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".

Born in Shinglehouse, Pennsylvania to a father who owned a general store, Jones learned to play baseball at his preparatory school at Alfred University.

[1] Jones entered professional baseball playing as an outfielder and catcher for Portland in the Oregon State League in 1891 or 1893, depending on the source.

[2][1] He played minor league ball in Binghamton, New York, and Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was an accomplished hitter.

[3] The aging roster sputtered late in 1907 and then lost the pennant on the final day in 1908 to the same team in the Detroit Tigers.