Lynn Jones

A career backup outfielder, Lynn Jones had nearly a 35-year career in professional baseball as a player and well-traveled coach and manager. Jones played eight seasons in the majors – five with the Detroit Tigers and three with the Kansas City Royals – before embarking on a coaching career that touched the lives of thousands of players. While his career totals are modest (a .252 average with 7 home runs and 91 RBIs), they do not accurately reflect the value he brought to his teams. Jones was a steady outfielder with a strong arm, often used as a late-inning defensive replacement, who had the ability to come up with timely, clutch hits.

Lynn Morris Jones was born on January 1, 1953, in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and grew up on the outskirts of the small town of Harmonsburg, a village of about 300 people about 10 miles east of Meadville. Meadville is about 40 miles south of Erie and 90 miles north of Pittsburgh. It is the county seat of Crawford County. In the 1950s the city had a population of about 19,000.

Lynn was the youngest of four sons of Paul Hairston and Valeria Marcella (Sterling) Jones (nicknamed Sue). Lynn’s father played semipro football with the Meadville Zippers and later worked for Talon Zippers for 35 years before retiring for health reasons.1 He was instrumental in establishing the local Little League and coaching his four sons. Valeria, the valedictorian of her high-school class, cleaned houses, worked in restaurants, and held other jobs as she raised her boys and pursued a degree to become a licensed practical nurse. Valeria was employed for 15 years as an LPN at the Meadville City Hospital and for 15 years as an office nurse in private practice.2 Lynn’s parents were both twins.

The Jones brothers grew up in a religious home. He and his brothers attended Harmonsburg United Methodist Church every Sunday morning with their parents. Valeria was a member of the church for over 75 years and served in all phases of the church, including youth groups, board member, United Methodist Women, community vacation Bible school, and Wednesday Bible study.3 Looking back on his upbringing and his parents’ influence on his faith, Jones said, “My parents were not religious zealots, or anything like that, but they were strong in their faith.”4

All the Jones boys (Paul, Leslie, Darryl, and Lynn) were all-around athletes, all excelling in basketball and baseball. Leslie, Lynn’s second oldest brother, died of a heart condition soon after he graduated from high school in 1962. Lynn believes he was the “best athlete of all of us.”5 Darryl Jones, Lynn’s third oldest brother, was also an outfielder who played in the major leagues. He played in 18 games for the New York Yankees in 1979. He hit .255 and drove in 6 runs.

Lynn attended Linesville Conneaut Summit High School in Linesville, Pennsylvania, where he played basketball, baseball, and volleyball, and ran cross-country. He ran cross-country for the purpose of getting in shape for the basketball season. Basketball was his primary sport in high school.

After high school, Jones decided to attend Thiel College, an independent liberal-arts college in Greenville in western Pennsylvania. Jones decided to attend college largely because of the military draft. “I went to school because my draft number was 150 and I needed to do something. I was a borderline student in the beginning but gradually got better. My last semester I was on the Dean’s List.”6 Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a degree he said helped him through his baseball career. “My degree helped me understand people. I was never surprised by who I encountered.”7

Jones was a three-sport athlete at Thiel College, earning three letters each in baseball and basketball and two in soccer. He was a two-year captain on the basketball team and was named an All-Lutheran Honorable Mention selection his senior year.8

While Jones went to Thiel to play basketball, he also made a name for himself on the baseball diamond. A two-year team captain on the baseball team, Jones was a standout outfielder. During his junior year, Jones batted .360 and was an All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference First Team selection. As a senior, Jones established a since-broken school record by hitting .440. For the second consecutive year he was selected to the All-PAC First Team.9 Jones said the Thiel baseball teams were not very good when he played there, and he didn’t garner much attention. “We didn’t play many games back then and I caught the attention of scouts during the summers,” Jones recalled.10

It was during the summer between his junior and senior years that Jones met Tom Brookens, an infielder from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, who was attending Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. Both were playing in the Shenandoah Valley League. The two were teammates with the Detroit Tigers for five years and the friendship they developed is the longest of Jones’s baseball career. “We still talk to this day,” Jones said in 2023.11

Reflecting on his childhood and days at Thiel, Jones said there were three movies that summarized his life up to that time: The Sandlot, A Christmas Story, and Animal House. The Sandlot referred to his childhood of growing up playing baseball on the playgrounds of western Pennsylvania. A Christmas Story was representative of the nurturing environment his parents created: “We weren’t rich, but my parents always found a way to give us what we wanted.”12 And finally, Animal House referred to his years at Thiel where he was a member of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity.

