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Passing of Bob Aguilar – Memorial Service January 23, 2018

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We regretfully report the passing of one of So Cal’s fastpitch legends, Bob Aguilar, longtime first baseman for the Lakewood Jets.  His prodigious home run power was widely known, most especially by any of the Congress pitchers that had to face him.

 

Editor’s note:  As a young fan, I saw Bob play for the Jets in many of their classic contests with the Long Beach Nitehawks, at Joe Rodgers Field.   Aguilar was the closest thing to the Bambino playing during that era.  His at bats were the ones that you didn’t want to miss, lest you miss one of those majestic moon shots.   Players and fans still tell stories about the home runs he hit over the right field fence, completely out of Joe Rodgers Field and into the golf course across the street.  I grew up in Long Beach, so naturally rooted for the Nitehawks, but his talents and good nature earned the respect of teammates and fans of the Jets and opponents alike, perhaps as Yankee fans felt about Ted Williams.

 

Said former Lakewood Jet teammate Hice Stiles:

There were many golf-course-like shots that I was fortunate to witness. He was a great guy, player and hitter. He would come back into the dugout after striking out and quietly sit down next me sometimes and whisper “he got me this time; he might get me the next time, but I’m going to get him, and they will only remember the time that I got him”. Ha. He would smile and I would laugh. Great times.”

Thank you to Hice Stiles for the following information on the memorial service:

 

Bob’s Memorial Service will be held at 12:00 Noon on Tuesday January 23.
Location:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park & Mortuary
A Reception will follow:
Location of Reception will be announce at the Service.
Also, for those who might want to send condolences please send to:
Orie Aguilar & Family
Ron Rupp adds his memories of Bob Aguilar:

As a young boy I was fortunate enough to have watched fastpitch softball at the highest level. My dad had a open team and from about nine years old I was intently watching his players on the Lakewood Jets compete against other great teams and there were no shortage back in those days. I learned the game and the competitive mentality from these guys watching them play. Aggie was a left handed first baseman , big man with a gentle quiet way about him, hiding the seriousness of what was going on just below the surface. Aggie was one of the special ones, like the Nick Hopkins, Don Fraziers, and Hice Stiles of the world he was one of the best. His defense was silky and his power was unlike anybody else in the Congress in those days. Mind you, Aggie started with the old wood bats and eventually started using the aluminum bats. They used a ball called the De Beer 212. It was a porous softball that got soft first time you hit it. I can’t imagine Aggie using the titanium composite bats with the rock hard balls used today. Somebody would’ve gotten hurt:) I only saw two balls go into the tennis courts at Mayfair park in Lakewood as a kid watching 100’s of games. Both times it came off Aggies bat. Loved watching him play and he was definitely a boyhood hero of mine as I aspired to  be the kind of defender he was. The man was truly a legend and I’ll never forget the thrills he give me as a kid watching him play at a level few have reached:)”