Sam Jones (baseball)

:"This article is about Sam Jones (1925-1971). The baseball player Sam Jones (1892-1966) was also known as "Sad Sam Jones".Infobox MLB retired
name=Sam Jones
position=Pitcher


bgcolor2=black
bgcolor1=#fd5a1e
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
birthdate=December 14, 1925
city-state|Stewartsville|Ohio
deathdate=death date and age|1971|11|5|1925|12|14
city-state|Morgantown|West Virginia
bats=Right
throws=Right
debutdate=September 22
debutyear=1951
debutteam=Cleveland Indians
finaldate=October 3
finalyear=1964
finalteam=Baltimore Orioles
stat1label=Pitching Record
stat2label=Earned run average
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat1value=102-101
stat2value=3.59
stat3value=1376
teams=
*Cleveland Indians (1951-1952)
*Chicago Cubs (1955-1956)
*St. Louis Cardinals (1957-1958, 1963)
*San Francisco Giants (1959-1961)
*Detroit Tigers (1962)
*Baltimore Orioles (1964)
highlights=
*No-hitter on May 12, 1955
*2-time National League All-Star
*National League ERA champion: 1959
*National League wins champion: 1959
*National League strikeout champion: 1955, 1956, 1958

Samuel "Sam" Jones (December 14, 1925 – November 5, 1971), known during his career as "Toothpick Sam" Jones or "Sad Sam" Jones, was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played from by|1951 to by|1964.

Born in Stewartsville, Ohio, Jones began his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1951. When he entered a game on May 3, 1952, 39-year-old rookie Quincy Trouppe, a Negro League veteran, was behind the plate. Together they formed the first black battery in American League history.

After the by|1954 season, the Tribe traded him to the Chicago Cubs for two players to be named later, one of whom was slugger Ralph Kiner. In by|1956, the Cubs traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals in a multi-player deal; prior to the by|1959 season, he was dealt once again, this time to the San Francisco Giants for Bill White and Ray Jablonski. He was picked up by the expansion Houston Colt .45s in the by|1961 expansion draft and spent a year with them before being traded to the Detroit Tigers. He rejoined the Cardinals for the by|1963 campaign and played 1964 with the Baltimore Orioles before retiring.

During his career, Jones was known for his sweeping curveball, in addition to a fastball and changeup. Stan Musial once remarked, "Sam had the best curveball I ever saw... He was quick and fast and that curve was terrific, so big it was like a change of pace. I've seen guys fall down on curves that became strikes." [The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers: An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitches. Bill James and Rob Neyer. 2004.]

During his career, Jones led the National League in strikeouts three times: in by|1955, 1956, and by|1958. On May 12 of the former of these three seasons, he no-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 at Wrigley Field, becoming the first African American in Major League history to pitch a no-hitter. His greatest year came with the Giants in 1959, when he led the league in both wins with 21 (tying him with Milwaukee Braves starters Lew Burdette and Warren Spahn) and ERA with 2.83. He was named 1959 National League Pitcher of the Year by "The Sporting News", but finished a distant second to Early Wynn of the Chicago White Sox for the Cy Young Award. He was named to the NL All-Star team twice, in 1955 and 1959.

Jones died in Morgantown, West Virginia at the age of 45.

References

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
* List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
* List of Major League Baseball wins champions
* List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jonessa02.shtml Baseball-Reference.com] - career statistics and analysis