R.I.P. Brock
I'm glad someone else posted this. I woke up to getting the phone call on the Fourth of July from Brock's mom that he had passed away in his sleep during the night. I've been in varying states of shock ever since. You play enough pool and you are going to run across a lot of people who you wouldn't be surprised if you get a call like that. Brock was not one of those people. He didn't do drugs, didn't drink and drive, get in fights or any of the other behavior that you come across. He played pool (very well, I might add. Way better than me), took care of his two beautiful little daughters, handled his responsibilities and was always there to lend a hand to anyone who needed it. He was 33 years old, and was taken from us way too soon.
He was a member of this community (BBBrock), although he hadn't posted in awhile. He loved pool, and was willing to teach anyone who wanted his help. He and my roommate had a standing deal- my roommate would cook dinner, and Brock would give him lessons. It was a good deal for both of them, and I have to say I was fortunate to benefit on both ends of the deal.
Brock had a fair amount of success in pool as an amateur. He had a second place finish in the Scotch Doubles event in BCA Nationals two years ago, and his Open Team last year finished third. He was definitely someone that you could win a tournament with if he was on your team. I'm sad that he no longer has the chance to bring home any more trophies. Brock had no quit in him. No matter how far down you had him, it wasn't over until that last ball fell. He could park you in your seat for racks at a time, then lock you into an incredible safe, then run a few more racks on you. And you couldn't even be mad at him, because he was such a nice guy. Plenty of times he put such a whupping on me that I just wanted to drink the pain away. Instead of being mad at him, I just wanted him to buy him a drink when we were done. He made me a better player, and I try to fight as hard as he did when I'm playing. I try to be as positive an influence on other people when I'm not playing as he was. It's a tough standard to meet on both counts.
For anyone who ever saw Brock shoot, you would never believe he could play as well as he did. He had what had to be one of the weirdest strokes I've ever seen. He'd address the ball normally, take a few practice strokes and nothing would look out of the ordinary. Then, as he was delivering the cue towards the ball, he would bring the cue to a complete stop inches from the cue ball, then jab the cue the remaining few inches to contact. If you've ever seen Charles Barkley swing a golf club, you have an idea of what Brock looked like stroking a cue. I have no idea how he made it work, but he did. When I used to tease him about it (which was pretty often, especially when I had been drinking), he said that he had tried for a long time to fix it, but he just couldn't. It was the way he shot, and he accepted it. Thank goodness he knew better than to try to get the people he was teaching to stroke the same way.
It's going to be tough going out to BCA Nationals next week knowing that he won't be there. He taught me how to play Pai-Gow, and the only winning session I've ever had at the game was when I was with him. The U.S. Amateur tournament in September won't be the same, either. Same thing with the Jay Swanson Memorial in February. Not to mention all the league nights, Friday Night Hard Times 3 cushion tournaments or just random nights in my living room shooting pool where I won't get to see him anymore. For years, playing pool for me has meant running into Brock, a lot of the time it meant him knocking me out of a tournament. I'm gonna miss that. He was a measuring stick that I used to track the progress in my game. Of course, he was improving at the same time, so I had to work that much harder.
I miss my friend, and there are hundreds of people in Southern California who feel the same way. Not just pool players, either. If you're local to Orange County, please stop by the Pen in Huntington Beach on August 2 and help us celebrate the life of someone who gave much more than he took. He left our little corner of the world a better place than it would have been without him, and the sun is definitely not shining as bright now that he is gone. If you're not local, please consider donating through one of the links in the OP. Anything will help the two little girls who just lost their daddy, and all of the proceeds are going to them.
Rest In Peace, BrockStar. You may have shuffled off this mortal coil, but you will live forever in our hearts and minds. I'm gonna miss you, buddy.
Johnny
