Dalton Jones
Encyclopedia
James Dalton Jones is a former Major League Baseball
player who played nine seasons in the big leagues for the Boston Red Sox
(–), Detroit Tigers
(–), and Texas Rangers
(1972).
, Jones was principally a utility infielder and pinch-hitter. He played 262 games at second base, 186 at third base, 158 at 1st base, 18 in the outfield, and 1 at shortstop. In 907 Major League games, he compiled a .235 batting average with 548 hits, 268 runs scored, 237 RBIs, 91 doubles, 19 triples, 41 home runs, and 20 stolen bases.
Jones was a highly recruited prospect while playing in high school. To gain the edge in recruiting, the Red Sox involved Jones' boyhood hero, Ted Williams
, in the effort, and Jones ended up signing with Boston.
He played for Boston from 1964-1969. He had his best season in 1967, the Red Sox "Impossible Dream" season. Dalton led the American League with 13 pinch hits and had a career-high .289 batting average. He also had several key hits for the Red Sox during the pennant drive. On September 18, 1967, he hit an 11th inning home run in Detroit to beat the Tigers. In the last two games of the season, Jones went 3-for-5 and scored the game winning run in the final regular season game. Jones also gave a tremendous performance in the 1967 World Series
. He was Boston's starting third baseman in Games 1-4 and served as a pinch hitter in two other games. He was 7-for-18 with a .389 batting average and .421 on base percentage in the World Series—second only to Carl Yastrzemski
(who hit .400 for the Series) among the Red Sox.
Jones was traded to the Detroit Tigers
before the 1970 season. He played two seasons with the Tigers. On July 9, 1970, Jones hit a towering fly ball into the right field upper deck in Detroit with the bases loaded. What should have been a grand slam ended up being a three-RBI single
, as Jones passed teammate Don Wert
between first and second base. Jones was called out but the three baserunners scored. Interviewed in July 2006, Jones blamed Wert for the embarrassing incident that Jones is now best remembered for. The ball was a towering fly ball, which may or may not have had the distance to make it into the right field overhang at old Tiger Stadium. Jones felt that Wert should have been halfway to second base, prepared to advance if it was a home run, and prepared to return to first if it was caught. Instead, Jones recalled that Wert was returning to first to tag up. Jones says he was already at first when the ball landed in the upper deck, and he passed Wert just 1 or 2 steps past first base. http://www.nationalpastime.com/stitchesintime/Catching%20Up%20With/Catching%20Up%20With.html
Jones' Major League career ended in 1972 with the Texas Rangers
managed by his boyhood hero, Ted Williams
, who had helped scout and sign Jones for the Red Sox when Jones was a high school senior.
In 1973, Jones played with the Peninsula Whips
, the Triple-A team in the Montreal Expos
organization. After that effort, Jones realized he wouldn't be making a comeback and retired from baseball.
After his playing career ended, Jones worked for a time at a bank and spent five years working for Exxon.
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...
player who played nine seasons in the big leagues for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(–), Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(–), and Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1972).
Biography
Born in McComb, MississippiMcComb, Mississippi
McComb is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States, about south of Jackson. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 13,644. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi, Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, Jones was principally a utility infielder and pinch-hitter. He played 262 games at second base, 186 at third base, 158 at 1st base, 18 in the outfield, and 1 at shortstop. In 907 Major League games, he compiled a .235 batting average with 548 hits, 268 runs scored, 237 RBIs, 91 doubles, 19 triples, 41 home runs, and 20 stolen bases.
Jones was a highly recruited prospect while playing in high school. To gain the edge in recruiting, the Red Sox involved Jones' boyhood hero, Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
, in the effort, and Jones ended up signing with Boston.
He played for Boston from 1964-1969. He had his best season in 1967, the Red Sox "Impossible Dream" season. Dalton led the American League with 13 pinch hits and had a career-high .289 batting average. He also had several key hits for the Red Sox during the pennant drive. On September 18, 1967, he hit an 11th inning home run in Detroit to beat the Tigers. In the last two games of the season, Jones went 3-for-5 and scored the game winning run in the final regular season game. Jones also gave a tremendous performance in the 1967 World Series
1967 World Series
The 1967 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the 1946 World Series, with the Cardinals winning in seven games for their second championship in four years and their eighth overall...
. He was Boston's starting third baseman in Games 1-4 and served as a pinch hitter in two other games. He was 7-for-18 with a .389 batting average and .421 on base percentage in the World Series—second only to Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...
(who hit .400 for the Series) among the Red Sox.
Jones was traded to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
before the 1970 season. He played two seasons with the Tigers. On July 9, 1970, Jones hit a towering fly ball into the right field upper deck in Detroit with the bases loaded. What should have been a grand slam ended up being a three-RBI single
Grand Slam Single
The Grand Slam Single is a reference to the hit that ended Game 5 of the 1999 National League Championship Series between the New York Mets and one of their biggest rivals, Atlanta Braves...
, as Jones passed teammate Don Wert
Don Wert
Donald Ralph Wert , nicknamed "Coyote", is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers from 1963 to 1970 and also briefly played for the Washington Senators in 1971...
between first and second base. Jones was called out but the three baserunners scored. Interviewed in July 2006, Jones blamed Wert for the embarrassing incident that Jones is now best remembered for. The ball was a towering fly ball, which may or may not have had the distance to make it into the right field overhang at old Tiger Stadium. Jones felt that Wert should have been halfway to second base, prepared to advance if it was a home run, and prepared to return to first if it was caught. Instead, Jones recalled that Wert was returning to first to tag up. Jones says he was already at first when the ball landed in the upper deck, and he passed Wert just 1 or 2 steps past first base. http://www.nationalpastime.com/stitchesintime/Catching%20Up%20With/Catching%20Up%20With.html
Jones' Major League career ended in 1972 with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
managed by his boyhood hero, Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
, who had helped scout and sign Jones for the Red Sox when Jones was a high school senior.
In 1973, Jones played with the Peninsula Whips
Winnipeg/Peninsula Whips
The Winnipeg Whips and the Peninsula Whips were names of a minor league baseball franchise that played in the International League from June 11, 1970, through the end of the 1973 baseball season....
, the Triple-A team in the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
organization. After that effort, Jones realized he wouldn't be making a comeback and retired from baseball.
After his playing career ended, Jones worked for a time at a bank and spent five years working for Exxon.