A 5-foot 9-inch 21-year-old, Jones was selected in the 10th round (239th overall) of the 1974 free-agent draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He was only the second player ever drafted from Thiel. A year earlier, right-handed pitcher Kevin Meistickle was drafted in the 34th round (691st overall) by the New York Mets. Jones is the only Tomcat to play in the majors.13

Jones was signed by award-winning scout Elmer Gray, who is credited with signing Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Sr., Moises Alou, and many others. Jones received a $1,000 bonus and a plane ticket to Billings, Montana, in return for his signature on his initial contract.

Jones began his professional career in 1974 with the Seattle Rainiers of the short-season Class-A Northwest League. He played in 76 games and hit .262 with 2 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. The Rainiers were managed by first-year skipper Greg Riddoch, whom Jones credits with making him a ballplayer. “He put my career on track. I owe a lot to him,” Jones said.14

For the next season Jones was advanced to the Trois-Rivieres (Quebec) Aigles of the Doube-A Eastern League. The move was more of an experiment than an actual promotion. The Aigles did not have a shortstop and Jones was given the chance to see if he could make it as an infielder. He did not enjoy the same success as he did in Seattle. He was hitting just .206 with one home run and 14 RBIs in 53 games played when he was sent back to the Northwest League. (The franchise was now in Eugene, Oregon.)

At Eugene, Jones was reunited with Riddoch. Jones enjoyed a breakout season in low-A ball at Eugene. In 62 games with the Emeralds, the right-handed batter and thrower hit .337 with 13 home runs (his career-high in Organized Baseball), 63 RBIs, and a team-leading 1.044 OPS. The Emeralds won the Northwest League’s Southern Division title and beat the Portland Mavericks two games to none in the best-of-three championship series.

As reported in The Sporting News, Jones played a key role in Eugene’s series win:

“Eugene (Northwest) outfielder Lynn Jones waved the big stick as the Emeralds swept a doubleheader from Portland, 1-0 and 4-3. Jones hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to win the opener, then delivered a two-run triple in the seventh inning, when Eugene rallied for four runs to take the nightcap.”15 

The home run was off former major leaguer Jim Bouton, who was attempting a comeback as a knuckleballer.

At the end of the 1975 season, Jones was selected to The Sporting News Class-A All-Star Team.

Jones returned to Trois-Rivieres as an outfielder in 1976. His second season with the Aigles was better. In 131 games he hit .251 with 2 home runs and 36 RBIs. However, the young outfielder was questioning his ability. “I didn’t think I was going to get out of Double-A. The lights were bad, and the pitching was very good.”16 Jones also recalled “lots of long bus rides that really wore me down.”17

The Aigles won the Eastern League Northern Division championship with a record of 83-55 and faced the West Haven Yankees, the Southern Division winners. The best-of-five championship series marked the only time the Jones brothers played against each other in professional ranks. The Yankees beat the Aigles three games to none, giving older brother Darryl family bragging rights for the winter.

Jones returned to Trois-Rivieres in 1977 and played in 94 games as he shared outfield duties with four other outfielders who played in 40 or more games. Jones hit .269 with 5 home runs, 32 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases as the Aigles repeated as division champions. West Haven also repeated, albeit without Darryl, who was now with Syracuse of the International League. The result of the Eastern League’s championship series was identical to the previous year, a three-game sweep by West Haven. 

