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Bumpus Jones
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Charles Leander "Bumpus" Jones (January 1, 1870 – June 25, 1938) was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants.
Key Information
Early life
[edit]He was born in Cedarville, Ohio. Newspaper accounts from Cedarville have described him as being listed as black, albeit with skin that passed for Caucasian. Census reports listed him as a "mulatto".[1][2] Genealogical research has speculated that Jones came from "Pocahontas' people in Virginia."[3] In reality he was Occaneechi-Saponi and Catawba.[4]
Baseball career
[edit]Prior to his work in major league baseball, Jomes played for the minor league Monmouth Maple Cities (Illinois–Iowa League) in 1890.
Jones made only eight appearances in his brief major league career. He threw a no-hitter in his first major league appearance with the Cincinnati Reds on October 15, 1892, the last day of the season. The Reds defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7–1. Jones was not perfect, as he gave up four walks, and he did not pitch a shutout, as an error led to an unearned run. He remains the only player in major league history to pitch a no-hitter in his first game.[5] It was one of the last games played with a "pitcher's box" with the pitcher beginning 55 1/2 feet from home plate; the following season, the pitcher's mound would be introduced, with pitchers starting their pitch on a rubber slab 60 feet and 6 inches from home plate.[6]
Jones split the 1893 season between Cincinnati and the New York Giants, appearing in seven games overall, while going 1–4 with a 10.19 ERA. Jones would never pitch in the majors again. Only Bobo Holloman of the St. Louis Browns, Ted Breitenstein of the St. Louis Browns, and Tyler Gilbert of the Arizona Diamondbacks have managed to join Jones as pitchers to throw no-hitters in their first major league start, but they had previously appeared in a relief role. According to sabermetrician Bill James, Jones edges out Holloman for the distinction of mathematically least likely pitcher ever to have thrown a no-hitter in the major leagues.[2]
In a two-season major league career, Jones posted a 2–4 career record with 10 strikeouts and a 7.99 ERA in 41+2⁄3 innings pitched. After leaving the major leagues, Jones continued to pitch professionally. He pitched for the Grand Rapids Rustlers and Sioux City Cornhuskers in 1894. He pitched for the Columbus Senators from 1896 to 1899, and until recently, was credited with the team record for career games pitched, with 212. Modern research, however, indicates that the actual total may be closer to 150.[7] Jones finished his minor league career with the St. Paul Saints in 1901.
Death
[edit]Jones died in Xenia, Ohio at age 68 from complications of a stroke, and he was buried at North Cemetery in Cedarville, Ohio.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Ashwill, Gary (August 31, 2019). "Bumpus Jones: Passing as White?". Agate Type.
- ^ a b Ashwill, Gary (January 15, 2014). "Bumpus jones". Agate Type.
- ^ Rainey, Chris. "Bumpus Jones". Society for American Baseball Research.
- ^ "North Carolina Register" (PDF). January 4, 1999.[page needed]
- ^ "MLB rookies to throw no-hitters". MLB.com. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ^ Hill, David (March 7, 2017). "MLB History: Pitching Rubber Moved to Current Distance". FanSided. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ "Bean ties uncertain record[permanent dead link]", Craig Merz, The Columbus Dispatch, published August 16, 2006, accessed August 16, 2006.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Baseball Reference · Retrosheet · Baseball Almanac
- Baseball Almanac
- The Baseball Guru
- Bill James' Expected No-Hitters Formula and Trivia