Grover William “Deacon” Jones Jr. was born April 18, 1934, to Grover William Jones Sr. and Rita Green Jones in White Plains, New York. He was the oldest of two children. Having been the son of a Deacon, hence how he eventually got his nickname, Deacon was an active member of Union Baptist Church serving as an usher and member of the choir.
Deacon graduated from White Plains High School in 1952 and was what he called an “All-Athlete” in basketball, football, and baseball. He was the first recipient of the prestigious Con Edison “Athlete of the Week” award in September 1951. Other honors while in high school included being named the nation’s American Legion (under 18) Player of the Year and subsequently placing in the American Legion section of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. He was the first African American to be honored.
Despite being recruited by USC, UCLA, Michigan, and Ohio State and being told by legendary Ohio State coach, Woody Hayes, that he wouldn’t make it in baseball, Deacon was determined to prove him wrong.
Deacon attended Ithaca College on a football scholarship and studied Physiotherapy. It was during his freshman year that he knew for sure that he didn’t want to play football, so he pursued baseball. Upon graduation in June 1955, White Sox Manager, Marty Marion, signed him.
In his 11-year minor league career (1955–56; 1959–67; 1969), Jones batted .319 with 154 home runs and a slugging percentage of .528. His big-league experience consisted of 60 plate appearances, and he batted .286 (14 hits in 49 at bats) with one home run and 10 runs batted in. During his minor league career, he also served in the United States Army in 1957 and 1958.
Throughout the highs and lows of his baseball career, one thing remained constant and that was his love for Virginia “Tiki” Scott Jones. They were joined in marriage on February 22, 1959, and celebrated more than 60 years together. To this union, they were blessed with their loving daughter, Monica, and two grandsons.
After retiring as a player, Deacon served as a scout and minor league coach and manager in the White Sox organization through 1973. He was also a hitting coach for the Houston Astros from 1976–82. After a one-year stint with the Yankees, he went on to serve as a hitting coach with the San Diego Padres from 1984–87. Deacon later joined the Baltimore Orioles in 1988 as a minor-league hitting coach and liaison with minority communities. He spent almost 20 years as a scout.
Once his career as an advanced scout ended, Jones shifted his focus to securing a baseball franchise in Sugar Land, working with former City of Sugar Land Mayor Jimmy Thompson to bring a team to Fort Bend County. Thanks to the work of Jones, the Sugar Land Skeeters debuted in the independent Atlantic League in 2012, and in their very first season set Atlantic League records for average and overall attendance. For the impact he had on the Sugar Land franchise, Jones had his #4 retired by Sugar Land, the first jersey retired by the franchise, on August 4, 2019. Until his passing, he was an active Special Advisor to the Sugar Land Skeeters and now Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros. Deacon was very active in the community, received numerous awards and recognitions, and built a legacy that will live forever.