Hal Jones (baseball) facts for kids

Harold Marion Jones, known as Hal Jones, is an American retired professional baseball player. He was born on April 9, 1936. His baseball career lasted from 1956 to 1964. Hal played as a first baseman. He was known for his strong hitting.

Hal Jones's Baseball Journey

Starting in the Negro Leagues

Hal Jones began his professional baseball career in 1956. He played for the Kansas City Monarchs. This team was part of the Negro league. These leagues were important for Black baseball players. They played before Major League Baseball (MLB) became fully integrated. Hal even played in the East–West All-Star Game that year. This was a special game for the best players.

Playing in the Major Leagues

Hal Jones later played in Major League Baseball (MLB). He joined the Cleveland Indians team. He played for them in parts of the 1961 and 1962 seasons. Hal played 17 games in the MLB. He was born in Louisiana, Missouri. He threw and batted with his right hand. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 194 pounds.

A Powerful Hitter

Hal Jones was a very strong hitter in minor league baseball. Minor league teams help players get ready for the major leagues. He had many seasons where he hit a lot of runs batted in (RBIs). RBIs mean he helped his teammates score runs. He had seasons with 97, 99, 104, 104, and 127 RBIs. These were in different levels of minor league play. These levels ranged from Class D to Triple-A.

He also hit many home runs. A home run is when a player hits the ball out of the park. Hal had seasons with 22, 24, 27, 34, and 35 home runs. His overall batting average in the minor leagues was .284. This shows he was a consistent hitter.

In the major leagues, most of his 17 games were in September. This is when teams often call up younger players. He got 11 hits during these games. Two of his hits were home runs. He hit one on September 19, 1961, against Bill Kunkel. He hit another on October 1, 1961, off Art Fowler.