Nippy Jones

Born: 6/29/1925 in Los Angeles, CA, USA

Died: 10/3/1995 in Sacramento, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1946-06-09 | Final Game: 1957-09-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Vernal Leroy Jones

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Biography

Nippy Jones was a professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1946 to 1957. Born in 1925, he played primarily as a position player, appearing in 412 games throughout his career. Jones was known for his solid batting skills, finishing with a career batting average of .267. He recorded a total of 369 hits, including 25 home runs and 209 runs batted in (RBIs). While not a prolific base stealer, he managed to swipe 4 bases during his time in the league. Jones played during a transitional era in baseball, following World War II when the sport was experiencing a surge in popularity and talent. His contributions to the teams he played for, including the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, highlighted his versatility and ability to perform under pressure. Although often overshadowed by some of his contemporaries, Jones's steady performance and consistent hitting made him a valuable asset in the lineup, helping to pave the way for future generations of players. He retired on September 29, 1957, leaving behind a legacy as a reliable player in the post-war era of baseball.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
25.0	25.0	3.0	6.0	0	1.0	1.0	2.0	0	1.0	0	0.240	0.240	0.440	0.680

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1948	25.0	25.0	3.0	6.0	0	1.0	1.0	2.0	0	1.0	0	0.240	0.240	0.440	0.680

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
412	1381	146	369	60	12	25	209	4	71	102	0.267	0.304	0.382	0.687	-1374.8

Career AVG .267 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .304 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 9.2% below league average.

Career SLG .382 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.687 vs. league average 0.715 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1946	STL	NL	16	12	3	4	0	0	0	1	0	2	2	0.333	—	—	—	—	0.0
1947	STL	NL	23	73	6	18	4	0	1	5	0	2	10	0.247	.262 (-6%)	.336 (-21%)	.376 (-9%)	.712 (-15%)	-199.0
1948	STL	NL	132	481	58	122	21	9	10	81	2	36	45	0.254	.263 (-4%)	.340 (-10%)	.379 (+5%)	.719 (-2%)	-398.7
1949	STL	NL	110	380	51	114	20	2	8	62	1	16	20	0.300	.262 (+14%)	.343 (-4%)	.384 (+11%)	.727 (+4%)	137.0
1950	STL	NL	13	26	0	6	1	0	0	6	0	3	1	0.231	—	—	—	—	0.0
1951	STL	NL	80	300	20	79	12	0	3	41	1	9	13	0.263	.260 (+1%)	.336 (-15%)	.385 (-14%)	.721 (-14%)	-841.8
1952	PHI	NL	8	30	3	5	0	0	1	5	0	0	4	0.167	—	—	—	—	0.0
1957	ATL	NL	30	79	5	21	2	1	2	8	0	3	7	0.266	.257 (+3%)	.323 (-10%)	.391 (avg)	.715 (-4%)	-72.4

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
4	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1957	WS	ML1	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
1946	WS	SLN	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	333	15	2992	173	43	289
2B	16	0	34	42	6	6
OF	3	1	3	0	0	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1946	SLN	2B	3	0	2	2	1	1
1947	SLN	2B	13	0	32	40	5	5
1947	SLN	OF	2	0	2	0	0	0
1948	SLN	1B	128	0	1148	63	17	98
1949	SLN	1B	98	0	876	40	15	85
1950	SLN	1B	8	0	54	3	1	8
1951	SLN	1B	71	0	698	48	7	78
1952	PHI	1B	8	0	73	7	2	8
1957	ML1	1B	20	15	143	12	1	12
1957	ML1	OF	1	1	1	0	0	0