Stacy Jones liked to play baseball; Did so over 10 seasons, saw six ML games

Having had his first stint in the majors in summer 1991, the Orioles sent Stacy Jones back to AAA and gave him 72 hours to report, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle wrote.

Jones, however, didn't need the extra time, he told The Democrat and Chronicle.

"I love to play the game," Jones told The Democrat and Chronicle upon his return. "If they want me there, I want to play. There's no use sitting around 72 hours."

Jones saw four outings with the Orioles in that July-August stint. He wouldn't get back to the bigs for another five years, two outings with the White Sox, to round out his big league time. Overall, Jones saw 10 pro seasons and those six big league appearances.

Jones' career began in 1988, taken by the Orioles in the third round of the draft out of Auburn University.

Jones started with the Orioles between single-A Hagerstown and short-season Erie. He moved to single-A Frederick for 1989 and then Frederick at high-A and Hagerstown at AA for 1990.

For 1991, he played between Hagerstown, AAA Rochester and Baltimore. In his four outings, one start, with the Orioles, Jones saw 11 innings and gave up five earned. 

Jones seemed to be in line for a September call back, but tendinitis kept him down, The Baltimore Sun wrote.

"The object is to get better," Jones told The Sun. "It doesn't matter where you do it."

Jones then returned to the minors, first with the Orioles, then with the Giants, Brewers and then White Sox. 

In September 1996, he returned to the bigs with the White Sox. He saw two innings over two outings and didn't give up a run. Jones then saw time in one more minors season to end his career.

Later, in February 2003, Jones spoke of his majors experience to his hometown Gadsden Times.

"No one will ever be able to take that experience away from me, but it kind of feels like it never really happened," Jones told The Times. "It's in the past and I have to move on with my life."

• Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Aug. 16, 1991: Orioles return pitcher Jones to Red Wings
• Baltimore Sun, Sept. 5, 1991: Tendinitis keeps Jones at arm's length from call-up
• Gadsden Times, Feb. 5, 2003: Jones remembers arriving for The Show

More: The 1990 Frederick Keys

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,121
Made the Majors:1,365-33.1%-X
Never Made Majors:2,756-66.9%
5+ Seasons in the Majors:556
10+ Seasons in the Minors:336