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It is looking more and more like Todd Jones has thrown his last pitch. He was with the team the past couple days, but the shoulder isn’t getting better and he is headed home to Alabama.
Jones called a team meeting before the Tigers went out on the field for batting practice and, with hugs, was saying good-bye to his teammates when the clubhouse doors re-opened to the media.
Jones said he’d continue rehabbing and will try to be back, but it doesn’t sound promising.
I know it’s hokey, but I was really hoping that Jones could come back and make an appearance at the end of the season. Just come in and record an out (yeah it might take a couple batters) in a low pressure situation so he could walk off the field to cheers. His last outings at home were atrocious, and he was booed off the field. For a guy that truly loved being a Tiger, and is the team’s all time save leader, you’d hope he could at least go off on a high note.
Jones made me nuts some times, or maybe even frequently. And when he’d blow up he’d face the music. My favorite quote the day after an awful 2006 performance in Toronto came when he was asked how he slept the night before. Jonesy’s response…
I slept like a baby. I woke up every 2 hours crying.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Just another sad story in this sad season. Watching Jonesy was a crazy experience but he did save more than he didn’t. It’s just the bad stuff you remember. He did deserve a sendoff with honor.
Funny thing about Jonesy. You don’t know how much you miss him until he’s gone.
I’ll echo the sentiments. As stressful as it was at times, he’ll go down in the books as an above average closer and a well above average person.
no one accomplished more with less
Thank GOD he is gone. Now we can finally stop riding him and get a real closer.
So long, Johnny Cakes.
My feelings are similar to what Billfer described, but as guilty as it makes me feel my predominant reaction is I’m glad the option of keeping Jones around has kind of been taken away from the Tigers.
Until he was finished, you weren’t sure they weren’t going to sit in their meeting room and go, “…or we could just stick with Jonesy at the back of the bullpen.” It was like having Neifi Perez around. Even if he wasn’t playing, you knew there was always the threat of him starting at shortstop and hitting second.
Cold, heartless, brutally honest feelings out of the way, I wish Todd Jones the best.
If only the other Tigers performed at a higher level than their talent using their heads & heart like Todd. He wasn’t lights-out like Joe Nathan, but got the save most of the time. I’ll miss him and probably Kenny too.
His best asset as a closer: A Short Memory
He would totally blow up a game and come in the very next and close it our perfectly. I actually use his as an inspiration for my sales guys. To be a great closer in sales, the best asset is a short memory.
Jonesy was by all accounts a great guy and great teammate who WANTED to be a Tiger. The results weren’t always what we wanted, but it was never for lack of effort.
Good luck Todd, and thanks.
Good point. I feel the same way about the guy. He was a total headache at times but it’s just sad to see him go. I remember when the Tigers traded him to the Twins he cried. He got the last out at Tiger Stadium. I’ll miss the guy.
Todd Jones = Best Closer in Tigers history. He saved 235 games for the Tigers.
He probably has one the best comeback stories ever for a pitcher. At 37 years old everyone thought he was done as a closer, but he ended up saving another 133 games after that.
I’m still shocked that the Tigers didn’t just put Todd Jones on the 60-day DL in July, rather than taking the role of closer away from him. Seems like that way would have been best for all parties. But yeah, even with all the bad words I’ve screamed at him through my TV, it’s a sad way to see someone go.
And I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment at the top of this story. There has GOT to be a way to get Jonesy to throw the last out of game 162.
It’s also worth noting that Jones is the last connection to the Tigers teams of the Tiger Stadium era.
All the TJ haters need to be quiet. He was the best closer we had and no one realized that until he was gone. Guess the saying “Don’t not what you have, till it’s gone” is right.
Give me some examples of what the current closers have done for the team. That’s right…nothing.
“There has GOT to be a way to get Jonesy to throw the last out of game 162.’
Well. that’s one way to guarantee the Tigers will play into October.
thanks for the memories and believe it or not most were good ..few bad but over the long haul you were a true Tiger…too bad more of the current billionaires aren’t like you.. thanks again
I always liked the Todd Jones quote about his outings - “win or lose, it’ll be over quick”.
Worthless closer… great guy. I wish him the best
I’ll miss Jonesy a lot. He was a good closer, a true tiger, he gave his heart and soul every time he pitched. He just didn’t have much left by the end.
Never disrepect someone who dearly wanted to be a Tiger. He was the epitome of class.