JONES, Grover "Deacon"

JONES, Grover William "Deacon." (White Plains, NY, Apr. 18, 1934--). Jones is a a retired professional baseball player who played first base in the Major Leagues from 1962-1966 with the Chicago White Sox. (1) When, as a 22-year-old, Jones played for Dubuque in the Midwest League he won the Silver Bat Award in 1956 with a .409 batting average that topped all professional baseball players that season. In 2013 he still held the Midwest League record for the highest single-season batting average he hit that season. His batting average only dropped below .400 three times that year and finished the season with 135 hits in 330 at-bats. he hit 26 home runs and led the league with 120 RBI. (2)

In his 11-year minor-league career, Jones batted .319 with 154 home runs and had a slugging percentage of .528. His major-league experience consisted of 60 plate appearances combined between the 1962, '63 and '66 seasons. He batted .286 (14 for 49) with one home run, and 10 RBIs. (3)

Jones fondly remembered fans in Dubuque for dropping money in his hat if he did something spectacular. Earnings for ball players was not high, he remembered. He also recalled being the only man of color on the team and how that seemed to make no difference to the fans. (4)

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Source:

1. Wikipedia

2. "Deacon Jones," A Perfect Game, published by the Telegraph Herald, August 4, 2022, p. 20

3. Wikipedia

4. "Deacon Jones"