Todd Jones retires

Todd Jones retires
September 24th, 2008 at 8:21 am

It’s really not all that surprising, but Todd Jones has announced his retirement. This was likely to be Jones last season regardless, but the injury and resulting ineffectiveness likely sealed the deal.

Jones is the Tigers all time saves leader and his 319 career saves places him 14th in the history of the game.

I’m hoping that he joins the team this weekend and that he can be honored in some way. He deserves to go out to cheers instead of the cavalcade of boos he was serenaded with his last time on the mound.

Congrats on a great career Jonesy.

Sporting News Today - September 24, 2008

...
I have tears in my eyes.

For all the times I've heard him booed, and for the times he made me so happy just getting that final out in any game.

Love ya Jonesy!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tigers' Todd Jones announces retirement
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Todd Jones, who represented the best and most challenged times in recent Tigers history, has decided to retire at age 40.

Jones made the announcement today in his weekly column for the Sporting News.

"So this is it," Jones wrote. "If you're a Tigers fan, I'll never stress you out again. If you're not a Tigers fan, you'll never have me as your ace in the hole, convinced I'll blow a lead against your team."

Jones has 319 career saves, 14th on Major League Baseball's all-time list, and has pitched in the majors for 16 seasons. He had two stints with the Tigers, from 1997-2001, and from 2006 through this season. He was originally obtained by the Tigers from Houston in a December, 1996 trade with the Houston Astros and was traded to Minnesota at mid-season, 2001.

He rejoined the Tigers in December, 2005 after signing a two-year contract. He had a penchant during his time with the Tigers for saving games in reliable fashion, despite a tendency to put men on base.

That habit was the basis for his self-deprecating line in this week's column, referring to Tigers fans and their "stress" levels.

Shoulder problems put Jones on the disabled list for much of the 2008 season's second half. Those same issues prompted his retirement. His contract with the Tigers was to run out next week.

Jones was a popular figure in the clubhouse during his long big-league career. Personable and accountable, he was a manager's dream with his ability to enter the ninth, throw strikes, and usually make off with the save.

In addition to the Tigers, Astros, and Twins, Jones pitched for Colorado, Boston, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Florida.

Jones will continue to write a weekly column for the Sporting News.

"I have tried to give fans a look at what it's like from a guy who's passing through the game," he wrote.

You can reach Lynn Henning at lynn.henning@detnews.com

Tigers' Todd Jones to announce retirement


Posted: September 24, 2008
Stan McNeal
Sporting News

After 16 seasons, 319 saves and approximately 250 columns for Sporting News, Todd Jones is retiring from baseball.

Jones, who writes about his decision to call it quits in the latest issue of Sporting News magazine, is expected to make the announcement Thursday at a news conference in Detroit.

"It's been a great ride, but it's time to stay home," Jones told Sporting News.

Jones retires as the Tigers' career leader in saves (235) after eight seasons (two separate stints) in Detroit. A first-round pick of the Astros in 1989, Jones spent four seasons in Houston before being traded to the Tigers in December of 1996. He also pitched for the Twins, Rockies, Red Sox, Reds, Phillies and Marlins in his career.

He has been one of the game's most durable pitchers during his career, and he ranks 14th all-time in saves (319) and 15th in appearances (982). Jones pitched more than 60 games in a season 11 times and had six seasons with at least 30 saves. Jones pitched for Team USA in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and for the A.L. All-Star team in 2000.

In Detroit, Jones has been known as a "roller coaster" closer because of his penchant for turning ninth innings into nail-biters for manager Jim Leyland and Tigers fans. In his eight seasons of writing for Sporting News, Jones has been even more reliable, never missing a deadline and putting a waiting editor on a "roller coaster" only a couple of times.

Jones, 40, has spent much of the second half of the 2008 season on the disabled list with a sore shoulder. He told Sporting News he had been pitching with a frayed labrum for some time, but he managed to stay off of the disabled list until July 31. It was just his third trip to the D.L. in his career, the first for an arm injury since 1996.

Jones is retiring from pitching, but not from writing. He plans to continue in his role as a columnist for Sporting News, bringing a player's perspective to issues ranging from clubhouse food spreads to bench-clearing brawls. "I have tried to give fans a look at what it's like from a guy who's passing through the game," Jones said.

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This sucks!

The Tigers should at least honor Jones for being the greatest relief pitcher in Tigers History

Maybe Jones will change his mind in the offseason?


Comeback like Brett Favre did in the NFL;



If he does; Tigers better resign him!

still. They should retire his number.

gdennis59 wrote:

still. They should retire his number.

