Red Jones (umpire)

Nicholas Ittner Jones

• Height 6' 2", Weight 225 lb.

• Born April 16, 1905 in Charlotte, NC USA
• Died March 19, 1987 in Miami, FL USA

Biographical Information

Red Jones was an American League umpire from 1944 to 1949, umpiring 889 games overall. Known for his short fuse, he led AL umpires in ejections in both 1946 and 1948, giving the thumb to 23 players, coaches or managers in 1946. That total was inflated by an infamous game between the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox on July 19th when he ejected 14 members of the Pale Hose.

He began umpiring in the South Atlantic League in 1936, moved to the Piedmont League the next year and was back in the Sally League in 1938 and 1939. In 1940, he moved to the Southern Association and stayed there until the end of the 1943 season, when his contract was picked up by the American League. At a time when seniority was paramount in obtaining prestigious assignments such as working the World Series or All-Star Game, Jones did not last long enough as a big league umpire to snag such a prize.

He married Paula Louise Weber after the 1938 season and died in Miami, FL in 1987.

Further Reading

• Eric Chesterton: "That time an umpire ejected 14 players from 1 team: Was a ventriloquist to blame?", mlb.com, May 2, 2020. [1]

Related Sites

• Red Jones on Retrosheet.org
• The Sporting News umpire card