Slim Jones
| Slim Jones | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher / First baseman | |
| Born: May 6, 1913 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| Died: November 19, 1938 (aged 25) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| Negro leagues debut | |
| 1932, for the Baltimore Black Sox | |
| Last Negro leagues appearance | |
| 1938, for the Philadelphia Stars | |
| Negro leagues statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 32–21 |
| Earned run average | 3.24 |
| Strikeouts | 295 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stuart "Slim" Jones (May 6, 1913 – November 19, 1938) was an American professional baseball pitcher and first baseman in negro league baseball. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, he played for the Baltimore Black Sox and the Philadelphia Stars of the East-West League and Negro National League II from 1932 to 1938.[1]
In 1934, the 6' 6" Jones led the Negro National League II in earned run average (ERA) at 1.29, wins (20), and strikeouts (164) to become the first pitcher in Negro league history to achieve the pitching Triple Crown. This achievement was matched just three more times in league history.[2] He set the pitching wins above replacement (WAR) record for a single season by a Negro League pitcher with 8.4, surpassing Bill Foster’s mark of 8.3 established in 1926.[3] Jones was the winning pitcher in the final game of the Championship Series that clinched a pennant for the Stars.[4] Jones was not in the league for a long time but was very effective during his short career.
Jones was plagued by trouble with alcoholism. He won just seven games in the four seasons he played after 1934. He died in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 19, 1938. According to legend, he froze to death after selling his coat for alcohol, but in reality he died after being admitted to a Baltimore hospital.[4]
Fourteen years after his death, Jones received votes listing him on the 1952 Pittsburgh Courier player-voted poll of the Negro leagues' best players ever.[5]
References
- ^ The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia. Sterling Publishing. 2007. p. 1701. ISBN 978-1-4027-4771-7.
- ^ "MLB Triple Crown Winners". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ "Most single-season pitching wins above replacement by a Negro League Baseball player (in the Negro American League, Negro National League I, Negro National League II, East–West League, Negro Southern League, American Negro League, or Eastern Colored League)". Stathead. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b Bush, Fredrick C. "Slim Jones". Society for American Baseball Research. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ "1952 Pittsburgh Courier Poll of Greatest Black Players"
Further reading
- Johnny Goodtimes (May 13, 2011). "The Tragedy of Slim Jones". phillysportshistory.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- Goldman, Steven (12 January 2023). "Why Were Black Sports Pioneers Necessary, Momma?". Baseball Prospectus. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference and Seamheads