Jones made only one error that season and was awarded a Rawlings Silver Glove, the minor-league equivalent to the Gold Glove Award. “That award reinforced who I was as a player, I was a good defensive player,” Jones said.18

Prior to the 1978 season, Jones decided it would be his last in professional baseball. He came to spring training with the Indianapolis Indians as one of five outfield candidates who included Champ Summers, Ed Armbrister, Arturo DeFreites, and John Valle. However, an injury to Reds third baseman Ray Knight led to Mike Grace being called up by the Reds, which had a ripple effect that opened additional playing time. Jones took advantage of the opportunity.19

“By the time Grace returned from the big leagues, I had cemented my position as the team’s center fielder,” Jones said.20 In 126 games he hit .328 with 9 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. Despite his offensive production, Jones was not called up to the Reds when the rosters expanded in September.

On December 4 the Detroit Tigers selected Jones in the Rule 5 Draft. He was chosen fourth behind outfielder Bobby Brown, catcher Bob Davis, and utilityman Ken Macha. The move assured Jones a spot on the Tigers’ 1979 roster, assuming the Tigers did not want to return Jones to the Reds organization and forfeit the $25,000 paid for Jones. The Tigers also selected infielder Dave Machemer from California in the same draft.

Jones made his major-league debut on April 13, 1979, in Arlington, Texas. Starting in center field, he went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in the Tigers’ 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers. His first major-league hit was a fifth-inning leadoff single to left field off right-hander Dock Ellis. He also had an infield single off Jim Kern to lead off the seventh inning. Despite going 2-for-5 against Kern during his career, Jones said Kern was among the three most difficult pitchers he faced. The other two were Bert Blyleven and Ron Guidry.21

On April 26, in the second game of a doubleheader at Milwaukee’s County Stadium, Jones hit his first major-league home run, a fifth-inning solo shot to left off Brewers left-hander Jerry Augustine. The home run tied the score at 1-1, but the Brewers went on to win the game, 7-5. John Wockenfuss, the Tigers’ backup catcher and first baseman, was in the bullpen that night and traded five bullpen balls to the Brewers’ relievers for the home-run ball, which he presented to Jones.22 The Tigers outfielder hit only six more home runs during his career.

Jones finished his rookie campaign with a .296 batting average, with career highs in home runs (4), RBIs (26), stolen bases (9), and OPS (.739). The fifth-place Tigers were 54-41 (.568) in games Jones played. The effort earned Jones Tiger Rookie of the Year honors. At 26 years old, he figured to factor into the Tigers future as a fourth outfielder under new manager Sparky Anderson, who had replaced Les Moss a third of the way into the 1979 season. The change wasn’t the best for the rookie outfielder.

Jones described Moss, with whom he got along well, as “a man of few words.”23 By comparison Jones wasn’t a favorite of Sparky’s. “I could have played more, instead I became a pine brother.” Jones continued, “Sparky liked to pencil in the same lineup day after day.”24 Jones said he would have become a better hitter if he had been given more playing time. 

The Tigers broke camp in the spring of 1980 with Jones as the team’s fourth outfielder. He appeared in nine games in April and was hitting .294 when he suffered a right knee injury (wear on articular cartilage) that required arthroscopic surgery. When he was cleared to begin playing, he was sent to the Triple-A Evansville Triplets on a rehabilitation stint. In Evansville he was invited to live with Mark Fidrych, who was trying to find his way back to the major leagues after suffering a series of injuries following his memorable 1976 season. Jones remembered Fidrych as a “super nice guy who was always enthusiastic about going to the ballpark and watching the game.”25

Jones played in 34 games for the Triplets and batted .273 with 11 RBIs before being called back up to the Tigers when rosters expanded in September. He played in 21 games and batted .237 after his recall, finishing the year with a .255 average and 6 RBIs.

The strike-interrupted split-season of 1981 was a tale of two seasons for Jones as the young Tigers began to show hints that they were on the verge of contending. Jones got off to a slow start and was batting just .189 at the start of play on May 25. That day he had a career-high four hits that started a nine-game hitting streak. He had another four-hit performance on June 1. He hit .462 during the streak. When the strike interrupted the play Jones was batting .307 with one home run and 15 RBIs as the fourth-place Tigers were 31-26.

