The smell of the grass, the feeling of the dirt beneath his feet, the noise of the crowd slowly filling the stands - the combination of these senses transcend time, making 68-year-old Jay Jaffe feel as if it's the late 1960s all over again. Psychologists call this feeling spontaneous recovery, the concept that when you go some place and smell certain aromas or see something that looks familiar it brings you back to a specific time and place when you first experienced these senses."That's how it is for me when I get into a batter's box," said Jaffe. "It's like spontaneous recovery. I am back to where I was when I was in college. I don't feel any different, I don't feel my age."
Forty-eight years after last suiting up in Cardinal & Gold under legendary head coach Rod Dedeaux, Jaffe looks forward to the one chance every year he can experience that spontaneous recovery - the Trojan Alumni Game. The former USC center fielder has not missed an Alumni Game since he graduated - a grand total of 46 appearances. But, the feeling that he misses the most is something that doesn't transcend time.
"I can remember each one. It's a thrill. There's nothing like hitting a home run," said Jaffe. "It's just so rewarding, the feeling of hitting one right on the nails, there's no feeling like it."
Jaffe was the starting center fielder for the 1968 national champion Trojans, a team that featured future professional players like ace Jim Barr, Red Sox Hall of Famer Bill Lee and the late Bill Seinsoth. Though Jaffe earned a spot on the San Diego Padres Single A affiliate team, the 1969 graduate opted to pursue his law career upon graduation instead, enrolling at Southwestern Law School. He may have officially hung up his cleats after that 1969 season, but Jaffe still cherishes his four years in Cardinal & Gold, describing them as an experience that became the foundation for his future."It means everything. It's probably one of the most important things, along with attending the University of Southern California, that one could hope for because it really defines you," said Jaffe. "Playing under coach Rod Dedeaux basically gave you a recipe for how to live your life."
Jaffe would soon rely on this recipe, facing a curve ball nastier than the ones he faced in the 1968 National Championship as he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a battle that he has now taken on and overcome three times. During these separate battles with cancer, the former center fielder often heard an old, familiar voice encouraging him along the way.
"Never let anything get you down, always challenge adversity and just when you think that things are falling apart you say 'just the way I like it', that was [Coach Dedeaux's] famous saying," Jaffe reminisced.
Not only did Jaffe survive his three battles with lymphoma, but he was also diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2009, yet another obstacle that the USC baseball alum won't let get in the way of his streak of USC Alumni Games. In fact, he doesn't let any of these setbacks alter his ability to approach each and every day as a practicing lawyer and avid USC baseball fan.
"I don't really think about it. I just go do what I have to do. I don't think about any obstacles, I just go up to the plate, look for a pitch and hit it. That's the way I live my life."
So far, Jaffe is fighting off every curve ball that life throws at him, and he continues to wake up every day looking for the perfect pitch with the mindset that he's going yard.Â
