OKC RedHawks Q&A: Round Rock manager Bobby Jones shares World Series memories

The Rangers moved their Triple-A club to Texas two years ago, and Jones is now manager of Round Rock. He was in the Texas Rangers' dugout during the postseason last year, including the World Series.

What was it like having a bird's-eye view of that World Series from the dugout?

It was awesome. I wasn't supposed to be in the dugout. The sixth or seventh coach or whatever is supposed to stay in the clubhouse. I said the heck with it, I'm coming down. Game 6 in St. Louis was unbelievable. It was sad, but awesome too.

Did you have a coaching assignment?

No. Basically I just go up at the end of the season and throw batting practice. If they have a left-handed pitcher that day, I would throw to the lineup so they could see left-handed pitching. But that was about it.

Have you ever seen any baseball series quite like that World Series?

I never have. It was crazy. One night they blow us out when (Albert) Pujols hits all those home runs and the next night we come back to win. It was so much fun to be there and be involved with it. It was heartbreaking to lose it, but at least we were there.

What was the mood in the Rangers' clubhouse following Game 6?

Everybody was down. It was a situation where you walk in and everybody is down and thinking about what could have been. They kept putting the celebration stuff up and taking it back down, putting it back up and taking it down. After a half-hour or so and all the media came in, they started sitting around and saying, “Hey, we got Game 7.” And boom, it was like a light came on and we were going to come out tomorrow and get 'em.

Did the emotional loss in Game 6 carry over to Game 7?

When they came out in Game 7 and scored two right off the bat, everybody was high as a kite. Then here they come right back and score two and everybody was “Uh-oh, we are in a game again.” They had confidence all the way. They just didn't get it done.

Can you pinpoint one thing that lost the Rangers the World Series?

I can't. Sometimes it's like it wasn't meant to be. In the ninth and you are one strike away and then we didn't get it done. One strike away in the 10th and we didn't get it done. It was back and forth, back and forth, a fun game to watch, but I can't really pinpoint one thing why we didn't win it.

Many people think Game 6 is the greatest World Series game every played. Do you agree?

Could be. I don't if it's the greatest ever played because of the errors, they missed a pop-up and all that, but it probably is the most exciting and intense that was ever played. It was great for the fans and great for baseball.

The entire World Series was hard-fought with tight baseball games.

The only one that wasn't is when Pujols went crazy and hit those three home runs. Other than that, everything was neck and neck the whole way.