Given the uncertainty of how long the strike would last, Jones decided to remain in Detroit. “I did lots of fishing on Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and Lake Erie,” he said as he recalled how he passed the summer days usually occupied by baseball.26

When play resumed, the young Tigers surged into contention largely due to the contributions of a group modestly called the Riders of the Lonesome Pine, or the Pine Brothers for short. The group comprised Mick Kelleher, Champ Summers, Bill Fahey, Rick Leach, Stan Papi, Wockenfuss, and Jones. Kelleher was referred to as “El Capitan” and Jones was “King Pine.” In an August 1981 Sports Illustrated article, regular left fielder Steve Kemp credited the Pine Brothers for the Tigers’ recent nine-game winning streak. “The Pine Bros. have been more instrumental in this streak than the regulars,” Kemp said as the Tigers remained in contention until the final weekend of the season.27 The Pine Brothers became their own brand in Detroit that summer, complete with T-shirts and other memorabilia. 

Jones’s batting average remained above .300 through the end of the Tigers’ streak. He cooled off considerably afterward. From August 24 until the end of the season, he hit .133 (6-for-45) and the young Tigers finished 29-23 in the second half, tied for second place with the Boston Red Sox, a game and a half behind the Milwaukee Brewers.

In 1982 Jones served primarily as the Tigers’ fourth outfielder and was often a late-inning defensive replacement. From July 2 to 9, he enjoyed an eight-game hitting streak (13-for-31, .419), raising his season average from .182 to .280 when he filled in for Chet Lemon who missed several games due to nagging injuries,28 including a sore left hand.29 He cooled off again when his playing time diminished and finished the season with a .223 average and 14 RBIs.

Jones’s playing time continue to diminish in 1983. He played in only one of the team’s first 26 games and appeared in only 49 games and had 64 at-bats for the entire season. Again, he demonstrated that when he had the chance to play, he could produce. During a seven-game hitting streak between August 6 and 20 he was 8-for-22, .364. He finished the season with a .266 average.

Jones became a free agent at the end of the 1983 season. On December 6 he signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. A favorite of many Tigers fans, he had played in 303 games for Detroit and hit .264 with 6 home runs and 71 RBIs. 

Royals executive vice president and general manager John Schuerholz spoke of the club’s rationale behind signing the outfielder. “Jones was available and based on our scouting reports and (manager) Dick Howser’s feeling, we believe he can help us,” Schuerholz said. “He provides us with some added depth in the outfield.”30 Howser added that Jones was “a good outfielder with a strong arm.”31

Jones’s 1984 season was derailed in spring training when he was hit by a pitch from Braves right-hander Jeff Dedmon, suffering a broken left hand. The Royals’ newly acquired outfielder missed the rest of the spring training and started the season at Triple-A Omaha. 

On September 24 Jones hit his first home run in three years, a solo shot off left-hander Geoff Zahn of the California Angels in the sixth inning of the first game of a doubleheader at Royals Stadium. It was the seventh and last home run of his major-league career. He finished the year with a career-high .301 batting average, albeit in 47 games, helping the team capture the American League West title, the reward for which was a date with Jones’s former club, the Detroit Tigers, in the 1984 ALCS.

Jones pinch-hit for right fielder Pat Sheridan in all three games of the series and went 1-for-5 in the series. With the Royals trailing 3-2 in Game Two, he had an eighth-inning leadoff pinch-hit single off 1984 AL Cy Young and MVP Award winner Willie Hernández. He came around to score the tying run on a double by Hal McRae, which forced the game into extra innings. Jones remained in the game, playing right field, and had two additional at-bats – both deep fly balls. The Tigers eventually won the game, 5-3 in 11 innings, and went on to sweep the Royals in three games.

“I had a strong sense of satisfaction,” Jones said as he reflected on watching the Tigers celebrate. “I loved those guys, and I was okay. It was well deserved.”32

On January 19, 1985, Jones married Lisa Cicarella of Detroit in a ceremony held in Jamaica. Alan Trammell, with whom Jones is particularly close, was the best man. They have three daughters, Lynsey, Alexis, and Skylar, and, as of 2023, one grandchild.

