you in  a full count.

Way to go, Little Joe. Keep giving the pitcher fits.

Photos: Joe Aparicio

Ryan, Palmer lead Team White to 12-5 TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Team White scored in all but one inning, collected 19 hits and rolled to a 12-5 win over Team Blue today in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game at Udall Park.

Ron Ryan went 4 for 4, scored three times and knocked in a run, while Reed Palmer went 4 for 4, scored twice and knocked in four runs for Team White. John Mathews, Mike Steele and Pete Peters went 2 for 3 for Team Blue and Tim Tolson drove in two runs.

Team White scored two runs in the first, second and third innings, added a run in the fourth and put the game away with five runs in the sixth.

Roger Beebe added to Team White's hit parade with two hits and three RBI, Bill Mishler collected two hits, Ken Nebesny had two hits and Ray Garcia ended up 3 for 4 in the game as Team Blue's lefty Ron Petersen was saddled with the loss. Palmer went the distance for Team White to notch the win.

There were five doubles in the game -- one by Team Blue's Steve Foster and another by Steele, while Palmer, Beebe and Mishler all doubled for Team White.

The TOTS finished up this week's action today and will play three games next week at Udall. All games will have an 8:30 a.m. start.

Today's boxscore:

Team White  12   Team Blue  5

Thompson cruises to 10-2 TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Doc Thompson pitched seven strong innings and his defense made all the plays behind him as Team Blue breezed to a 10-2 win over Team White today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Thompson's strategy was to keep Team White's "big guns" from hitting the long ball  -- especially lefties  Joe Opocensky and Reed Palmer.  Opocensky batted .667 in May, while Palmer batted .789 and currently leads the club in home runs with seven. 

His strategy worked. Opocensky and Palmer were a combined  0 for 6 with two walks, and Thompson had plenty of support from his infielders as Pete Peters at third base, shortstop Tim Tolson, second baseman Pigpen Price and first-sacker John Mathews made all the key plays to keep the Team Blue runners from scoring.

"It was one of the best defensive games in a long time," said Thompson, who allowed two harmless runs and just five hits. Palmer hit two hard shots to Mathews at first base for two unassisted putouts and when Team White was able to get a runner as far as second or third, the runner was left stranded.

In the meantime, Team Blue banged out 21 hits as Thompson, Tolson and Peters were a combined 12 for 15. Price and Rob Morse went 2 for 5 and knocked in two runs apiece, while Mathews collected three hits and also drove in two runs. Mike Steele collected two of Team White's five hits.

The TOTS close out the week with a game on Friday at Udall. First pitch at 8:30 a.m.

Photo: Thompson

Today's boxscore:

Team Blue  10   Team White  2

Aces dominate Rattlers, 20-4

Tucson Aces

60-and-over baseball

The Arizona Rattlers were in town today. Well, at Udall Park that is. The south-side 60-and-over Rattlers play their home games at Mission Manor Park, but journeyed to Udall this morning to take on the hot-hitting Tucson Aces.

The Aces took a 10-game consecutive win streak (against the south-side teams) into today's game and led 8-0 early and cruised to a 20-4 win. Mike Dawson hurled all seven innings for the Aces to pick up the win, while Rattlers' starter, George Gafner, was saddled with the loss.

Reed Palmer and Randy Livingston supplied run-scoring doubles as everyone in the Aces' lineup hit safely. The Aces own wins over the Old Pueblo Club (10-8) and the Rattlers this month as they continue their winning ways, mixing in good pitching with timely hitting.

Photo below: The 60-and-over Tucson Aces:

Palmer hits 7th homer

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Reed Palmer continues to hit home runs this month.

On Monday, Palmer crushed his fourth home run of the month at Udall Park and seventh of the season. Despite the round-tripper, a two-run shot in the second inning, Palmer and Team Blue lost 6-4 to Team White in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Joe Opocensky went the distance on the mound and picked up the win for Team White. Lefty Ron Petersen pitched four innings for Team Blue and Pete Maldonado came on in relief in the fifth.

The boxscore for the game unavailable at press time.

The TOTS finish up the week with games at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Friday as they continue to battle the hot temperatures.

Photo: Palmer

TOTS play it safe, but play on

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The TOTS play on...

and on...

and on...and on

Not even a fire in the nearby mountain can stop 'em...nor the coronavirus sweeping the world...nor chaos in the streets from LA to New York...and as pro baseball nears closer and closer to a "lost season" -- the TOTS continue to play on.

The TOTS may be the only game in town. They may be the oldest organized bunch of old-timers in the state, in the country...in the nation for that matter (1968 to the present...53 years). The TOTS' ages range from:  60-something in recent games to an 82-year-old from Canada named Denny Leonard (photo below), a member of the TOTS' organization since the mid-90s and a former police officer from Edmonton.

Still on the roster are 86-year-old Joe Aparicio, Billy Heiny (who turns 91 in August/2020) and 94-year-old Floyd Lance (who turns 95 in September/2020), although the sign of the times are currently keeping them off the field of play. Aparicio played a total off 19 games in January and February (before the conronavirus hit) and Heiny played in 14. Lance, the TOTS' poster boy, hasn't logged an official at bat this year.  Lance, a member of the TOTS since 1999, may just mosey in one day and take his cuts. After all, the TOTS have six months left in their 53rd season.

Below the "heart " of the TOTS: Aparicio, Heiny and Lance.

There is no quit in the TOTS. Yes, if the stay-at-home rules return, the players will leave the ball field and return home. The players will put their baseball shoes near the front door and await the "all clear" signal to return once again. The TOTS will withstand fire on the ridge, a deadly virus and chaos in the streets...and old age. The TOTS list of reasons not to play do not include the word: age.

Go, TOTS!