The lifelong dream to pitch for his hometown team came to an abrupt end for Pendleton County resident Nate Jones. He was released by the Cincinnati Reds just before the conclusion of the regular season.
Jones final appearance came on Sept. 21 versus the Milwaukee Brewers to begin the ninth inning. Cincinnati led 6-1 as Jones allowed a single to the first batter he faced. After he retired the next two batters, he would serve up a two-run home run ball before rallying to record the third and final out as the Reds held on to notch a 6-3 win. The next day, the club announced the news that Jones would be designated for assignment as the corresponding move to allow room for starting pitcher Sonny Gray to return to the active roster. Jones was then placed on waivers giving the other 29 teams in MLB the opportunity to claim him. On Sept. 25, Cincinnati announced that Jones had not been claimed and would subsequently be released making him a free agent.
“We weren’t expecting him to be picked up by another team, but in baseball you never know,” said Jones wife, Lacy.
“With teams postseason rosters already being set and submitted to the league, there was no chance for him to be eligible to pitch in the postseason and with him only being signed through this season, there wasnt really any incentive for him to be claimed,” she added.
Jones final stats for this season include and 0-1 record in 21 appearances, he tallied 18.2 innings pitched with an ERA of 6.27
to go with 23 strikeouts. Looking ahead to 2021, the future of Jones big league career looks unclear at least for the time being. Jones says that the knowledge he gained from his Reds teammates and coaches will aid him going forward.
“I was lucky to be able to be around a lot of talented guys and there was an abundance of information available to me. I look forward to taking what Iearned and seeing what works best for me going forward,” said the veteran righthander.
Despite what the future holds, Jones and family know that one thing they can continue to count on is the local support he’s received from friends and family throughout his native Pendleton County. As Lacy Jones noted the family remains extremely grateful for the support they have received.
“It definitely stings the way this all came to an end, but it was such a dream to be with the Reds this season. There was so much excitement and we just felt so much support. I am so proud of Nate to keep coming back the way he has. It hasn’t always been an easy road and he has worked very hard to still be playing.”