And put a statue of Todd Jones at Comerica Park

gs78 wrote:

gdennis59 wrote:

still. They should retire his number.

And put a statue of Todd Jones at Comerica Park

There isn't even a Trammel or Whitaker statue.

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

gdennis59 wrote:

still. They should retire his number.

And put a statue of Todd Jones at Comerica Park

There isn't even a Trammel or Whitaker statue.

Well there should be!!

No Mickey Lolich statue either. There's a lot of guys in line ahead of Jones for a statue.

Fine!


Lets get the statue people to build Tram, Whitaker, Lolich and Jones.

We need to honor these players



And a Sparky Anderson statue, too

We need more statues at Comerica Park

I want Trams number retired while we are at it. Stupid Sheff NEVER should have been allowed to wear it!

Bye Jonesey. We'll miss you.

Ive been sad all day because of this.

It's just sad that he had to leave on a sour note, this wasn't exactly the best year in his major league career.

I know.

09/24/2008 7:15 PM ET
Leyland lauds retiring Jones
Tigers manager gives his compliments to closer
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland was not shy in his praise for Todd Jones in his 2 1/2 years as Tigers closer.

The two months Detroit has had without him as the closer, Leyland said, has shown how tough his job was.

While the Tigers scheduled a Thursday morning press conference in which Jones is expected to discuss his retirement with reporters, Leyland gave his reaction on Wednesday. The Tigers have expected for some time that Jones would call it a career at season's end, but his absence for the last month hasn't changed their feelings on him.

"The one thing that I like the most about him is that he made them earn it," Leyland said. "For the most part, if he got beat, they were going to have to hit the ball. He threw strikes. He wasn't afraid."

That seems especially poignant now with the Tigers' bullpen struggling in September without him. When Leyland was discussing what went wrong with the season on Tuesday, he said the bullpen "hasn't been in sync all year."

With Jones out for much of the last two months, however, Leyland said the trickle-down effect has been noticeable. The last two months, he said on Tuesday, have been "total disarray."

The lesson that has been learned is that ninth-inning outs in close games are different than others and not everyone can do it. Jones didn't always convert them, Leyland admitted, but he had the mentality to go after them day after day.

"When you really think about it," Leyland said on Wednesday, "if you just think about where we've been at since he left, if he would've been normal, given what we did for us, we would've been somewhat better -- not in first place, but we'd be somewhat better off.

"I like the fact that he was going to go after them and they were going to have to beat him. Some nights they did and most of the time they didn't. ... It might've gotten a little edgy at times. It might've gotten a little nerve-wracking at times. But for the most part, when the game was over, we were shaking hands [after a victory]. However it got done, it got done and there's something to be said for that."

As much as anything, Leyland said, that says something about Jones' temperament.

"The key to a lot of closers is they can mull over a blown save and they can be upset about it," Leyland continued. "I mean, the eyes are on them every night. They're out there when the game's going to be over. I think the good thing about him was, however hard he took it, the next day he was going to be ready to pitch again and he was able to turn the page. He was good at that. He took it hard when he blew a save. Fortunately, he didn't blow many here.

"There's a lot of closers that either are lot of goofy or a lot of mean. He was goofy and that's probably one of the things that made him good. I really liked him. He was a trooper for us. He's had a heck of a career and we all wish him well."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

gdennis59 wrote:

I know.

I'll be honest, besides feeling sick...I have been so sad about this.
Really, really sad.
Every time I read an article, I tear up.

But, 14th all-time, just remember that.
Not every reliever in the game can say that about their amount of saves.

You teared up?

I cried. I will bever be able to see him pitch, or probably ever get his autograph. Thats all I ever wanted in life, was his autograph and to see him pitch. And now, I feel like I can never have a satisfying life.

gdennis59 wrote:

You teared up?

I cried. I will bever be able to see him pitch, or probably ever get his autograph. Thats all I ever wanted in life, was his autograph and to see him pitch. And now, I feel like I can never have a satisfying life.

I was in class earlier, and I wanted to leave the room.

Awhh Garrett.
I've always wanted to get his auto, you still probably could.
If I ever got it, I would probably give it to you.
As for pitching, that's a longshot, but maybe.
Just try to think other things you like, and don't let it get to you.

:tjones:

gdennis59 wrote:

Ive been sad all day because of this.

I have been all day about this

I've seen him pitch several times. I saw him get hit with a line drive once and here's a picture I took to prove it....

I saw the video of that. I was scared for his career.