SUGAR LAND, Texas — Deacon Jones, the man credited with bringing a minor league baseball team to Sugar Land, has died at 89, his family said Monday.
Jones was a former MLB ballplayer and Houston Astros hitting coach who served as a special assistant with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys.
Editor's note: The video above originally aired in 2020.
"Deacon was the heart and soul of our organization and cared so deeply about every fan in the ballpark. Deacon, you will be missed and never forgotten," the team tweeted.
“Deacon was an invaluable part of our organization and a close friend to every member of the Sugar Land front office and community,” Sugar Land Space Cowboys General Manager Tyler Stamm said. “We’ve lost a pillar of our organization and a dear friend who is wholly responsible for all of us being here. Without Deacon Jones, there would be no Sugar Land franchise.”
After retiring as a scout with the Chicago White Sox in 2008, Jones shifted his focus to bringing a baseball franchise to Sugar Land. He worked with former Sugar Land Mayor Jimmy Thompson to make it happen and the Sugar Land Skeeters debuted in the independent Atlantic League in 2012.
The team was a hit and they set Atlantic League records for average and overall attendance in their first season.
Jones showed up at the team office daily and co-workers said he was a joy to be around.
“He walks through the office and always has a great smile on his face,” Chris Parsons told us in 2020. “’Great day to work! Can’t beat the hours!’”
“Deacon and I were one of the first four employees at the start of the Sugar Land franchise,” said Sugar Land Space Cowboys Assistant General Manager Chris Parsons. “He was always someone I could count on to give great advice and answer the phone when I needed; he was considered family to my family.”
In recognition of the impact Jones had on the Sugar Land franchise, his No. 4 jersey became the first retired by the franchise on August 4, 2019.
'Anything we can do to honor him'
The love his co-workers had for him was apparent in 2020 when Jones turned 86 during the COVID lockdown.
Since they couldn't celebrate with him in person, they cooked up a plan to surprise Jones with a car parade.
“You know, anything we can do to honor him,” media relations manager Ryan Posner told us. “Then somebody on staff threw out the idea, ‘Let’s drive by his house and do a parade.'"
Jones saw all the cars coming down his street and thought a neighbor had died.
“My first thought was, ‘It’s a funeral,’” he told KHOU 11 Sports anchor Jason Bristol. “But I didn’t see a cop!”
The simple gesture gave him a smile the size of a big league stadium.
“It was the most exciting thing I’ve ever had happen to me,” Jones said. "One of the most exciting."
Bristol said Jones became a friend through the years.
"RIP to my friend Grover 'Deacon' Jones, who's died at 89. So many stories. So many laughs," Bristol tweeted. 'Checkin' in to see if I'm still alive?' he'd tell me when I made a monthly-ish call to him."
Deacon Jones history
Grover "Deacon" Jones was born in White Plains, NY in 1934, and began his baseball career in minor league with the White Sox organization. He made his major league debut with Chicago on September 8, 1962, against the Washington Senators.
Jones retired in 1966 and later joined the Astros where he served as the hitting coach from 1976 to 1982.
He later joined the San Diego Padres as hitting coach before heading back to the White Sox as an advanced scout in 1988.
In later years, Jones was known for sharing great stories about his experiences with baseball legends, including Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Tony Gwynn and Mickey Mantle.