Gordon Jones (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Gordon Bassett Jones was an American
Major League Baseball
pitcher
. The 6 feet (1.8 m), 190 pounds (86.2 kg) right-hander was a native of Portland, Oregon
. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals
as an amateur free agent before the 1949 season, and played for the Cardinals (1954–1956), New York Giants
(1957), San Francisco Giants
(1958–1959), Baltimore Orioles
(1960–1961), Kansas City Athletics (1962), Houston Colt .45s (1964), and Houston Astros
(1965).
Jones made his major league debut on August 6, 1954, starting game 1 of a doubleheader
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
at Forbes Field
. The Cardinals lost by a score of 7-3. His rookie year of 1954 turned out to be his most successful season, as he was 4-4 with an earned run average
of 2.00. Jones pitched two shutouts (August 25 against the Pirates and September 18 against the Milwaukee Braves) and allowed 18 earned runs in 81 innings
.
In 1955 he started in 9 of his 15 appearances for St. Louis, but with much less success. His record was 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA. After that season, he pitched almost exclusively in relief. His best season after 1954 was for the original San Francisco Giants of 1958, going 3-1 with a 2.37 ERA in 11 games.
Career totals for 171 games include a record of 15-18, 21 games started
, 4 complete games, 2 shutouts, 63 games finished
, 12 saves
, and an ERA
of 4.16. He had exceptional control during his MLB career, with a strikeout
to walk ratio of almost 2-to-1, exceptional for his era. He walked only 120 batters in 378.2 innings for a BB/9IP of 2.85.
Jones handled 72 of 74 chances
successfully for a fielding percentage
of .973, and participating in 4 double plays. He made no errors
during his last six major league seasons (119 games).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. The 6 feet (1.8 m), 190 pounds (86.2 kg) right-hander was a native of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
as an amateur free agent before the 1949 season, and played for the Cardinals (1954–1956), New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1957), San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1958–1959), Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1960–1961), Kansas City Athletics (1962), Houston Colt .45s (1964), and Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
(1965).
Jones made his major league debut on August 6, 1954, starting game 1 of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
at Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
. The Cardinals lost by a score of 7-3. His rookie year of 1954 turned out to be his most successful season, as he was 4-4 with an earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 2.00. Jones pitched two shutouts (August 25 against the Pirates and September 18 against the Milwaukee Braves) and allowed 18 earned runs in 81 innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
.
In 1955 he started in 9 of his 15 appearances for St. Louis, but with much less success. His record was 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA. After that season, he pitched almost exclusively in relief. His best season after 1954 was for the original San Francisco Giants of 1958, going 3-1 with a 2.37 ERA in 11 games.
Career totals for 171 games include a record of 15-18, 21 games started
Games started
In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter...
, 4 complete games, 2 shutouts, 63 games finished
Games finished
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
, 12 saves
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
, and an ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 4.16. He had exceptional control during his MLB career, with a strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
to walk ratio of almost 2-to-1, exceptional for his era. He walked only 120 batters in 378.2 innings for a BB/9IP of 2.85.
Jones handled 72 of 74 chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
successfully for a fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
of .973, and participating in 4 double plays. He made no errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
during his last six major league seasons (119 games).
Trivia
- Jones led the California LeagueCalifornia LeagueThe California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
with 200 strikeouts while playing for the Fresno CardinalsFresno CardinalsThe Fresno Cardinals were a minor league baseball team that played in the California League from 1941-1956. The team was owned by the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League and was based in Fresno, California....
in 1950.