The Royals started the 1985 season on the road and their second series was in Detroit against the Tigers. Jones took some good-natured ribbing from his former teammates. Milt Wilcox, the Tigers’ right-handed junkballer, shouted across the field, “Hey, Jonesy! You missed out on a ring.”33 The needling continued at lunch with friends Kirk Gibson, Tom Brookens, and Trammell. When Jones sat down at the table the three Tigers intentionally placed their hands on the table to prominently display their newly received World Series rings. Jones said he ultimately got the last laugh with his 1985 World Series ring. “Our rings trumped their rings by so much.”34

Jones played in a career-high 110 games in 1985. His primary role was as a late-inning defensive replacement in the outfield. In 152 at-bats, he hit .211 and drove in 9 runs as the Royals went 91-71 to capture the AL West Division title for the second consecutive season. Reflecting on his career, Jones said he feels very fortunate: “I had a playing career longer than the average and enjoyed a long career in the game.”35

“I cringe whenever somebody asks me about our reserve strength because you hope you don’t have to use them,” Royals manager Howser said in 1985. “But it’s impossible to win pennants without guys like that who can contribute,” referring to Jones, Sheridan, and other members of The Scrapheap.36 The Scrapheap was the nickname given to a group of veteran players the Royals brought in to fortify their bench. In addition to Jones and Sheridan, The Scrapheap included Jorge Orta, Omar Moreno, and Dane Iorg.

The Royals faced the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS. After falling behind three games to one, the Royals rallied to win the series in seven games. Jones appeared in five games during the series, but had no plate appearances.

Jones played a larger role in the Royals’ World Series seven-game victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. He played in six games during the Series and went 2-for-3 at the plate. In Game One, Jones had a pinch-hit triple off left-hander John Tudor. Though the Royals loaded the bases, Jones was stranded at third and the Royals lost 3-1. In Game Four Jones pinch-hit for pitcher Joe Beckwith and had a leadoff double off Tudor. Once again, the Royals failed to drive him home and lost 3-0, falling behind three games to one in the Series. Jones’s final at-bat in the Series came in the Royals’ 11-0 Series-clinching blowout victory. After replacing Lonnie Smith in left field in the top of the sixth, he faced left-handed Ken Dayley in the bottom of the seventh and flied out to right field.

During the celebration in the clubhouse after the game, Dick Howser approached Jones and apologized for not allowing him to pinch-hit for Smith as opposed to inserting him in the lineup as a defensive replacement. Unbeknownst to Howser at the time, Jones would have had a chance to establish a World Series record of three pinch hits in a Series. “That showed you what kind of guy Dick Howser was,” Jones said. 

After the Royals’ World Series victory, Jones filed for free agency. That December he signed a nonguaranteed contract to return to the Royals for $185,000 in 1986, which gave him the opportunity to come to spring training and complete for a job. 

The following spring, Jones, who had been a role player for his entire seven-year career to this point, was once again battling for a roster spot. He humbly told The Sporting News, “People come up to me and tell me all of the time, ‘You should be playing more.’ I tell them, ‘No, I shouldn’t.’” Jones said being a defensive replacement is “an unheralded job by all means. Sometimes it’s boring, and you sit and talk to yourself. You’re not going to get your name splattered in the paper. And, certainly, it’s not a job you are going to get rich at. But to me it’s a job that’s very self-rewarding.”37

The 1986 season was Jones’s last. He played in 67 games. In 47 at-bats, he hit just .128 and the Royals finished third in the AL West with a record of 76-86. Now 33 years old, he played in the 527th and final game of his major-league career on October 4, the second-to-last game of the season. He was a ninth-inning defensive replacement for Rudy Law in left field. After the season Schuerholz informed Jones the Royals would not offer him a contract for 1987. After receiving no other offers, Jones retired as a player. However, his baseball career was far from over.

