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Willie Jones (third baseman)

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Willie Jones
Jones' 1950 baseball card from Bowman Gum
Third baseman
Born: (1925-08-16)August 16, 1925
Dillon, South Carolina, U.S.
Died: October 18, 1983(1983-10-18) (aged 58)
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 10, 1947, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Last MLB appearance
May 7, 1961, for the Cincinnati Reds
MLB statistics
Batting average.258
Home runs190
Runs batted in812
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Willie Edward Jones (August 16, 1925 – October 18, 1983), nicknamed "Puddin' Head", was an American professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (1947–1959), Cleveland Indians (1959), and Cincinnati Reds (1959–1961). He batted and threw right-handed.

In a 15-season career, Jones was a .258 hitter with 190 home runs and 812 runs batted in (RBI) in 1,691 games played. Defensively, he recorded a .963 fielding percentage.[1]

Early life

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Born in Dillon, South Carolina, Jones grew up in and listed Laurel Hill, North Carolina, as his home. Jones went on to serve his country in the United States Navy during World War II.

Major league baseball

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Jones started his major league career with the Phillies in 1947. By 1949, he became the team's starting third baseman, and held that position until 1959. Jones was the top fielding third baseman in the National League (NL) during the 1950s. He led the league in fielding percentage five times, in putouts for seven years (also tying a record), and twice each in assists and double plays.

Jones' most productive season came as a member of the fabulous 1950 "Whiz Kids" National League champion team, when he posted career-highs in home runs (25), RBI (88), runs (100), hits (163), and led the league in games played (157). His 16-game hit streak to begin that campaign was a franchise record that stood for 73 years until Bryson Stott surpassed it on April 18, 2023.[2] In 1951, Jones hit 22 homers with 81 RBI and a career-high .285 batting average.[1] He was selected for the All-Star Game in both seasons.

In 1959, Jones was part of successive trades between the Phillies, Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds. He finished his career with Cincinnati in 1961.

Jones was given his nickname from a popular 1930s song, "Woodenhead, Puddin' head Jones".[3]

Personal life

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Jones was married to Carolyn, with whom he had three children, Eddie, Kathie, and Bradley. The marriage ended in divorce.

Death

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On October 18, 1983, Jones died at the age of 58, of cancer in Cincinnati, Ohio — where he had lived after his playing days were over.[4]

Highlights

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  • Twice All-Star (1950–51)
  • Tied a major league record with four straight doubles in a game (April 28, 1949)
  • His six career grand slams as a Phillie ties him for third place behind Mike Schmidt and Ryan Howard
  • His 2,045 career putouts are 10th-highest in major league history
  • Compiled a career 1.39 walk-to-strikeout ratio (755-to-541)

References

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  1. ^ a b "Willie Jones Baseball Stats". baseball-almanac.com. Baseball Almanac. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  2. ^ Casella, Paul. "Stott tops Puddin' Head for Phils-record hit streak," MLB.com, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  3. ^ Marazzi, R.; Fiorito, L. (2015). Baseball Players of the 1950s: A Biographical Dictionary of All 1,560 Major Leaguers. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-4766-0429-9. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  4. ^ Deaths | Willie Jones, Daytona Beach Morning Journal October 21, 1983, p. 13B. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
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