Sports

New Canaan Old Timers Association Spotlight: Robert Jones

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To say Robert Jones has sports in his blood would be an understatement. The 1980 New Canaan High School grad’s grandfather Deacon Jones played pro baseball for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League before embarking on a long career as a top scout for the New York Yankees. Jones’ father Gordon played in the Cleveland Indians organization, getting as high as Double-A while older bother Lee Jones made it to Triple-A in the California Angels system. And while Robert Jones never realized his dream of playing pro ball, he has made a huge impact on the local scene, starring for the New Canaan Cannons in the Connecticut Senior Men’s Baseball League since 1998. “I was blessed by good coaches growing up in New Canaan including Ed Ready, Gordon Jones, Bill Brown, Mark ‘250’ Rearick, Bob and Roger Fulton, Bill Brown, Joe Ditolla, Jerry Quinn, Dave Prutting and Art Mazmanian—my closest friend for the past 30 plus years,” Jones wrote in his bio submitted by the New Canaan Old Timers Association, who will be honoring the diamond star at their annual celebration on Sunday, September 20th at Waveny.

Sports

New Canaan Old Timers Association Spotlight: Bea James

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Bea James—known to many New Canaanites today by her married name, Bea Watkins—could very well have been lost in the considerable shadow of her brother Lem, one of the greatest New Canaan High School athletes who ever put on a uniform. Instead, she forged her own niche into Rams history, channeling her family ties as inspiration. “My brother, Lem James, and I enjoyed spending the years together in the same graduating class,” Bea James Watkins wrote in a bio submitted recently to the New Canaan Old Timer’s Association. “I loved watching him play sports and took great pride in cheering him on as he played football and basketball over the years. I couldn’t have been prouder.

Sports

New Canaan Old Timers to Honor Eight Sports Stars of the Past

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New Canaan will turn back the clock next month, celebrating its sports past when the New Canaan Old Timers Association hosts its annual picnic on Sunday, September 20th at Waveny Castle. This year’s honorees are Joe DiPanni, Bea James, Robert Jones, Brian, Chris and Scott Overbeck, Mary Beth Pickering and Monroe Trout. “This is a big reunion for the old timers,” NCOT President and former sports star Len Paglialunga told NewCanaanite.com. “We gather, we get to talk about old times and get to meet fellow old timers. Our batting averages go up, our points-per-game go up and our ERA’s go down.

Sports

New Canaan Old Timers Association: Keeping the Past Alive

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Len Paglialunga is one of the greatest football players to ever wear a New Canaan Rams uniform. A star running back in the late-1960s, Paglialunga rewrote the Rams’ record book, etching his—and New Canaan’s—legacy forever. His performance in the classic 1967 matchup against Darien helped lift the Rams to their first win over their hated rival since 1945. Games such as that one still reverberate decades later, partially because of what Paglialunga currently does off the playing field. As president of the New Canaan Old Timers Association, Paglialunga is one of the “keepers of the flame” for New Canaan’s glorious athletic history.

News

New Canaan Old Timers Association: ‘Keepers of the Flame’

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Len Paglialunga is one of the greatest football players to ever wear a New Canaan Rams uniform. A star running back in the late-1960s, Paglialunga rewrote the Rams’ record book, etching his—and New Canaan’s—legacy forever. His performance in the classic 1967 matchup against Darien helped lift the Rams to their first win over their hated rival since 1945. Games such as that one still reverberate decades later, partially because of what Paglialunga currently does off the playing field. As president of the New Canaan Old Timers Association, Paglialunga is one of the “keepers of the flame” for New Canaan’s glorious athletic history.