Reuben Jones

Reuben Jones

• Bats Left, Throws Right

Reuben Jones began and ended his playing career with lesser black clubs, but was a regular for several years with the Birmingham Black Barons. He joined the Black Barons later in the 1923 season but won the right field job and was hitting third in front of Mule Suttles by year's end. Jones hit .229 as a starter in 1924 and .296 in 1925. He was a starter for the Indianapolis ABCs in 1926.

Jones was player-manager for Birmingham in 1927, guiding them to a 53-41 record but hitting only .239. He was 3 for 9 in a postseason series against the Chicago American Giants. Reuben ended his career in the top flights of black baseball in 1928, bouncing between Birmingham, Chicago and the Memphis Red Sox. He managed Memphis in 1931.

Jones coached for the West in the 1944 East-West Game and managed the Houston Eagles in 1949.

Sources

• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• Research by Patrick Rock