Deacon Jones was born on Wednesday, April 18, 1934, in White Plains, New York. Jones was 28 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 8, 1962, with the Chicago White Sox. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Deacon Jones baseball stats page.
"Grover Jones has spent more than a half century in baseball, serving the game at almost every level and in nearly every capacity. While he played in the Majors briefly and coached there for more than a decade, his greatest accomplishments may well have come far away from the bright lights of the big leagues. Jones, who is better known by his nickname 'Deacon,' is one of the legendary figures in the history of Midwest League. He set a league record in 1956 then had one of the finest seasons in circuit history in 1966 before helping break down a racial barrier in the spring of 1973. While his place in baseball history may not be as prominent as some, Jones remains one of the great Minor League figures over the last half century." - Czerwinski, Kevin T. Minor League Baseball Staff Writer. Minors legend still holds batting record Grover Deacon Jones broke barriers on and off the field. 27 February 2008.
Deacon JonesDeacon Jones Autograph on a 1963 Topps Baseball Card (#253 | Checklist) |
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Biographical Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Deacon JonesDeacon Jones Pitching Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
- | - | Did Not Pitch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
Deacon JonesDeacon Jones Hitting Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
1962 | 28 | White Sox | 18 | 28 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .321 | .394 | .393 |
1963 | 29 | White Sox | 17 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .188 | .316 | .500 |
1966 | 32 | White Sox | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .400 | .400 | .400 |
Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
3 Years | 40 | 49 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .286 | .368 | .429 |
Deacon JonesDeacon Jones Fielding Stats |
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Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1962 White Sox | 1B | 6 | 6 | 159 | 52 | 8.7 | 50 | 46 | 4 | 2 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .962 | 8.49 |
1963 White Sox | 1B | 1 | 1 | 27 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 7.00 |
Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1B Totals | 7 | 7 | 186 | 59 | 8.4 | 57 | 52 | 5 | 2 | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .966 | 8.27 | |
2 Years | 7 | 7 | 186 | 59 | 8.4 | 57 | 52 | 5 | 2 | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .966 | 8.27 |
Deacon JonesDeacon Jones Miscellaneous Stats |
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Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
1962 White Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 12 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 4.7 | 3.5 | - | - | - |
1963 White Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 16 | 0 | n/a | 16.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | - | - | - |
1966 White Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 5 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
3 Years | 0 | 0 | .000 | 33 | 0 | n/a | 49.0 | 6.1 | 4.9 | - | - | - |
Deacon JonesDeacon Jones Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
1962 Chicago White Sox | 50 | $2,400.00 | - | - |
1963 Chicago White Sox | 50 | $4,500.00 | - | - |
1966 Chicago White Sox | 50 | $5,400.00 | - | - |
Deacon Jones Stats by Baseball Almanac |
Grover William Jones was a Major League Baseball player with the Chicago White Sox (1962-1963; 1966). When Deacon, his nickname, made his big league debut on September 8, 1962, he became the third White Plains High School (White Plains, NY) former student to play in the majors, joining Sal Yvars (1947-1954) and Art Schult (1953-1960). After high school, Jones accepted a baseball scholarship to Ithaca College, where he played baseball with the Bombers from 1953, through 1955, and he was their first former player to reach the major leagues.
Deacon Jones Rookie Card | 1963 Topps Baseball Card (#253 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library
Did you know that The Sporting News (September 19, 1951) had the following excerpt about Deacon Jones — a great natural hitter who still holds the Midwest League record for the highest single-season batting average when he hit .409 for Dubuque in 1956?
In 1951, the American Legion held its national tournament at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, with the Crenshaw, California, club going for its third consecutive championship, behind third baseman (and captain) Billy Consolo and shortstop Sparky Anderson. The final game saw them defending their title against captain Grover Jones and the White Plains team. Though White Plains lost, Jones was selected as the tournament’s outstanding player as well as Legion Junior Player of the Year, leading in average (.408), hits (20), RBIs (20), and tied for the lead in homers with two.
It was the first time a player from the losing team was designated American Legion Junior Baseball Player of the Year. The winner of the tournament was honored by having a plaque displayed for the following calendar year at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Grover Jones thereby became the first African American honored with a plaque in Cooperstown.
After hanging up his cleats, Deacon Jones joined the Houston Astros as the teams’ hitting coach from 1976 to 1982, then served as the hitting coach for the San Diego Padres from 1984 to 1987. After coaching, he became an advanced scout for the Chicago White Sox, a role he held from 1988 to 2008. On Sunday, May 7, 2023, Deacon Jones passed away. He was 89-years-old.