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 was born on November 11, 1960. He is an American baseball coach. He used to be a player and manager in minor league baseball. As of 2024, he works as a coach for the Detroit Tigers. They are a team in Major League Baseball.
Before joining the Tigers, Jones was a coach for other teams. He was the third-base coach for the Chicago Cubs from 2014 to 2017. In 1998, he was the first-base coach for the Oakland Athletics. He also managed the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. This was a Triple-A team connected to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Playing Baseball
Gary Jones started his baseball career as a player. The Chicago Cubs signed him in 1982. He was 21 years old and played as an infielder. He came from the University of Arkansas.
Jones played for seven years in minor league teams. These teams were part of the Cubs and Athletics organizations. He played two seasons with the Triple-A Tacoma Tigers. During his playing career, he hit for a .283 average. He also hit nine home runs. He played in 899 minor league games from 1982 to 1989. Jones batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Becoming a Manager
After he stopped playing, Jones became a manager. He managed teams in the minor league systems. These included teams connected to the Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres. From 1990 to 2006, he led many different teams.
He managed teams like the Madison Muskies and Huntsville Stars. He also managed the Edmonton Trappers and Pawtucket Red Sox. Jones even worked as a coordinator for minor league players for the Red Sox in 2002.
Managerial Success
Jones had a lot of success as a manager. He led the Huntsville Stars to win the Southern League championship in 1994. He also led the Edmonton Trappers to win two championships in a row. They won the Pacific Coast League championships in 1996 and 1997.
He also won "Manager-of-the-Year" awards. He won in 1991 with Madison. He won again in 1994 with Huntsville. Then he won two more times in 1996 and 1997 with Edmonton. In 2018, he led the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to win their division. By 2018, his total record as a minor league manager was 1,124 wins and 1,028 losses.
Coaching in Major League Baseball
Gary Jones moved up to coach in Major League Baseball. In 2014, he joined the Chicago Cubs coaching staff. He was the team's roving minor league infield instructor before that. He worked for the San Diego Padres.
When Joe Maddon became the Cubs manager in 2014, Jones stayed on the coaching staff. He was the third-base coach for the 2016 Cubs. That year, the Cubs won the National League championship. They also won the World Series, which was a huge achievement!
In December 2021, Jones was hired to manage the Toledo Mud Hens. This is the Triple-A team for the Detroit Tigers. Soon after, in January 2022, he became the first-base coach for the Tigers' main team.
