Ebbs and flows are part of a Brewster Baseball Association player's career. For most, the highs and lows are memorable but the general "bell curve" of a career is pretty similar. You work your way up, you have your BBA career, and then you either fade back into the minors (or the GBC, if you're lucky) or you retire.
The career of Eric Jones has taken a far more different turn over the past five years.
Once upon a time, Jones was a top prospect in the Seattle Storm system. Fans were clamoring for his callup. He played 1588 games over 11 years with the Storm from 2041-2051, always a solid player, never an All-Star. Players like this usually don't go back to the minors for the next five years, but Jones did just that.
Jones spent 2052-2055 with the Edmonton Jackrabbits' Triple-A club, but never got the call back to the big leagues. Most would retire, especially after spending 2055 buried on the bench (he only appeared in 19 games all year). Not Jones.
Most would call it quits after going into 2055-56 free agency, getting no interest (not even from GBC clubs), and sitting on the free agent market well into May. Jones waited.
On May 20th he signed a minor league deal with the Las Vegas Hustlers, who assigned him to their Triple-A team in Milwaukee. He was viewed as a depth option, nothing more.
Of all the seasons Jones has played professionally, his best year was 2045 with the Storm. He slashed .338/.385/.497/.882 with 45 doubles, 13 homers, and 88 RBI. He hadn't hit like that since his illustrious high school career that made him a first round pick. He hadn't hit like that since. When he joined the Milwaukee Choppers, he started to hit like he'd hit way back in 2045. In 180 at-bats, he slashed .383/.406/.594/1.001 with 18 doubles, 6 homers and 47 RBI over 49 games. Amazing numbers, especially for a 35 year old dude who hadn't been in the BBA since 2051.
The Hustlers called him up last week, and he kept hitting. He was 4-7 in his first 3 games, stroking 3 doubles and scoring 2 runs.
"The whole thing is surreal," said Jones. "I always knew I could play here, and I wasn't ready to give it up. If this ends up being it, at least I know that I made it back and I will be happy with that for the rest of my life."