Bobby J. Jones
Encyclopedia
Robert Joseph Jones is a former right-handed starting pitcher
in Major League Baseball
. His career spanned from 1993 through 2002. He pitched for two teams, the New York Mets
, and the San Diego Padres
. He attended the same high school as another notable Mets pitcher, Tom Seaver
.
Jones was selected by the Mets with the 36th pick in the 1st round of the 1991 amateur draft. He was a compensatory pick the Mets received when Darryl Strawberry
left the team as a free agent. He made his major league debut on August 14, 1993 against the Philadelphia Phillies
, where he picked up a win
, allowing one run over six innings.
By , Jones had emerged as a mainstay in the Mets starting rotation. His 12 wins and 3.15 earned run average
placed him among the league leaders. In , he led the team in wins and strikeout
s.
was a breakout year for Jones. He raced out to an early 10-2 record by June, and appeared in his first and only All-Star Game
. He pitched the 8th inning for the National League
, and highlighted his effort with strikeouts of Ken Griffey, Jr and Mark McGwire
. Although Jones fizzled out in the second half of the season, his 15 wins stood as his career best.
By , however, Jones ended up being the odd man out in a crowded rotation. After missing much of the season with injuries, posting only 12 starts, Jones was left off the Mets' postseason roster. More indignity faced Jones as he was sent down to the minor leagues following a poor start in the season. However, Jones returned to the Mets in late June, and although his 5.06 ERA was his worst for any season in which he started more than 25 games, he was included as the 4th starter on the Mets' postseason roster.
Selected to start the 4th and potentially clinching game of the National League Division Series
against the San Francisco Giants
, Jones delivered the finest outing of his career. Masterfully mixing his 85 MPH fastball and 65 MPH curveball, Jones kept the Giants' potent lineup thoroughly baffled all afternoon. Jones retired the Giants in order in 8 out of 9 innings, allowing only a 5th-inning double to Jeff Kent
. His one-hit shutout clinched the series and sent the Mets on to the National League Championship Series
. It also set a Mets' record for fewest hits allowed in a post-season complete game, besting Jon Matlack
's two-hitter in the 1973 NLCS
, and was the fewest hits allowed in a League Division Series complete game until Roy Halladay
's no-hitter
in 2010
.
Jones went on to make starts in both the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals
and in the World Series
against the New York Yankees
. However, Mets management allowed him to leave via free agency following the 2000 season, and he signed with the San Diego Padres
, where he posted two marginal years before retiring following the season.
Jones posted double figures in wins each season from 1994 through 1997. He currently stands 9th on the Mets all time list with 74 wins.
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
in 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...
. His career spanned from 1993 through 2002. He pitched for two teams, the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, and the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. He attended the same high school as another notable Mets pitcher, Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
.
Jones was selected by the Mets with the 36th pick in the 1st round of the 1991 amateur draft. He was a compensatory pick the Mets received when Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
left the team as a free agent. He made his major league debut on August 14, 1993 against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, where he picked up a win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
, allowing one run over six innings.
By , Jones had emerged as a mainstay in the Mets starting rotation. His 12 wins and 3.15 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...
placed him among the league leaders. In , he led the team in wins and 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....
s.
was a breakout year for Jones. He raced out to an early 10-2 record by June, and appeared in his first and only All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
. He pitched the 8th inning for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, and highlighted his effort with strikeouts of Ken Griffey, Jr and Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
. Although Jones fizzled out in the second half of the season, his 15 wins stood as his career best.
By , however, Jones ended up being the odd man out in a crowded rotation. After missing much of the season with injuries, posting only 12 starts, Jones was left off the Mets' postseason roster. More indignity faced Jones as he was sent down to the minor leagues following a poor start in the season. However, Jones returned to the Mets in late June, and although his 5.06 ERA was his worst for any season in which he started more than 25 games, he was included as the 4th starter on the Mets' postseason roster.
Selected to start the 4th and potentially clinching game of the National League Division Series
2000 National League Division Series
-St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves:-Game 1, October 4:Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, CaliforniaGiants Pitcher Liván Hernández allowed one run and five hits over a inning effort, backed by a three-run home run by Ellis Burks as the Giants cruised to an easy 5–1 victory.-Game 2, October...
against the 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....
, Jones delivered the finest outing of his career. Masterfully mixing his 85 MPH fastball and 65 MPH curveball, Jones kept the Giants' potent lineup thoroughly baffled all afternoon. Jones retired the Giants in order in 8 out of 9 innings, allowing only a 5th-inning double to Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
. His one-hit shutout clinched the series and sent the Mets on to the National League Championship Series
2000 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 11, 2000 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Mets jumped on Cardinals starter Darryl Kile right from the outset. Rookie Timo Pérez led off the game with a double into the right field corner, and following a walk to Edgardo Alfonzo, scored on a double by Mike Piazza...
. It also set a Mets' record for fewest hits allowed in a post-season complete game, besting Jon Matlack
Jon Matlack
Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher...
's two-hitter in the 1973 NLCS
1973 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 6, 1973 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe starting pitchers, New York's Tom Seaver and Cincinnati's Jack Billingham, produced a classic pitcher's duel in Game 1. The Mets threatened in the first, loading the bases with one out, but Cleon Jones grounded into a...
, and was the fewest hits allowed in a League Division Series complete game until Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
's no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
in 2010
2010 National League Division Series
The 2010 National League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—a "Wild Card"—played in two series from October 6 to 11...
.
Jones went on to make starts in both the NLCS against 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...
and in the World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. However, Mets management allowed him to leave via free agency following the 2000 season, and he signed with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, where he posted two marginal years before retiring following the season.
Jones posted double figures in wins each season from 1994 through 1997. He currently stands 9th on the Mets all time list with 74 wins.