Gary Jones hired to be next Mud Hens manager
TOLEDO, OH - The Detroit Tigers and Toledo Mud Hens announced today that Gary Jones has been hired as the 2022 manager of the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate. Jones becomes the ninth person to manage the Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field and the 57th in Toledo
TOLEDO, OH - The Detroit Tigers and Toledo Mud Hens announced today that Gary Jones has been hired as the 2022 manager of the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate. Jones becomes the ninth person to manage the Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field and the 57th in Toledo baseball history.
The 61-year-old native of Henderson, Texas has been the skipper of the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs since the 2018 season, including a 53-75 record from the 2021 season. In his career, Jones has nine years of managerial experience in Triple-A with stops in Pawtucket and Edmonton. He owns a career Triple-A record of 653-614 in those nine campaigns. Prior to managing the IronPigs, Jones was the third base coach of the Chicago Cubs from 2014-2017, including the 2016 World Series Championship team.
When asked about his recent hiring as the Mud Hens manager, Jones said, "I’m very excited to join the Tigers organization and to be coming to Toledo. The Mud Hens have a beautiful stadium and great fans that I have always enjoyed when I have come in with visiting ball clubs. I am looking forward to getting there and working with a great staff.”
Jones started his managerial career at 29 years old when he managed the Oakland A’s rookie level team. Within five years, he managed his first Triple-A team when he took over in Edmonton after leading the Huntsville Stars to the AA Championship. Jones then led the Trappers to back-to-back PCL Championships in 1996 and 1997. Jones was named Manager of the Year in both of those championship seasons in Edmonton. He has led a team to an above .500 record ten times, while owning a career record of 1,243-1,177.
“Having someone with the expertise that Gary brings to the Triple-A level is exciting,” says Erik Ibsen, Toledo Mud Hens Executive Vice President and General Manager. “He knows what it takes to be successful while at the same time, continuing to develop players that will help both the Mud Hens and the Detroit Tigers during the course of the season. We are excited to welcome Gary to Toledo.”
Prior to becoming a manager, Jones reached the Triple-A level as a player, spending parts of three years in the PCL with Tacoma. He started his playing career as a member of the Cubs organization and also spent time in the Oakland A’s minor league system.
Jones replaces Tom Prince, who led the Hens to a record of 74-56 and the Triple-A East Midwest Division title in his only season at the helm.
The Mud Hens open the 2022 season at Fifth Third Field against the Rochester Red Wings on Tuesday, April 5 at 4:05 p.m.
Hens fall 2-0 in series finale with Cubs
TOLEDO, OH - The Toledo Mud Hens dropped their series finale against the Iowa Cubs 2-0 Sunday afternoon. While pitching remained resilient for Toledo, their struggles on offense left them scoreless. Looking to secure a series tie, the Mud Hens went with Lael Lockhart on the mound. The southpaw came
Mud Hens lose both games against Cubs in Saturday night double-header
TOLEDO, OH-The Toledo Mud Hens faced the Iowa Cubs in a seven inning double-header on Saturday, April 12th, at Fifth Third Field. In game one, Toledo opened with sharp defense behind starting pitcher Dietrich Enns, retiring the first six Iowa batters across the first two innings. However, the Mud Hens
Mud Hens take series lead against Cubs with 7-3 victory
TOLEDO, OH - The Toledo Mud Hens and the Iowa Cubs both looked to take a series lead in game three Friday night, but it would be the Mud Hens getting the best of the Cubs with a 7-3 victory. Toledo got ahead early and held on late by adding
Montero and the Hens shutout the Cubs
TOLEDO, OH - After a brutal 14-1 loss on Tuesday, the Mud Hens turned things around against the Cubs on Thursday with a 1-0 victory. The rainout on Wednesday put the Hens in an odd situation for pitching, but it turned out to be to their benefit. Toledo’s pitching staff
