He spent all or parts of seven seasons in Major League Baseball as a coach for the Kansas City Royals (1987; 1992; 2005) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1997–2000).

[2][3] A second baseman during his active career, Jones stood 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and weighed 155 pounds (70 kg); he threw and batted right-handed.

[4] Most of Jones' playing career occurred at the Class A level; he appeared in one game in Triple-A, for the 1967 Indianapolis Indians of the Pacific Coast League, batting five times with one hit, a single.

[5] From 1997 through early June 2000, Jones was the first-base coach on the Major League staff of Pirates' manager Gene Lamont, a former colleague from the Royals' organization.

Joe Jones died at age 81 on March 23, 2023, survived by his wife of 60 years, two sons, four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, sister, and nephew.