Willie Jones (third baseman)

Willie Edward Jones (August 16, 1925 – October 18, 1983), nicknamed "Puddin' Head", was an American professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (1947–1959), Cleveland Indians (1959), and Cincinnati Reds (1959–1961). He batted and threw right-handed.

In a 15-season career, Jones was a .258 hitter with 190 home runs and 812 runs batted in (RBI) in 1,691 games played. Defensively, he recorded a .963 fielding percentage.<ref name="almanac">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early life

Jones was born on August 16, 1925, in Dillon, South Carolina.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jones, his brother and sister grew up and lived in the small farm and mill community of Laurel Hill, North Carolina. His father, W. H. Jones, was a master mechanic. Jones attended Laurel Hill High School. He also played American Legion baseball during the summers in Bennettsville, South Carolina. Jones went on to serve his country in the United States Navy during World War II.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":7">Template:Cite news</ref>

Jones was given his nickname at a young age from a popular 1930s song, "Woodenhead, Puddin' head Jones", though his family called him Ed or Edward (his middle name).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":7" />

Minor league baseball

After the war, Jones played semi-pro baseball for the Bennettsville team in the Palmetto League, with a batting average over .500. His play attracted attention from professional baseball scouts, and Johnny Nee signed Jones to a contract with the Phillies, with a $16,500 signing bonus in late 1946.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8">Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1947, after showing up in training camp out of shape, he was assigned to the Terre Haute Phillies of the Class-B Triple-I league, where he had a .307 batting average, with 10 home runs, 9 triples, 37 doubles, 107 runs batted in (RBI), 99 runs scored, and an .854 OPS (on-base plus slugging). He played shortstop that year and had a .928 fielding percentage.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He made the league's all-star team at shortstop.<ref name=":7" /> In 1947, he also started 17 games at third base for the Philadelphia Phillies.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1948, he played his last year of minor league baseball, mainly with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Triple-A International League, batting .275 in 118 games. He was moved to third base where he had a .936 fielding percentage. He played under his future Phillies manager Eddie Sawyer, and was named to the league's all-star team at third base. He again started 17 games for the Philadelphia Phillies at third base, hitting .333 in sixty at bats.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7" />

Major league baseball

By 1949, he became the team's starting third baseman, and held that position until 1959. Jones was the top fielding third baseman in the National League (NL) during the 1950s. He led the league in fielding percentage six times, in putouts for seven years (also tying a record), and twice each in assists and double plays.

In 1949, he had 19 home runs, and hit four doubles in one game. He had .948 fielding percentage (fourth best in the National League), and led all National League third basemen in games played, put outs and assists. He also led all major league third basemen in errors. Jones came in 27th for most valuable player voting in 1949.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" />

Jones' most productive season came as a member of the fabulous Template:Baseball year "Whiz Kids" National League champion team, when he posted career-highs in home runs (25), RBI (88), runs (100), hits (163), and led the league in games played (157).<ref name=":2" /> Many of those home runs came at key times during games.<ref name=":5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His 16-game hit streak to begin that campaign was a franchise record that stood for 73 years until Bryson Stott surpassed it on April 18, 2023.<ref>Casella, Paul. "Stott tops Puddin' Head for Phils-record hit streak," MLB.com, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.</ref> He hit .286 in the World Series, which the New York Yankees won 4–0.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was generally acknowledge as the NL's best third baseman.<ref name=":7" />

His .954 fielding percentage was third in the National League in 1950, and he again led the league in put outs, and led all major league third basemen in games played and assists.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2" /> He was the starting third baseman and leadoff hitter in the 1950 All-Star Game, where he went 1 for 7;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the seven at bats being the most by a player in an all-star game.<ref name=":1" /> He was 36th in MVP voting.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1951, Jones hit 22 home runs with 81 RBI and a career-high .285 batting average.<ref name="almanac" /> He was again selected for the All-Star Game.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His .966 fielding percentage was third best in the National League, and he led the league in double plays and games played by a third baseman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

From 1952 to 1958 he led all National League third baseman in fielding percentage, except in 1957 when he was second. In 1953 and 1958, he led all major league third basemen in fielding percentage.<ref name=":2" /> From 1952-56, he led the major leagues in put outs by a third baseman, except for 1953 (where he still led the National League in put outs).<ref name=":2" /> In 1952, he led the National League in double plays by a third baseman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The gold glove fielding award did not exist until 1957,<ref name=":6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> or it is possible Jones would have received this award. Hall of fame pitcher Robin Roberts,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> who played with Jones in Philadelphia, and with 16-time gold glove third baseman Brooks Robinson in Baltimore,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> said that Jones was the second best fielding third baseman he had ever seen.<ref name=":5" /> In 1958, the first National Leaguer to win the gold glove at third base was Ken Boyer, who was third in NL fielding percentage that year; Jones being first in the entire major leagues.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 13 seasons with the Phillies, Jones hit .258, with 180 home runs, 753 RBI, 735 runs scored, 693 bases on balls (compared to only 493 strikeouts), and a .756 OPS.<ref name=":2" />

In June of the 1959 season, the Phillies traded Jones to the Cleveland Indians for Jim Bolger and cash.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jones had a .269 batting average at the time, and had started 46 games for the Phillies. After appearing in only 11 games for Cleveland, his rights were sold to the Cincinnati Reds less than one month later.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> He finished the season with the Reds, batting .249 with seven home runs in 72 games. On the year as a whole, he hit .255, with 14 home runs, 56 RBI, 57 runs and a .753 OPS.<ref name=":2" /> Also, on the whole for 1959, he was second among National League third basemen in fielding percentage.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His playing time was significantly reduced in 1960 for the Reds, and the Reds released him in May of 1961, his final year in the major leagues.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

Honors

Jones is a member of the Phillies Wall of Fame.<ref name=":1" />

Personal life

Jones was married to Carolyn (Goodson) Jones, whom he met while playing in Bennettsville,<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8" /> with whom he had three children, Eddie, Kathie, and Bradley. The marriage ended in divorce.

Death

On October 18, 1983, Jones died at the age of 58, of cancer in Cincinnati, Ohio — where he had lived after his playing days were over.<ref>Deaths | Willie Jones, Daytona Beach Morning Journal October 21, 1983, p. 13B. Retrieved February 10, 2021.</ref>

Highlights

• Twice All-Star (1950–51)
• Tied a major league record with four straight doubles in a game (April 20, 1949)<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• His six career grand slams as a Phillie ties him for third place behind Mike Schmidt and Ryan Howard
• His 2,045 career putouts are 11th-highest in major league history (as of 2025)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Compiled a career 1.39 walk-to-strikeout ratio (755-to-541)
• Eight RBI in a game<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

External links

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