Alfonzo records a hit and RBI in Tuesday loss to Iowa
Toledo, OH – The Toledo Mud Hens opened their home stand on a rough note Tuesday night, falling 14-1 to the Iowa Cubs at Fifth Third Field. Left-hander Lael Lockhart took the mound for Toledo, entering the game with a 5.68 ERA. Iowa countered with righty Chris Flexen, who wasted
Back-and-forth scoring ends in loss to Round Rock
Round Rock, TX – The Toledo Mud Hens came up short in the series finale against the Round Rock Express on Sunday afternoon at Dell Diamond, falling 10-7 in a back-and-forth matchup. Right-hander Wilkel Hernandez (0-0, 3.00 ERA) made his first start of the season for the Mud Hens, while
Enns, Madris star in extra inning loss to Round Rock
ROUND ROCK, TX – The Toledo Mud Hens fell 6-4 in ten innings to the Round Rock Express on Saturday night at Dell Diamond. The Hens entered the night in search of their second win of the week, trying to position themselves for a series split on Sunday. The pitching
The Mud Hens aim for redemption after tough game against Round Rock
Round Rock, Texas-The Toledo Mud Hens squared off against the Round Rock Express on Friday, April 4, where, despite some solid individual performances, an early deficit proved too much for the Mud Hens to overcome, losing the game 7-1. Round Rock came out swinging, with their first four batters reaching
Lockhart dices up Express batters in rally attempt
The Mud Hens met with the Express for only the second time in the two clubs’ history Wednesday night in Round Rock, Texas. The two teams kept things tight all-game long, with the Express taking an early lead and the Hens working from behind let. In the end though, it
Mud Hens complete comeback in 12 innings against the Express
Round Rock, TX - The Toledo Mud Hens continued their trip down south with a wild 7-4 comeback win in extra innings against the Round Rock Express at Dell Diamond on Thursday night. While the Mud Hens struggled to put runs on the board early, the tables turned as Toledo’s
Wind plays big roll in Mud Hens 8-4 loss to Express
For the first time ever, the Toledo Mud Hens faced off against the Round Rock Express in the Triple-A Interleague series. The Hens would fall 8-4 to the Express. The windy conditions in Round Rock played a big role in the game, having game-changing impacts on both squads. Standing in
Hens fend off Clippers' rally for first win of the season
The Toledo Mud Hens picked up their first victory of the 2025 season with a 6-5 victory over the Columbus Clippers on Sunday. While the Clippers refused to lay down and die, the Hens were able to fend off a ninth inning rally. In the end, Toledo pitchers were able
Strong relief performance, late rallies fall short
Toledo, OH – The Toledo Mud Hens fell to the Columbus Clippers 7-6 despite a valiant comeback attempt on Saturday afternoon at Fifth Third Field. Matt Manning toed the rubber for the Mud Hens, while Ryan Webb took the ball for the visitors in game two. The Hens took a
Hens hit three home runs in front of Opening Day crowd
The Toledo Mud Hens opened the 2025 season in front of over 12,000 fans with an 8-5 loss against the Columbus Clippers Friday afternoon. The Hens and Clippers went back and forth all game, but ultimately fell short. Toledo went with lefty Lael Lockhart as the Opening Day starter who,
Gabe Alvarez named 2025 Mud Hens manager
Toledo, OH – The Detroit Tigers and Toledo Mud Hens announced that Gabe Alvarez has been named manager of the Triple-A affiliate for the 2025 season. Alvarez is the 12th person to manage the Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field and the 60th in Toledo baseball history. Alvarez comes to
A history of Negro Leagues baseball in Toledo
TOLEDO, OH – The city of Toledo holds a rich history in the game of baseball. As we celebrate Black History Month, let’s look back at Toledo’s Negro Leagues baseball history. The 1923 Toledo Tigers were a member of the Negro National League (NNL). The team only lasted a short
Tickets for all 2025 home games on sale
Start making your spring and summer plans because all Toledo Mud Hens 2025 home games are now on sale. Reserve your seats for Opening Day on March 28, Rock-n-Blast on July 3, and every other exciting moment at Fifth Third Field next season. BUY TICKETS 2025 Schedule Highlights - Opening