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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2009 > February > 05
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Reds sign Jones, Ward to minor deals
The Cincinnati Reds made two moves today that could help their thin bench situation, if Jacque Jones and Daryle Ward can make the team and can return to past performances.
Jones, 33, and Ward, 33, were signed Thursday to minor-league contracts with invitations to the major-league camp.
Jones, once a star outfielder for the Minnesota Twins, appeared last season in 42 games with Detroit and Florida.
He has played in in 21 playoff games, including both Division Series (2002-04, 2007) and the 2002 American League Championship Series. He has 20 career leadoff homers and a .287 lifetime average with runners in scoring position.
Ward, 33, made 89 appearances last season for the Cubs and in recent seasons has mostly been used as a pinch-hitter.
His 11 pinch-hit homers ties him with Tony Clark for fourth-most among active Major Leaguers. Ward has made 11 career post-season game appearances, all in the National League Division Series (1999, 2001, 2007, 2008). He is the son of two-time AL All-Star Gary Ward.
Jones’ best years were 2006 with the Cubs when he hit 27 homers and drove in 81, while hitting .285, a year similar to 2002 with the Twins when he hit 27 homers with 85 RBIs and batted .300.
Ward had an excellent season in 2007 as a part-time performer for the Cubs and Dusty Baker when he batted 110 times, hitting three homers, driving in 19 runs and batting .327 with a .436 on-base average. But he slipped badly last season with the Cubs, hitting only .216 with a .319 on-base average while hitting four homers and driving in 17 for his 102 at-bats.
“By signing them to minor league contracts, it is a no-risk situation for us,” said general manager Walt Jocketty.
“(Manager) Dusty Baker and I have had discussions the past few weeks and one of the things we’ve looked at is improving our bench with veterans who can contribute off the bench and are good people and leaders.
“Dusty likes both of them. I liked Jones when I was in St. Louis and tried to get him and Ward has hurt us (the Reds) quite a bit in the past,” Jocketty added.
“Jones played winter ball in Mexico (.314 with 37 hits in 118 at-bats, with three homers and 17 RBIs), so that shows he is dedicated to working on his game,” said Jocketty.
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