Sad Sam Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sad Sam Jones |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: July 26, 1892 Woodsfield, Ohio, U.S. |
|||
| Died: July 6, 1966 (aged 73) Barnesville, Ohio, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| June 13, 1914, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 1935, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 229–217 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.84 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,223 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Samuel Pond "Sad Sam" Jones (born July 26, 1892 – died July 6, 1966) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for several teams from 1914 to 1935. These teams included the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators, and Chicago White Sox. Sam Jones threw and batted with his right hand. His amazing curveball, which moved sharply, also earned him the nickname "Horsewhips Sam."
Contents
Sam Jones's Baseball Journey
Sam Jones had a long baseball career that lasted 22 years. During this time, he won 229 games and lost 217. He also recorded 1,223 strikeouts. His ERA was 3.84 over 3,883 innings pitched.
Starting in the Big Leagues
Jones signed his first professional contract in 1913. He played for a minor league team called the Flood Sufferers in Zanesville, Ohio. After playing for a couple more minor league teams, he made his big league debut. This happened with the Cleveland Indians in 1914. Before the 1916 season, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox. This trade also brought famous player Tris Speaker to Cleveland.
Winning with the Red Sox and Yankees
In 1918, Jones became a regular starting pitcher for the Red Sox. He finished that season with 16 wins and only 5 losses. His ERA was a career-best 2.25. He also had the best winning percentage in the league.
His best season for wins was in 1921. He won 23 games, had 98 strikeouts, and pitched 298.2 innings. He also led the league with 5 shutouts.
The Famous No-Hitter
Sam Jones's most memorable season might have been 1923. He was the top pitcher for the New York Yankees. He had a great record of 21 wins and 8 losses. He helped his team win their first World Series title that year.
On September 4, 1923, Jones pitched a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics. This means no player on the other team got a hit during the entire game. What made this no-hitter extra special was that he did not record a single strikeout! Only two other pitchers in history have thrown a no-hitter without any strikeouts.
In the 1923 World Series, Jones won 2 games and lost 1 against the New York Giants. His important work as a relief pitcher in the final game helped the Yankees win the championship. Like many pitchers back then, Jones would both start games and come in as a reliever. In 1922, he led the league's relievers with eight saves.
Later Years and Records
In 1925, Jones had a tough year, losing 21 games. He then played for the St. Louis Browns and later joined the Washington Senators in 1927. With the Senators, he pitched well again, leading his team with a 17–7 record. His last good season was in 1930, when he finished with 15 wins and 7 losses.
After playing four years for the Chicago White Sox, Jones retired in 1935. At 42 years old, he was the oldest active player in the league at that time. He holds a major league record for pitching 22 seasons in a row in one league. Only a few other famous pitchers share this record.
Sam Jones was also a pretty good hitter for a pitcher. He had a .197 batting average with 245 hits in 1243 tries. He scored 151 runs, hit 6 home runs, and had 101 RBI.
Why Was He Called "Sad Sam"?
Sam Jones had two nicknames: "Sad Sam" and "Horsewhips Sam."
- He was called "Horsewhips Sam" because his curveball had a very sharp break, like the snap of a whip.
- The nickname "Sad Sam" came from a sportswriter named Bill McGeehan. Bill thought Jones looked sad on the field. However, Jones explained that he just wore his cap very low over his eyes. He said other pitchers, like Waite Hoyt, wore their caps high so they wouldn't miss seeing "pretty girls." So, he wasn't actually sad, just focused!
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- The Glory of Their Times, 1966 book
