The Lincoln times., 1955-03-07
Sad Sam Jones
Hottest Pitcher
P-Rican League

Pitcher Sam Jones. the hot
test moundsman in the Puerto
Rican League this winter, seems
we'll in his way to the glory Hank
Greenberg predicted for him back
in the winter of 1852. Greenherg
at the time said he wasn't wor-
ried about his Cleveland pitching.
because Jones would make his
great staff even greater. He was
wrong then.
And now, when at long last it
appears that Greenberg was
right. it's not the Cleveland In
dians who are happy. The tooth
pick chewing pitcher is now
with the Chicago Cubs. He was
sold by the Indians as the first
step in the deal that brought
Ralph Kiner to Cleveland.
Well. what about Jones? The
Sporting News this week gives
the whole lowdown. The Cubs, it
says, are talking about Jones as
if he is going to pitch them into
first division. And, it adds, he
could, at that.
Greenberg wasn't wrong about
Jones N 1852. says The Sporting
News. 1t was Just a case of Jones
arm being wrong. Jones had had
q phenomenal season at San Die
go in 1851. but then he want
down to Puerto Rico and pitch
ed his arm dead When he re-
ported to the Indians for spring
training he couldn't throw at all.
The Indians didn't give up.
They waited and hoped for a
while and then sent him to their
Indianapolis farm where he
squeezed through with a four
won. record for the season. Then
in 1853 he wound up with ten
victories against II defeats. Last
year he found his winning ways
again, with a Is and record.
And in Puerto Rico this winter,
pitching for Santurce, he won IA
and lost only four. He's the Jones
boy now. it appears. that Hank
Greenberg once said he was.
Cleveland Manager Al ! Lopez
watched Jones pitch not long ago
in Puerto Rico. This isn't the
same Jones we had in spring
training" he said. 1.-The Jones
we had couldn't even lift his arm.
This Jones can throw hard. He
could be a big winner"
Others had said that before.
Rogers Hornsby, managing Seat
tie in 1851, called Jones the best
pitcher in the minors. Dizzy Dean
predicted a great career for him.
Jones, standing six-feet-four
and weighing 1875. was born in
Stewartsville, o., but moved to
West Virginia in 1943. when he
was II. He fibbed year about
his age, so he could get a job,
but all he got was a call from
Uncle Sam. Stationed at Orlando,
he played on the base team,
and his company commander
even let him play at times with
the Orlando All-Stars of the
Florida State Negro League. Jones
had intended to re-enlist after
his four years were up, but was
talked into joining the Cleveland
Buckeyes of the Negro Amer
ican League. From there he NOV
ed to the Rochester, Mimi, Ori-
oles, but always hoping for ma
jor league bid. Other Negroes
were getting their chance.
After Sans 24-and-3 record
at Rochester, Greenberg called
him to the stadium for a tryout.
AS Greenberg said later, he
couldn't believe what he saw. The
23-year-old pitched like a veter-
an, with an overland curve and
sidearm curve. And terrific speed.
Greenberg signed him, seasoned
him .at Wilkes-Barre and San
Diego. Then came the dead arm,
and an end to that part of the
story. AS the story picks UP again
this year, it's going into the Cubs
history hook, not the Indians.