Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)
60-and-over baseball
The TOTS lost a legend today.
Jerry Smarik passed away at the age of 88. Jerry joined the TOTS in 1991 and is referred to as the 'iron man" on the club. After all, Jerry stepped to the plate more than 4,000 times with the organization and until 2015 rarely missed a game.
Smarik was born in Detroit and spent his childhood days playing baseball and taking in games at Briggs Stadium. He remembers cleaning seats and then getting in free to the games. He said, in an interview in 2009: "We'd get there early and management would let us clean off the seats. We'd get a nickel, dime and sometimes a quarter for dusting off the seats. It was a heck of a deal, back then."
A former Navy man and retired postal carrier, Smarik was known for lighting up a stogie in the parking lot at Udall Park after every game and taking a puff or two.
Jerry and his wife, Sharon, have had quite the journey together with 63 beautiful years together.
Rest in peace, Jerry. We will miss you.
Services pending.
No comments:
Post a Comment