Introduction
Fielder Allison Jones (August 13, 1871 – March 13, 1934) was an American center fielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was best known as the player-manager of the World Series champion 1906 Chicago White Sox, a team who succeeded in spite of such poor offense that they were known as the "Hitless Wonders".
Biography
Born in Shinglehouse, Pennsylvania, Jones was an outfielder who entered professional baseball in the Oregon State League in 1893. Jones's major league playing career began with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms in 1896. In 1901, he joined the Chicago White Sox in the new American League. Jones managed the "Hitless Wonders" in the 1906 World Series, which was the White Sox' first World Series win. That year, the White Sox had a team batting average of only .230.
Jones was head coach for the Oregon State Beavers baseball team in 1910, going 13-4-1 and winning the Northwest championship. Six years after his last game with the White Sox, he joined the St. Louis Terriers of the newly formed Federal League, where he served as a player-manager before the league folded. He had one last stint as a manager with the St. Louis Browns, but his earlier success with the White Sox eluded him, as his St. Louis teams never finished above fifth place.
He died of heart disease in Portland, Oregon, at age 62.