Sam Jones (jonessa01)
From BR Bullpen
Samuel Pond Jones (Sad Sam)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 170 lb.
- Debut June 13, 1914
- Final Game September 28, 1935
- Born July 26, 1892 in Woodsfield, OH USA
- Died July 6, 1966 in Barnesville, OH USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Sad Sam Jones pitched 22 years in the majors, winning 229 games and posting a 2.05 ERA in four World Series. Unlike his namesake the other Sam Jones, he was not a big strikeout pitcher, although in 1925 was fifth in the league in strikeouts.
Jones typically was not a league leader but he was often among the leaders, with a 121 score on the Gray Ink test which measures how often a player is in the top 10. He was first in winning percentage in 1918, first in shutouts in 1921, first in saves in 1922, second in wins in 1923, and fourth in ERA in 1928.
His major league career, from 1914 to 1935, was exactly the same years as those of Babe Ruth. He was also a teammate of Ruth, first from 1916 to 1919 with the Boston Red Sox and then from 1922 to 1926 with the New York Yankees.
The most similar pitcher is Joe Niekro, although two other pitchers on his list of similar players, Red Faber and Ted Lyons, are interesting comparisons. Faber broke in the same year as Jones, 1914, and both Faber and Lyons were teammates of Jones on the Chicago White Sox in the 1930s. Both Faber and Lyons had a few more victories and a slightly higher winning percentage than Jones, which is why they are in the Hall and he isn't.
[edit] Managerial Career
Sam Jones briefly served as a minor league manager, finishing the 1947 season at the helm of the Newark, OH Class D affiliate of the St. Louis Browns which played from 1944 to 1947 in the Ohio State League. The team, called the Moundsmen, finished in 7th place with an overall record of 64-76.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- AL Winning Percentage Leader (1918)
- AL Saves Leader (1922)
- AL Shutouts Leader (1921)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 6 (1918, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1928 & 1930)
- 20 Wins Seasons: 2 (1921 & 1923)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 8 (1919-1923, 1925, 1928 & 1932)
- Won three World Series with the Boston Red Sox (1916 & 1918; he did not play in the 1916 World Series) and the New York Yankees (1923)
[edit] Further Reading
- Lawrence Ritter: The Glory of Their Times, The Macmillan Company, New York, NY, 1966, pp. 225-234.
