Comments on: Bob Jones

By: wireroom

wireroom — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:31:10 +0000

12. Ahh, good ol' cornhole. I played in an obscure band that toured a bunch of times and that was the hallmark of midwestern bars. Cornhole, cheap beer and cool people. I don't have much to say about the war anymore. At first I was scared/worried. Then angry about it. Than appalled. Now I fear I am apathetic or just plain Nihlistic about it. I wish it would all end. Why as humans do we invent something such as baseball(wondrous) and also war(horrible)? What a comparison of two things. What a life to live to for Bob Jones to have played in the greatest sport ever invented and also fought in something so brutal as a war.

By: Ennui Willie Keeler

Ennui Willie Keeler — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:13:54 +0000

11. I hope that there are no roadblocks ahead for that book, mbtn01.

By: mbtn01

mbtn01 — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:59:57 +0000

10. Hey thanks! The cover and insides are illustrated with cardboard gods from my very own collection! Bob Jones by the way was known as "Bobby Jones" in Elkton. Though there are way too many of them to keep them separate.

By: Josh Wilker

Josh Wilker — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:22:42 +0000

9. 3 : Bob Jones continues to manage in the Rangers’ system (or he did through last season anyway).

By the way, mbtn01, congrats on the forthcoming book! (http://mbtn.net/book)

By: Ennui Willie Keeler

Ennui Willie Keeler — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:30:51 +0000

8. BTW, I miss those Baseball Registers. I picked one up from 1969 or so. It was interesting seeing guys like Rollie Fngers sans mustache.

By: ramblin pete

ramblin pete — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:07:28 +0000

7. 4_ : "Bob Jones has that look" Yep. So did Travis Bickle...

By: Ennui Willie Keeler

Ennui Willie Keeler — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:58:27 +0000

6. They used to call that the "thousand yard stare." I remember Jones from a Baseball Register that I had circa 1985. He was a Ranger then. My guess is that he was artillery. The arty guys that I knew (I was in the Army from '87 to '91) sometimes had trouble hearing.

By: chiros13

chiros13 — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:19:33 +0000

5. I remember seeing my brother after his first 6 weeks at West Point. It was a remarkable change. It took him a long time to "decompress," but by the end of that weekend he was getting back to his old self. But then he had to go back. His recent Iraq experience didn't seem to change him as much, at least visibly. His training as a doc seems to make him more immune than most to death. I think he can compartmentalize it. But even though he didn't leave his base, he has some remarkable stories. As for Mr. Jones, I'm taken by one of the few cards of that vintage that actually has fans in the background. Most of them seem to be shots on an empty spring training diamond. Maybe its the life in the background that makes Bob Jones seem so vacant.

By: Joe Romano

Joe Romano — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:59:53 +0000

4. It seems that a lot of Viet Nam vets have a certain look. I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it. Bob Jones has that look.

By: mbtn01

mbtn01 — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:42:39 +0000

3. Great stuff, Josh. As it happens my first job out of college was working as a sports reporter for the newspaper in Bob Jones' hometown. I did a phone interview with him once where he told me about his job as the manager of the AA Tulsa Drillers, which at that time was producing such young talent as Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Dean Palmer and Sammy Sosa. I don't recall discussing Vietnam with him but I wasn't a very good reporter then. Best wishes to your cousin in Iraq. My college roomie who became a career Navy guy spent some time there and described an edgy life where you pretty much have to be ready to draw your gun for every one you encounter even though you may never use it. Also, hot, sandy and uncomfortable.