- Sad Sam Jones
-
- This article is about Sam Jones (1892-1966). The baseball player Sam Jones (1925-1971).
Sad Sam Jones Pitcher Born: July 26, 1892
Woodsfield, OhioDied: July 6, 1966 (aged 73)
Barnesville, OhioBatted: Right Threw: Right MLB debut June 13, 1914 for the Cleveland Indians Last MLB appearance September 28, 1935 for the Chicago White Sox Career statistics Win-loss record 229-217 Earned run average 3.84 Strikeouts 1223 Teams - Cleveland Indians (1914-1915)
- Boston Red Sox (1916-1921)
- New York Yankees (1922-1926)
- St. Louis Browns (1927)
- Washington Senators (1928-1931)
- Chicago White Sox (1932-1935)
Career highlights and awards Samuel Pond "Sad Sam" Jones (July 26, 1892 - July 6, 1966) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played in the American League with the Cleveland Indians (1914–15), Boston Red Sox (1916–21), New York Yankees (1922–26), St. Louis Browns (1927), Washington Senators (1928–31) and Chicago White Sox (1932–35). A native of Woodsfield, Ohio, Jones batted and threw right-handed. His sharp-breaking curveball also earned him the nickname "Horsewhips Sam".
Contents
Career
In a 22-year career, Jones compiled a 229-217 record with 1223 strikeouts and a 3.84 ERA in 3,883 innings pitched. Jones signed his first professional contract in 1913, with a minor league team in Zanesville, Ohio. He made his major league debut with the Indians in 1914. Before the 1916 season, he was sent to Boston in the same trade that brought Tris Speaker to Cleveland.
In 1918, Jones joined the Red Sox starting rotation, ending with a 16-5 mark, a career-best 2.25 ERA, and a league-best .762 winning percentage. His most productive season came in 1921, when he posted career-highs in wins (23), strikeouts (98) and innings (298.2), and led the league in shutouts (5). But his most remembered season may have been 1923 as the Yankees' ace staff. In that season, Jones pitched a no-hitter game against the Philadelphia Athletics (September 4), and finished 21-8 with a 3.63 ERA, leading his team to their first World Series title. He was 2-1 against the New York Giants, and his crucial relief work in the final game of the Series clinched the championship for the Yankees. Like most pitchers of his time, Jones relieved as well as started, and his eight saves in 1922 led the league's relief pitchers.
Jones lost a league-high 21 games in 1925. He pitched for the Browns a year later, and was waived to Washington in 1927. With the Senators, Jones regained his form, leading his team's staff with a 17-7 record. He enjoyed his last good season in 1930, ending with a 15-7 mark. After four years of service for the White Sox, Jones retired in 1935 as the oldest active player at the time (42). His 22 consecutive seasons pitching in one league is a major league record shared with Herb Pennock, Early Wynn, Red Ruffing and Steve Carlton.
Sad Sam Jones died in Barnesville, Ohio, at the age of 73.
Quotation
- Bill McGeehan of the New York Herald-Tribune dubbed him Sad Sam because, to him, Jones looked downcast on the field. Jones told Lawrence Ritter that the reason he looked downcast was because, "I would always wear my cap down real low over my eyes. And the sportswriters were more used to fellows like Waite Hoyt, who'd always wear their caps way up so they wouldn't miss any pretty girls". - Ed Walton, at Baseball Library [1]
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball saves champions
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
- Sad Sam Jones at Find a Grave
Preceded by
Jesse BarnesNo-hitter pitcher
September 4, 1923Succeeded by
Howard EhmkeBoston Red Sox 1918 World Series Champions Sam Agnew | Joe Bush | Jean Dubuc | Harry Hooper | Sam Jones | Carl Mays | Stuffy McInnis | Hack Miller | Babe Ruth | Wally Schang | Everett Scott | Dave Shean | Amos Strunk | Fred Thomas | George Whiteman
