Jack Stokes honored for service to Dixie Baseball and Ozark community – Dothan … – Dothan Eagle

Jack Stokes remembers chasing down foul balls at Eagle Stadium as the Ozark Dodgers played ball near downtown Ozark.

Stokes’ love of baseball started as a youth and has carried on for the rest of his life.

Officials with the Dixie Baseball League honored Stokes this past weekend for his more than 50 years of service to the baseball community by inducting him as a member of the Dixie Baseball Hall of Fame.

The award honoring him for his service to Dixie baseball became the second award he’s received recently for his service in the baseball community. Stokes said the Dixie baseball board also named the sportsmanship award after him.

“It was a surprise and overwhelming with all my family here,” Stokes said. “I’m honored. It’s an honor very few get presented to them.”

Officials presented the award to Stokes Saturday on opening night of the Dixie Majors Baseball World Series at Eagle Stadium.

The World Series games involve teams from 11 states outside Alabama from as far west as Texas and as far east as Virginia. The games continue through Wednesday.

Cecil Campbell, who serves on the National Board for Dixie Boys and Dixie Majors Baseball, said Stokes has been involved at the local, state and national levels of Dixie baseball.

“The program will be 60 years old next year, and he’s been involved for at least 50 years,” Campbell said. “He’s touched a lot of young men’s lives as a coach and provided an opportunity for kids to play baseball.”

Campbell, of Bossier City, Louisiana, said the city of Ozark has a great baseball complex at Eagle Stadium and people like Stokes make it all possible for youth to play.

“The people that volunteer their time not only for baseball, but any youth activity, they help shape the lives and future of the leaders of our country,” Campbell said.

Baseball life

Jack Stokes has helped out so much around the baseball fields of Ozark some youth even thought he owned them. He recalled one story of how a Dixie youth player asked him if he owned the baseball fields.

“I said no ‘I don’t own them, but I work on them every day,’” Stokes said.

Over the years Stokes has coached Dixie Youth baseball, Dixie Boys baseball and Dixie Majors baseball along with American Legion baseball.

“My fondest memories come from coaching Dixie Youth baseball,” Stokes said of the 11 and 12-year-old age group. “Their mind is wide open so you can teach them. They still want to learn.”

Stokes formerly served as the District 6 director for Dixie baseball, which include much of southeast Alabama ranging from Greenville to Dothan and over to Columbia. He served as the District 6 director for Dixie baseball for over 18 years.

Stokes said he was offered the position of director of Dixie Majors baseball several times, turning it down each time. But he later accepted a position on the national board for Dixie Majors baseball. He served on the national board for Dixie Majors Baseball for four years.

“Then I got appointed to assistant state director of Dixie Majors Baseball where I still serve,” Stokes said. “I just love baseball.”

But Stokes’ love baseball started as an 11-year-old youth where he watched games for the Ozark Dodgers, a level D minor league affiliate for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He later played second base for the Dale County High baseball team in Ozark. He turned down a scholarship to play football at Southern Mississippi to join the Army.

Stokes later came back home to Ozark where he worked and later retired as the assistant director of the Ozark Recreation Department. He also coached all three of his sons as they played baseball in Ozark. One son went on to accept a scholarship to play for Enterprise State Community College.

A few years ago the city Ozark hired him back to serve as the supervisor of Eagle Stadium.

“I don’t play golf. I do like to fish, but you can only fish so much,” Stokes said. “I’m 83 years old, and I still feel like I’m 35.”

Stokes said after his wife passed away just over a year ago, helping out with the various levels of Dixie baseball and serving the city of Ozark has given more purpose in life.

“This is a blessing for me because it takes my mind off it all. We were married for 62 years,” Stokes said. “It’s a blessing to have somewhere to go and be needed.”