Ronald Glen Jones (June 11, 1964 – June 4, 2006) was a professional baseball player for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He displayed great promise as a hitter, but his career was spoiled by two severe knee injuries.

Life and career

Born in

Seguin, Texas Seguin ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Guadalupe County, Texas, Guadalupe County, Texas, United States. The population was 29,433 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and according to 2023 census estimates, the city is estima ...

, Jones was drafted in 1982 and 1983 but chose not to turn professional. Eventually, in 1984, he signed with the Phillies as a free agent. The stocky outfielder battled some problems with weight and injuries, but he displayed great hitting talent in the farm system. His ability at the plate and capable defense eventually earned him a spot with the big league club. However, after a promising first couple of months in August and September 1988, in April 1989 Jones suffered the first of two torn

patellar tendon The patellar tendon is the distal portion of the common tendon of the quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the patella to the tibial tuberosity. It is also sometimes called the patellar ligament as it forms a bone to bone connection whe ...

s. The other, to his opposite knee, came in June 1990. Jones also came back from that injury; however, his time in the majors was all but finished. Nonetheless, he continued in the minors,

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, Taiwan,

independent baseball league An independent baseball league is a professional baseball league in the United States or Canada that is not overseen by Major League Baseball or its affiliated Minor League Baseball system (historically referred to as organized baseball). Inde ...

s, and semi-pro ball through 2000. Upon retirement, Jones began working as a hitting instructor and coach for youths, eventually forming the Big League Batting Academy in

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, alongside another former major leaguer, Charlie Hayes. In June 2006, after Jones did not show up at the academy for a few days, he was found dead in his home. He is thought to have died of either an

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward :wikt:bulge, bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also b ...

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

, or

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

References

External links

SABR BioProject

Big League Baseball Academy
1964 births 2006 deaths Philadelphia Phillies players Richmond Braves players Sioux Falls Canaries players Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks players Wharton County Pioneers baseball players African-American baseball players Bend Phillies players Clearwater Phillies players Jungo Bears players American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Leones de Yucatán players Maine Guides players Maine Phillies players Olmecas de Tabasco players Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings players Saraperos de Saltillo players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players Shreveport Captains players Sinon Bulls players Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos players 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen {{US-baseball-outfielder-1960s-stub