Jones began working as an investment broker with DSR Financial Services, a firm he founded. The former outfielder worked in this capacity until 1990, when an opportunity arose to coach with the Kansas City Royals. Jones was visiting Kansas City on business and was meeting with former teammate and Royals manager John Wathan. Wathan was looking for a first-base coach and encouraged Jones to interview for the position. The next morning Jones interviewed with general manager Herk Robinson. “I was more worried about catching my flight home than I was with how I answered the interview questions,” Jones recalled. As fate would have it, Jones was offered the job and returned to the Royals organization as the team’s first-base coach in 1991.

Jones was the first-base coach in 1991 and 1992. He was coaching first base on September 30, 1992, when George Brett recorded his 3,000th hit in Anaheim, only to be picked off first by Angels rookie left-hander Tim Fortugno. “Boy were the fans on me,” Jones recalled.38

After the 1992 season, Jones and Adrian Garrett, the Royals third-base coach and hitting coach, were fired. John Boles, who was the farm director for the new Florida Marlins franchise, hired both.  

Jones spent the next nine seasons as the manager of several minor-league clubs in the Marlins organization. He began his minor-league managerial career in 1993 with the Elmira (New York) Pioneers of the short-season Class-A New York-Pennsylvania League. Jones guided the Pioneers to a 31-44 record and third place in the NYPL’s Pinckney Division.

From 1994 to 1997, Jones managed the Kane County (Geneva, Illinois) Cougars of the Class-A Midwest League. With the Cougars, Jones complied a record of 275-273, reaching the postseason in both 1995 and 1997. During his tenure with Kane County, Jones managed more than 20 players who eventually made it to the major leagues, including Antonio Alfonseca, Kevin Millar, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Álex González, Mark Kotsay, Ryan Dempster, and Scott Podsednik.

In 1998 Jones managed the Portland (Maine) Sea Dogs of the Double-A Eastern League. He guided the team to a third-place finish with a record of 66-75. This was followed by a two-year stint (1999-2000) as manager of the Calgary Cannons of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. The Cannons finished in last place both years and had a combined record of 117-164.

Jones returned to the big leagues in 2001, joining the Florida Marlins as their first-base coach. When Tony Pérez was hired in midseason, replacing John Boles as manager, Jones was moved to third-base coach. After the season, Jones and the entire staff were fired.

In 2002 Jones managed the Macon Braves, the Class-A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Macon had a record of 66-74 and finished fifth in the eight-team Southern Division. 

In 2003 Jones joined the Boston Red Sox coaching staff as an outfield and baserunning coach. He returned to the NYPL circuit, a decade after he started his minor-league managerial career at Elmira, when he replaced John Deeble, who had to return to his native Australia. In his final managerial stint, Jones managed the Lowell (Massachusetts) Spinners for eight games. The Spinners (39-35) were 3-5 under Jones and finished in third place in the NYPL Stedler Division.

Jones finished his managerial career with a record of 558-635 (.468).

Jones rejoined the Red Sox coaching staff in 2004 and served as the team’s first-base coach the year the Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino and won the World Series for the first time in 86 years. Recalling the Red Sox’ epic comeback from a three-games-to-none deficit, Jones said, “With each win there was a mounting desperation on the part of the Yankees. We played perfect. The right guys were up at the right time during each of the last four games.”39

Jones returned as first-base coach of the Red Sox in 2005 and was the first-base coach for the American League All-Star team. The All-Star Game was a special experience for Jones for many reasons. The game was held in Detroit, which allowed him to share the event with friends and family. The All-Star ring he received is one of his most cherished rings because of the Tiger that adorns it. The game had added significance because good friend Alan Trammell was the American League’s honorary captain for the game. Finally, two players whom Jones managed at Kane County were on the All-Star rosters. Scott Podsednik, an outfielder with the Chicago White Sox and Luis Castillo of the Florida Marlins.

In 2006 Jones rejoined the team that drafted him out of Thiel in 1974, the Cincinnati Reds. He served as an outfield-baserunning roving instructor during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. “I loved that job. It gave me a chance to work with the kids and I was home one week every month,” Jones said.40 He then spent the next four years with the Atlanta Braves organization in a similar capacity.

