Jeffery Jay Jones played basketball out in Samoa for years. He was a mainstay on Jerry Gabriel's league team for the LP Men's Adult Fall Ball league I directed for many years. Jeff was around 6'4" 350 lbs. But he was light on his feet and a fair player. No cheap shot artist. Always congenial and funny. He will be missed.
One funny story about Jeff, I was throwing batting practice at the Samoa Ball Field to Barry Oliver and a crowd gathered in the Samoa stands to watch. Jeff was one of them. Barry is all of 6' 0" maybe 175 lbs. But he is a Left Handed hitting freak. He told me to just put the ball over the plate and he would hit the balls over the fence, left, center right, left center. right. He asked me where I wanted him to hit the ball, so I picked the farthest part of the park with the 280' sign. The next pitch he broke off the sign at the 280' mark! Needless to say, the people who were watching were abuzz. Jeff came down to home plate and asked Barry for the Bat. He swung and lunged at the ball but could not duplicate the smaller ball player. Jeff's buddies hooted from the stands. He was a good sport. It was funny to see at the time.
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What is about these small guys who can hit the ball a mile? I play with a couple. Well under 6-foot, lean and wiry. It must be bat speed and hand-eye coordination.
Barry Oliver is about 55 and can hit a ball around 400 ft! I think he is the #1 rated player in the United States for the 55 and overs. And he lives locally.
Is that Barry of batting cages?
No. But Barry at the batting cage is really good also. 6'2" 210lb. About the same age. That Barry is a past Crab player and played professionally in the minors.
Richard,
Just curious, did you by chance know Tim Crossan? I was trying to find your email link, but being up all night has my brain in a fog.
10:04am-Yes, I knew who Tim was. He died awhile back tragically. He played baseball at CR a few years after me.
Yes, Tim played for CR and the Crabs. It will be 25 years in April since he passed. Unreal and so very sad.
After havinng been away from Humboldt County about 8 years and living up here in rainy Portland I just dixcovered Richards Blog. Was very happy to get some sports news from there till I read of Big Jeffs passing. I to was a player on Jerry G.'s teams plus a 14th St and Mst Park player with Jeff and the rest of the Street BBall crowd.Jeff taught me alot of how someone only 6,1" with a ugly hook could play a good post.
Mychal "Rambo" Evenson
Mychal: Nobody harly plays at Ross Park anymore. Night League is still going, just not as many teams.
Thx Richard, I like to kept informed of the goings on around Eureka. I miss it alot since moving to Portland. The only thing I do not miss is the unemployment. Any of the my old hang out friends can always email me at mychal.evenson@comcast.net
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