Article: The Top 5 Moments of Jacque Jones' Career

[Nick Nelson]

We at Twins Daily are ecstatic that one of the three featured speakers at this Saturday's Winter Meltdown event will be Jacque Jones, who was a member of three division champion teams during his seven seasons in Minnesota from 1999 through 2005.If you'd like to see Jones, along with Twins president Dave St. Peter and former player Tim Laudner, answering questions from John Bonnes and Aaron Gleeman, there are still a few tickets available for the big party this Saturday.

 

In honor of Jones' return to Twins Territory, we thought we'd run through five of the most memorable moments of his career.

 

5. Drafted by the Twins in 1996

 

After a very successful college career at the University of Southern California, Jones was taken by the Twins in the second round of the '96 draft, with the 37th overall pick. Since first-rounder Travis Lee never actually signed, Jones was the highest selection to join the organization in that draft and he made good, cruising through the minors in three years and debuting in the majors at age 24.

 

4. Arm and hammer: Jones doubles off Spivey

 

Though he came up through the minors as a center fielder, Jones was pushed away from that position in the big leagues by the presence of Torii Hunter, moving first to left and eventually to right. In the corners, Jones' high-end athleticism made him a real defensive asset, and he displayed all his tools on this play in a 2005 game against the Brewers.

 

Watch as Jones sprints backwards to haul in a fly ball, then springs off the Metrodome baggy and delivers a laser beam from the warning track to Justin Morneau at first base, doubling off Junior Spivey.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/v37114801

 

3. A rocket against "The Rocket"

 

Jones hit 165 home runs in his decade-year career, and although most of those came in a Twins uniform, the most prodigious might have come during his brief stint with the Cubs.

 

In a 2006 game against Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros, Jones launched a home run over the center field wall at Minute Maid Park that was estimated to have traveled over 440 feet. This was in the same season that Clemens posted a career-low 1.87 ERA, and the majestic shot off Jones' bat was one of only 11 homers surrendered by Clemens in 32 starts.

 

2. A farewell in Minnesota

 

He was very good in his prime, but unfortunately Jones saw his production tail off rather abruptly after he left the Twins. He enjoyed a couple of solid seasons in Chicago, then made brief appearances with the Marlins and Tigers, but he was done as a big-leaguer at age 33.

 

In 2010, he returned to Minnesota on a minor-league deal, and while he didn't get back to the majors, he did get the opportunity to play at brand-new Target Field when the Twins faced the St. Louis Cardinals in a pair of exhibition games in early April.

 

Jones was greeted by fans with a standing ovation. He retired a few months later, in June.

 

 

1. "Contract This": The 2002 season-opening homer.

 

When I think about Jones, this is always the first memory that comes to mind. In the offseason preceding the 2002 season, just as I was really beginning to grow into a Twins diehard, rumors had swirled that the club might be contracted. Like many other fans -- not to mention players and employees -- I was nervous that Bud Selig and Major League Baseball would simply erase the team I loved from existence.

 

On Opening Day in '02, the Twins faced the Royals in Kansas City, and on the second pitch of the game from Jeff Suppan, Jones launched a home run into the Kauffman Stadium fountains.

 

It was the first of two homers in the game for Jones, kicking off what would be the best season of his career, as he'd go on to hit 27 bombs with a .300 batting average and .852 OPS. It was emblematic of what Jones brought to the table as a leadoff hitter -- the ability to put his team ahead 1-0 in the first at-bat, in any game.

 

But more than any of that, it was an emphatic statement that the Minnesota Twins weren't going anywhere. They went on to win 94 games on the way to a division title and a trip to the American League Championship Series. That September, an issue of ESPN Magazine, with a cover featuring Jones and three of his teammates, dubbed Minnesota "The Team That Saved Baseball."

 

http://espn.go.com/i/magazine/new/5_20_lg.jpg

If you'd like to hear Jones discuss these moments, and many others, make sure to grab your ticket for this Saturday's event!

