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Jones Retires

Jay Jones, one of the all time greats of the Baseball League, has announced his retirement.

Jones spent his entire 16-year career with the Bolton Wanderers, anchoring their outfield from centre field. Jones played 1,184 games, all but one of them in centre, and finished his career with some of the best offensive numbers in League history. He finishes ninth in career hits average with .349; fifth in runs scored (935); third in hits (1,702); eighth in slugging average (.508); third in twos (273); fourth in home runs (94); first in RBI (933); ninth in stolen bases (482); and third in total bases (2,473).

Jones also had several league leading seasons. He led the League in 1888, its very first year of existence, in hits and did so again in 1891. He led the League in a few other categories as well: total bases twice, home runs twice, RBI once, and slugging once. Jones’s best year was 1896, when he became only the third batsman in League history to bat over .400. That season he batted .405, led the league in home runs with 14, drove in 85 and stole 37 bases while striking out a paltry seven times. Although Jones had somewhat of a reputation for lackadaisicalness, he was also known for his endurance, starting every game for the Wanderers for five straight seasons from 1895 to 1899.

Jones was also considered one of the finest fielding centre fielders in League history, achieving a fielding percentage of .950 with 3,486 putouts and 133 assists in over 10,500 innings.

Jones was only 36 years old when he retired after he suffered a career-ending skull fracture in a baserunning collision during a game with Burslem Port Vale on the 25th of May.