RedHawks: Through the highs and lows, Jones manages to see the beauty in things
RedHawks: Through the highs and lows, Jones manages to see the beauty in things

By Matt Patterson

Published: September 3, 2008

A thunderhead formed over the mountains near Albuquerque as the RedHawks and Isotopes played last month. RedHawks manager Bobby Jones tapped pitcher Michael Ballard on the shoulder and pointed to the sky.

Featured Gallery

 

Advertisement

"I said, 'Ballard look at that cloud,' " Jones said. "Some of these guys are so focused on baseball they don't see anything else out there. There's more to it than this."

Oklahoma lost all four games in the series, but the moment with Ballard was Bobby Jones being "Jonesy," the manager who has somehow guided the RedHawks to the playoffs despite 166 transactions and several key staff changes.

The RedHawks remained atop the Pacific Coast League American South Division standings from early April until Monday's regular-season finale, virtually wire to wire. Jones has played a major role in the success. He's been the steadying force behind it all.

"I played for 21 years," Jones said. "They can't do a (darn) thing that I haven't done in my career. Slumps, highs, lows, injuries, sent down, called up, sent back down. I've done it all. I know how they feel and I can relate to them."

Oklahoma's clubhouse is loose. A player DJs hip hop in one corner as Latino players watch Telemundo in another. There are few rules, but among them is play hard all the time.

"Bobby is always on such an even keel," wife Debbie Jones said. "He doesn't get riled up. If we play well, he's excited. He's not one to let negatives get him down. He loves to watch the stars and look at the moon. He can find beauty in the strangest places."

Not the least of which is what might be the most unlikely of pastimes for a veteran minor league manager.

"I love mowing the grass and pulling weeds and planting Pansies and making the yard look nice," Jones said. "I always say when I retire my backyard and front yard are going to look like a ball field."

That world view comes from the horrors of war Jones found when he went to Vietnam as a howitzer team leader. It was an experience that left him with hearing loss in one ear and continues to shape him more than 40 years later. One of Jones' hobbies is taking his heavy duty telescope out and looking at the moon and the stars.

"To me life is about seeing the beauty in things," he said. "After being around death and destruction so much, I enjoy life in a different way than I did before."

It's a message he tries to impart on players. Infielder Drew Meyer has played for Jones for parts of three seasons. He both admires and appreciates Jones' approach to managing players.

"When new guys come inand if they haven't played for Bobby, or in Triple-A, they think it's going to be hard core," Meyer said. "But it's easy to fit in with Bobby leading the way. He makes it comfortable. There aren't a lot of rules. With some clubs you don't want to step on toes. He presents it as it's our clubhouse, do what you want but just play hard."

That's not to say Jones doesn't lay the hammer down from time to time. Catcher Kevin Richardson has experienced Jones in that mode.

"He's gotten onto me about my pitch selection," Richardson said. "If you make a physical mistake, he won't get on you. But if it's a mental mistake, he's going to let you know about it. That's good because we need to learn."

But even mistakes are quickly forgotten. Jones isn't one to hold a grudge against a player who overthrows first base and lets three runs score. When a pitcher gets lit up for four runs in an inning, as Kaz Fukumori did in a recent outing, Jones didn't offer harsh words. Instead he gave an encouraging pat on the backside as Fukumori left the mound.

"He's got that old-school attitude," Meyer said. "Play hard and if you (stink) that day, you go get them the next day. He's big on letting things go. We could win 15-0 or lose 15-0 and all he says is, 'Get them tomorrow.' "

The message or encouragement sometimes comes in the form of a quick joke.

"If a guy is struggling a little bit he might make a good defensive play and Bobby will say, 'It's a good thing you're playing good defense because you're not hitting worth a lick,' " Richardson said. "That's his way of loosening you up."

That's the Bobby Jones his wife of 16 years knows. He and Debbie met while Jones was managing the Tulsa Drillers in 1992 while she served as the team's ticket manager. The couple lives in Tulsa with their two "Toto" dogs. She said Jones is much the same way around the house, maybe even more laid back. His personality has a way of reaching even the most cynical young millionaires.

"I think they like him, and in some cases they really like him," Debbie Jones said. "I'm sure there are times when he gets on them when he has to, but he doesn't go through the clubhouse throwing things. Five minutes later, he's moved past it."

Jones has spent virtually his entire career as a player and manager with Texas, aside from a two-year stint in the Angels organization. He loves the Rangers, and believes they have been good to him. How much is left of his career remains to be seen. Jones turns 59 next month.

"I was thinking of stopping at 62 and then I thought that would be too young," Jones said. "I don't know if I want to be throwing batting practice at 65 in the minors. That might be a different story if it's the big leagues. I'll keep it up as long as it stays fun."

Your thoughts!