Jacque Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jacque Jones |
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Jones with the Chicago Cubs
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| Outfielder | ||||||||||||||
| Born: April 25, 1975 San Diego, California, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| June 9, 1999, for the Minnesota Twins | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| June 10, 2008, for the Florida Marlins | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .277 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 165 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 630 | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Jacque Dewayne Jones, born on April 25, 1975, is a former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball for teams like the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, and Florida Marlins. After his playing career, he also worked as a coach for the Washington Nationals.
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Jacque Jones's Early Life and College Career
Jacque Jones grew up in San Diego, California. He graduated from San Diego High School in 1993. After high school, he went to the University of Southern California. He was a fantastic baseball player there.
In 1994, he was named a first-team All-American outfielder. This means he was one of the best college outfielders in the country. In 1996, he was part of the U.S. Olympic Baseball team. He helped represent his country in the Olympic Games.
Jacque Jones's Professional Baseball Journey
Playing for the Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins picked Jacque in the second round of the 1996 amateur draft. He spent three seasons playing in the minor leagues. Then, in 1999, he joined the Twins in the major leagues.
He started playing in center field. Later, he moved to left field to make room for another great player, Torii Hunter. From 2002 to 2003, Jacque batted over .300. This is a very good batting average. He also helped the Twins reach the playoffs during these years.
In 2005, the Twins had one of the fastest outfields in baseball. It included Jones, Hunter, and Shannon Stewart. Jacque moved to right field when Stewart joined the team. Jacque was known for hitting home runs. He averaged 20 home runs each year from 2000 to 2005.
After the 2005 season, Jacque decided to leave the Twins. He turned down an offer to stay with the team. He then signed a three-year deal with the Chicago Cubs.
Playing for the Chicago Cubs
Jacque Jones joined the Chicago Cubs in 2006. On August 15, 2006, he hit a huge home run. It went over 440 feet against famous pitcher Roger Clemens. He finished the 2006 season with a .285 batting average. He also tied his personal best with 27 home runs that year.
After the 2006 season, there were rumors that Jacque might be traded. However, in February 2007, he said he wanted to stay with the Cubs. He hoped to have a great comeback year. He stayed with the team for the start of the 2007 season.
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
On November 12, 2007, Jacque Jones was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He was traded for an infielder named Omar Infante. Jacque had a tough start with the Tigers. He batted only .165 in his first 24 games.
Because of his slow start, the Tigers decided to release him on May 13, 2008. His best game with the Tigers was against the Texas Rangers. In that game, he hit his only home run for Detroit. He also hit a triple right after his home run.
Playing for the Florida Marlins
On May 19, 2008, Jacque signed a minor league deal with the Florida Marlins. He joined their major league team on May 23. He played his first game for the Marlins in center field on May 25. However, he was released by the Marlins on June 20, 2008. He decided not to play in the minor leagues for them.
Trying Out for Other Teams
Jacque Jones continued to try and play baseball. In February 2009, he signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He went to spring training with them. However, he did not make the team. He chose to leave the Reds rather than play in the minor leagues.
In February 2010, Jacque signed another minor league contract. This time it was with his old team, the Minnesota Twins. He was assigned to their minor league team. When he played in exhibition games at Target Field, the Twins' new stadium, fans gave him very loud cheers.
Jacque Jones's Coaching Career
After his playing career, Jacque Jones became a baseball coach. In 2012, he was hired as the hitting coach for the Class A Fort Wayne TinCaps. This team is part of the San Diego Padres organization.
In 2013, he was promoted to be the hitting coach for the Double-A San Antonio Missions. The next year, in 2014, he became the hitting coach for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. He resigned from that job during the season.
In 2016, the Washington Nationals hired him as their assistant hitting coach. He worked with the Nationals through their Template:2017 Washington Nationals season.
