The Skipper

Name: Bobby Jones

Card Company: Star

Year: 1989

Team: Charlotte Rangers (Single-A)

Managerial Record 1656-1621

Ht: 6'1

Behind this piece of cardboard is man that nobody outside of the Texas Rangers organization knows about. However, I bet you know some of the players he has helped develop. Players like R.A. Dickey, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, and Chris Davis have all at one point or another been coached by Bobby Jones. As of right now he is the Replay Coordinator for the Texas Rangers, and is a former Vietnam Veteran with a bronze star. So, without further ado let’s start the unraveling of a surprisingly spectacular managerial career.

Bobby Jones was originally selected by the Washington Senators/ Texas Rangers in the 36th round of the 1967 MLB Draft. His MLB career lasted 9 seasons, while also playing in Japan for two years as well. In his nine-year MLB career, he finished with a batting average of .221 to go along with 20 homeruns. Jones retired after the 1986 season., and for most people that would be the end of their baseball tenure but not Bobby Jones. After taking a brief 1-year hiatus from baseball he was hired by the Rangers to manage their single-A affiliate in Charlotte. The very next season in 1989. He would eventually be promoted as a manager to double-A Tulsa where he would win another league title in 1998.

In 2002, he would get the opportunity to move up to AAA and manage the then Oklahoma City Redhawks. He would remain at

OKC until 2011 when the team moved to Round Rock, Texas to become the Round Rock Express. While in AAA he would lead the Redhawks/Express to division titles in 2002,2004,2005 and 2008. And in 2008 he would win the inaugural Mike Coolbaugh Award for his “outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game, and skill in mentoring young players on the field”. And in 2012 he was the inaugural winner of the Bobby Jones Player Development Man of the Year, that’s right this man has an award named after him. As a minor league manager, he racked up over 1,600 wins, while accumulating many awards along the way.

And after the 2013 season he would be called up to the Texas Rangers to be their assistant hitting coach. He had spent two previous seasons before that in Texas (2001,2006) acting as a first base coach. This will be his 29th year in the Rangers organization as a coach, making him the longest tenured member of the Rangers coaching staff. And you can’t find that on the back of a baseball card.

#BobbyJones #TexasRangers #Minorleagues #CharlotteRangers #BehindtheCarboard #BaseballCards