 

Click here to view the article

[Seth Stohs]

I was at that exhibition game against the Cardinals, first game at Target Field... I remember the ovation he got and his response to it... Was incredible!! I recall it getting rather dusty in there. 

[Celebrity Weddings!]

Maybe doesn't crack the top five, but how about the homerun he hit off of Freddy Garcia on August 23, 2005? It ruined a no-hitter by Garcia and gave the Twins and Johan Santana a 1-0 win in a rare bright spot that year.

[biscuit]

Jacque Jones seemed to really enjoy playing baseball. He often had a big smile on his face as he played, even when he'd make an out.  Some folks thought that was an indication that he didn't care.  I always thought it was the demeanor of a man who truly loved his job.  He could be frustrating at times, but I really missed him after he was gone.

[Seth Stohs]

Maybe doesn't crack the top five, but how about the homerun he hit off of Freddy Garcia on August 23, 2005? It ruined a no-hitter by Garcia and gave the Twins and Johan Santana a 1-0 win in a rare bright spot that year.

 

That was awesome!!

[jimmer]

My favorite Jacque Jones moments is when he'd lose the ball in the Metrodome roof and just put his arms out looking around wildly, then it'd bounce like 20 feet away.  I know that sounds means, but I don't mean it that way. It was just so comical.

[Loosey]

I always loved how he used the hard Metrodome turf to skip balls all the way home from right field.  It was ugly but surprisingly effective, however, I believe he tried it in Chicago a few times and was ridiculed by fans pretty badly.

[stringer bell]

Maybe doesn't crack the top five, but how about the homerun he hit off of Freddy Garcia on August 23, 2005? It ruined a no-hitter by Garcia and gave the Twins and Johan Santana a 1-0 win in a rare bright spot that year.

That was my first thought when mentioning Jones' career highlights.  I remember about a year or two before he left, that someone mentioned that Jones could only slide one way and that limited his base stealing.

[jimmer]

I always loved how he used the hard Metrodome turf to skip balls all the way home from right field.  It was ugly but surprisingly effective, however, I believe he tried it in Chicago a few times and was ridiculed by fans pretty badly.

I think he did that because his arm was below average and not overly accurate, or do I remember wrong?

[HitInAPinch]

My favorite Jacque Jones moments is when he'd lose the ball in the Metrodome roof and just put his arms out looking around wildly, then it'd bounce like 20 feet away.  I know that sounds means, but I don't mean it that way. It was just so comical.

 

The roof in the Metrodome was hell back then.  Baseball was not meant to be played indoors.  Lesson learned :-)

[twinsfaninsaudi]

Ok. Big Jacque Jones fan, appreciate this article but this is not even close to a true top 5 list for Jacque Jones. His two home run game in September 2003 against Bartolo Colon and the White Sox, breaking up Freddy Garcia's no-hitter with an 0-2 homerun in the 7th inning in August 2005 (the Twins lone hit of a 1-0 victory), his 2-out 9th inning game tying homeun off David Riske in game 2 of 2004 (the game Joe Mauer got hurt and the Twins would win in 15 innings), walk off homerun off kf Billy Koch July 2003, solo homerun off Mike Mussina in game 1 of 2004 LDS (the last Twins playoff victory, a 2-0 win), his 2 RBI double off Ted Lilly in Game 1 of the 2002 LDS which capped a five-run comeback. This list is embareassingly short. It's a nice defensive play you put in here but t doesn't really do justice to his defensive prowess.

[Wookiee of the Year]

Fun read--can't wait for the Meltdown!

 

Any word on if there'll be a place to submit potential questions for Jones, Laudner, and St. Peter?

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Jones is still the Twins' all-time leader for Leadoff homeruns, yes?

 

I would also submit an honorable mention top 5 moments game - he hit two homers (one of them a grand Slam, his first career Grand Slam) in the same game that Torii Hunter and Corey Koskie also had two homers. July 12th, 2001 Boxscore