Former pro ballplayer loves the challenge of OTL By Marc Musacchio San Diego Union-Tribune July 8, 1999 As a young baseball player, Tom Whelan's quick bat and strong throwing arm caught the attention of the Chicago Cubs organization, which drafted him as a catcher out of San Diego State University in 1966. After four years of toiling in the minor leagues, Whelan hung up his spikes and packed away his mitt for a career in business. Whelan, now 54, is still swinging the bat, shagging fly balls and chasing his dreams -- this time on fields of sand, with bare feet and no glove. Over the next two weekends, Whelan, with the help of his two teammates, will attempt to win his 10th title at the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club's World Championship Over-the-Line Tournament. The 46th annual event will feature 1,150 men's and women's teams in nine divisions playing more than 2,000 games in the sand at Fiesta Island on Mission Bay. Organizers expect as many as 50,000 visitors to descend on Fiesta Island Saturday and Sunday and July 17-18 to witness Southern California's own brand of three-person softball. "This tournament is the epitome of Over-the-Line to me," Whelan said after a recent practice. "To be a survivor on that second weekend -- to win the whole thing and get that (championship) ring -- it doesn't get any better than that." Whelan knows the thrill of winning the OMBAC tournament as well as almost anyone. Only three others have played on more championship teams in the tournament's history. Chuck Cromar and Don Buechler have tallied 11 titles each. On the women's side, which wasn't created until 1973, Camille Medina has collected 10 rings. Whelan won seven championships with teams in the Century division, where the three players' ages must total at least 100 years. He also won twice in the Canardly division for players 40 and older. Now, Whelan and teammates Al Hamilton and Corky Northrup will try to win the Cannever division for players 50 and up. The team placed second in the Cannever division for the last two years. "When you've won this tournament a number of times, the other teams are coming after you every game, which is the way it should be," Whelan said. "There's an incredible level of competition here. Nothing is a given." One might not think that a tournament known as much for its beach-party atmosphere as for its athleticism would provide such a rewarding challenge for a former professional ballplayer, but Whelan ranks winning the OMBAC tournament on a par with his other top athletic accomplishments. As a senior, Whelan helped Crawford High School's baseball team win the CIF championship in 1962. That same year, he led Crawford's football team (while playing quarterback) to the CIF title. At San Diego State in 1965, Whelan shared the baseball team's MVP honors with Graig Nettles, who went on to become a World Series hero with the New York Yankees. Whelan's baseball skills helped him excel at OTL, but it took him a couple of years to learn the game's finer nuances, he said. By watching players who were already winning tournaments, Whelan developed a golf swing that helps him to hit low line drives that are hard to catch. Whelan and his teammates also use hand signals to communicate how they will defense the opposition. "When I first came out here after playing pro ball, I was just trying to hit home runs, see how far I could hit the ball," he said. "It took a while before I really learned how to play the game." A key to OTL success is surrounding yourself with teammates who are not only skilled, but committed to winning as well as fun to be around during the many hours of practice, Whelan said. His teammates have been practicing two to three times a week since April and competed in five warm-up tournaments. While serious teams hold rigorous workouts in hopes of advancing well into the second weekend of play, many teams simply come to enjoy the raucous atmosphere of the first weekend. "You don't have to be as serious as I am to enjoy this tournament," Whelan said. "There's something for everyone. That's what's great about it."