Joe Jones

Joseph Carmack Jones Jr. (December 13, 1941 – March 23, 2023) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He spent all or parts of seven seasons in Major League Baseball as a coach for the Kansas City Royals (1987; 1992; 2005) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1997–2000).

A second baseman during his active career, Jones stood tall and weighed ; he threw and batted right-handed. A native of Lebanon, Tennessee, he graduated from Southeastern High School, Detroit, Michigan, and played varsity baseball at the University of Michigan, where he earned a degree in education. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox in 1963 and played for seven seasons in the ChiSox' farm system, appearing in 813 minor league games, with 773 hits in 3,027 at bats for a career batting average of .255. From 1997 through early June 2000, Jones was the first-base coach on the Major League staff of Pirates' manager Gene Lamont, a former colleague from the Royals' organization. But Jones was released, along with third-base coach Jack Lind, on June 5, 2000, during a shakeup of Lamont's top aides.

Jones then returned to the Royals in 2001 as coordinator of instruction, serving for four seasons in that role, until one final MLB term in as the Royals' first-base coach. He then worked as a special assistant for player development in the Royals' system in 2006–07.

Joe Jones died at age 81 on March 23, 2023, survived by his wife of 60 years, two sons, four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, sister, and nephew.