Gary Jones (baseball manager) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gary Jones |
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Jones with the Chicago Cubs in 2017
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| Detroit Tigers – No. 86 | |||
| Third Base Coach | |||
| Born: November 11, 1960 Henderson, Texas |
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As Coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Gary Wayne Jones, born on November 11, 1960, is a baseball coach in Major League Baseball. He also used to be a player and a manager in minor League baseball.
He was the third-base coach for the Chicago Cubs from 2014 to 2017. Before that, he was the first-base coach for the Oakland Athletics in 1998. More recently, he managed the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, a Triple-A team for the Philadelphia Phillies, from 2018 to 2019 and again in 2021.
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Playing Baseball
Gary Jones started his baseball journey as a player. The Chicago Cubs signed him in 1982 when he was 21 years old. He played as an infielder.
He spent seven years playing in the minor league teams for the Cubs and the Athletics. This included two seasons with the Triple-A Tacoma Tigers. During his playing career, he hit for a .283 average. He hit nine home runs in 899 minor league games between 1982 and 1989. Gary Jones batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Becoming a Manager
After he stopped playing, Gary Jones became a manager for minor league teams. He managed teams for the Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres organizations.
From 1990 to 1997, and then from 1999 to 2001, and 2003 to 2006, he led many different teams. These teams played in leagues like the International League and the Pacific Coast League. Some of the teams he managed were the Madison Muskies, Huntsville Stars, and Edmonton Trappers.
Championship Wins
Gary Jones led his teams to win championships. In 1994, he guided the Huntsville Stars to win the Southern League championship. He also led the Edmonton Trappers to win back-to-back Pacific Coast League championships in 1996 and 1997.
He also won "Manager-of-the-Year" awards several times. He received these awards in 1991 (with Madison), 1994 (with Huntsville), and in both 1996 and 1997 (with Edmonton).
Managing the IronPigs
In 2018, Gary Jones managed the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. His team had a great win–loss record of 84 wins and 56 losses. They won the International League North Division championship that year.
Coaching in Major League Baseball
Gary Jones has also had an important career as a coach in Major League Baseball.
With the Chicago Cubs
Before joining the Cubs' coaching staff in 2014, Jones worked for the San Diego Padres. He spent seven years teaching minor league infielders there. He became the third-base coach for the Chicago Cubs.
He stayed with the Cubs when Joe Maddon became the new manager in 2015. As the third-base coach, he was part of the 2016 Cubs team. This team won the National League championship and the World Series. Winning the World Series is a huge achievement in baseball!
With the Detroit Tigers
In December 2021, Gary Jones was hired to manage the Toledo Mud Hens. This is the Triple-A team for the Detroit Tigers. However, on January 27, 2022, he was named the first-base coach for the Tigers' main Major League team. He took over this role after the sudden passing of Kimera Bartee.