Manager Ed BarrowNew York Yankees 1923 World Series Champions Benny Bengough | Joe Bush | Joe Dugan | Mike Gazella | Hinkey Haines | Harvey Hendrick | Fred Hofmann | Waite Hoyt | Ernie Johnson | Sam Jones | Carl Mays | Mike McNally | Bob Meusel | Herb Pennock | George Pipgras | Wally Pipp | Babe Ruth | Wally Schang | Everett Scott | Bob Shawkey | Elmer Smith | Aaron Ward | Whitey Witt
Manager Miller HugginsBoston Red Sox Opening Day starting pitchers Ivy Andrews • Frank Arellanes • Jim Bagby • Josh Beckett • Oil Can Boyd • Tom Brewer • Rex Cecil • Eddie Cicotte • Roger Clemens • Ray Collins • Ray Culp • Bill Dinneen • Joe Dobson • Dennis Eckersley • Howard Ehmke • Dick Ellsworth • Alex Ferguson • Wes Ferrell • Tom Gordon • Lefty Grove • Charley Hall • Slim Harriss • Tex Hughson • Bruce Hurst • Ferguson Jenkins • Sad Sam Jones • Win Kellum • Jon Lester • Jim Lonborg • Danny MacFayden • Pedro Martínez • Daisuke Matsuzaka • Carl Mays • Bill Monbouquette • Wilcy Moore • Dick Newsome • Mel Parnell • Marty Pattin • Gary Peters • Jack Quinn • Gordon Rhodes • Red Ruffing • Allen Russell • Babe Ruth • Curt Schilling • Don Schwall • Aaron Sele • Ernie Shore • Bob Stanley • Tom Sturdivant • Frank Sullivan • Luis Tiant • Yank Terry • Mike Torrez • David Wells • Bill Wight • Earl Wilson • George Winter • Smoky Joe Wood • Cy Young
Chicago White Sox Opening Day starting pitchers James Baldwin • Ken Brett • Mark Buehrle • Britt Burns • John Buzhardt • Nixey Callahan • Eddie Cicotte • José Contreras • Bill Dietrich • Richard Dotson • Ed Durham • Red Faber • Alex Fernandez • Patsy Flaherty • Al Gettel • Orval Grove • Joe Haynes • Ray Herbert • Joe Horlen • Ricky Horton • LaMarr Hoyt • Tommy John • Bart Johnson • Sad Sam Jones • Vern Kennedy • Dickey Kerr • Jerry Koosman • Ken Kravec • Thornton Lee • Eddie Lopat • Ted Lyons • Jack McDowell • Ray Moore • Jaime Navarro • Frank Owen • Roy Patterson • Mélido Pérez • Gary Peters • Billy Pierce • Juan Pizarro • Jerry Reuss • Johnny Rigney • Charlie Robertson • Saul Rogovin • Reb Russell • Jim Scott • Tom Seaver • Mike Sirotka • Eddie Smith • Frank Smith • Steve Stone • Tommy Thomas • Sloppy Thurston • Virgil Trucks • Ed Walsh • David Wells • Doc White • Bill Wight • Lefty Williams • John Whitehead • Wilbur Wood • Early Wynn
New York Yankees Opening Day starting pitchers Stan Bahnsen • Tiny Bonham • Hank Borowy • Jim Bouton • Ray Caldwell • Spud Chandler • Jack Chesbro • Roger Clemens • Jim Coates • David Cone • Atley Donald • Slow Joe Doyle • Whitey Ford • Lefty Gomez • Ron Guidry • Orlando Hernández • Waite Hoyt • Tom Hughes • Catfish Hunter • Tommy John • Randy Johnson • Sad Sam Jones • Jimmy Key • Dave LaPoint • Don Larsen • Tim Leary • Eddie Lopat • Carl Mays • George McConnell • Joe McGinnity • Marty McHale • Doc Medich • George Mogridge • Mike Mussina • Doc Newton • Phil Niekro • Al Orth • Carl Pavano • Herb Pennock • Andy Pettitte • George Pipgras • Vic Raschi • Dennis Rasmussen • Allie Reynolds • Rick Rhoden • Red Ruffing • Marius Russo • CC Sabathia • Scott Sanderson • Bob Shawkey • Urban Shocker • Mel Stottlemyre • Ralph Terry • Bob Turley • Hippo Vaughn • Chien-Ming Wang • Jack Warhop
Categories:- 1892 births
- 1966 deaths
- Boston Red Sox players
- Chicago White Sox players
- Cleveland Indians players
- New York Yankees players
- St. Louis Browns players
- Washington Senators players
- Major League Baseball right fielders
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Baseball players from Ohio
- People from Monroe County, Ohio
- Minor league baseball managers
- Zanesville Flood Sufferers players
- Cleveland Bearcats players
- Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.