In 2012 Jones became a volunteer coach for the Thiel College baseball team. “Lynn brings a wealth of big-league experience and baseball knowledge not only to our team, but our coaching staff as well,” head baseball coach Joe Schaly said.41

Speaking about his role with the Tomcats, Jones said, “I offer some instruction, but instruction in college is different than instruction in the professional ranks. I basically try to help the coaching staff out and if they need things, I help obtain them.”42

Jones resides in rural Pennsylvania, outside of Conneautville, with his wife, Lisa. The Joneses enjoy spending time at home, visiting with their granddaughter, and RVing. 

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author relied on Baseball-reference.com and Retrosheet.org.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Lynn Jones for his generosity with his time and openness to share his life story.

Notes

1 The Talon Zipper company was the first zipper manufacturing company. It was founded in 1893 as the Universal Fastener Company, manufacturing hookless fasteners for shoes, but a move to Meadville, Pennsylvania, led to its becoming the first manufacturer of zippers. The company flourished through the 1960s when it is estimated that seven out of every 10 zippers were Talon zippers.

2 Valeria M. Jones,” Retrieved on April 10, 2023, from www.waidcolemanfh.com/obituary/Valeria-Jones.

3 “Valeria M. Jones.”

4 Lynn Jones, interview, April 24, 2023.

5 Lynn Jones, interview, April 24, 2023.

6 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.

7 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.

8 “Hall of Fame: Lynn Jones.” Retrieved on April 17, 2023, from https://thielathletics.com/honors/hall-of-fame/lynn-m-jones/69.

9 “Hall of Fame: Lynn Jones.”

10 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.

11 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.

12 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.

13 Meistickle played seven seasons in the minor leagues and finished with 12-14 with 9 saves and a 5.90 ERA.

14 Lynn Jones, interview, April 24, 2023.

15 “Class A Leagues,” The Sporting News, August 23, 1975: 39.

16 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.

17 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.

18 Lynn Jones, interview, September 1, 2023.

19 First baseman Harry Spilman moved to third base and DeFrietes moved from the outfield to first base.

20 Lynn Jones, personal correspondence, August 28, 2023.

21 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.

22 Lynn Jones, interview, April 24, 2023.

23 Lynn Jones, interview, April 24, 2023.

24 Lynn Jones, interview, April 24, 2023.

25 Lynn Jones, interview, August 29, 2023

26 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.

27 Steve Wulf, “Let’s Give the Tigers a Great Big Hand: Take a Couple of Gridiron Greats, Throw in the Peerless Pine Bros., Ladle on Hot Sauce – And You Have a Nine-Game Detroit Winning Streak,” Sports Illustrated, August 31, 1981. Retrieved on June 7, 2023, from https://vault.si.com/vault/1981/08/31/lets-give-the-tigers-a-great-big-hand-take-a-couple-of-gridiron-greats-throw-in-the-peerless-pine-bros-ladle-on-hot-sauce-and-you-have-a-nine-game-detroit-winning-streak.

28 “Lemon #1 Culprit in Tigers’ Swoon,” The Sporting News, July 5, 1982: 21-22.

29 “Forkball Turns Tobik into Bullpen ‘King,’” The Sporting News, June 28, 1982: 31.

30 “Royals Sign Outfielder,” Iola (Kansas) Register, December 7, 1983: 8.              

31 “Royals Sign Outfielder.”

32 Lynn Jones, interview, April 24, 2023.

33 Lynn Jones, interview, April 24, 2023.

34 Lynn Jones, interview, April 24, 2023.

35 Lynn Jones, interview, April 24, 2023.

36 Ben Walker, “Royals End Losing Skid,” Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) Times, September 3, 1985: 15.

37 “Baseball: Royals,” The Sporting News, March 31, 1986: 36.

38 Lynn Jones, interview, August 28, 2023.

39 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.

40 Lynn Jones, interview, August 28, 2023.

41 “Lynn Jones,” Retrieved on May 31, 2023, from https://thielathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/lynn-jones-74/2180.

42 Lynn Jones, interview, June 6, 2023.