SPRINGVILLE — Even though he's justifiably starting to feel like the all-time leader in snubs, Mitch Jones is convinced he will be a major league baseball player someday.
And the former Mountain View High slugger certainly isn't viewing the latest bend in his professional baseball road as a setback. Jones, after his contract was sold by the Los Angeles Dodgers early this month, quickly signed a deal to play the next season and a half for the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Pacific League of Japanese baseball. He's currently back at his Springville home while the paperwork on his visa and passport is finished, but he's expecting to join the Fighters later this month.
"Japan came after me pretty hard," said Jones, who had spent all of this season with the Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League after signing with their parent club in the offseason. "And the Dodgers could have told them to go away, but they didn't, and once they sold my contract the decision was pretty much made for me."
In seven-plus minor league seasons, mostly in the Yankees system, Jones hit 184 home runs, 213 doubles and drove in more than 600 runs. In college at Arizona State, he set the school's single-season record with 27 dingers. In less than a half season at Las Vegas, he was having his best year ever, hitting .303 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs. His 19 homers were second best in all of the minor leagues.
Still, it was evident the Dodgers didn't plan to call Jones up any time soon. And now, Jones doesn't look at the Dodgers selling his contract to Nippon for $375,000 as a negative detour. Several major league stars (Cecil Fielder might come to mind for many) have spent a year or two in Japan honing their skills only to return to the United States for a better career in the majors.
"I feel like this is a stepping stone for me and an opportunity to play at a level between Triple A and the major leagues where I can have another chance to prove myself," Jones said. "I feel like I can come back in two years and be no worse than the exact same situation that I'm in right now, but probably better."
The Japan deal will also be a good career move for Jones and his family in another way — financial security. Jones, 29, reportedly will earn $490,000 plus incentives for the next season and a half.
"I really don't like to talk about money, but part of the reason I play professional baseball is to support my family," he said.
For the Fighters, Jones will continue to play both in the outfield and in the infield, at first and third. His manager will be Trey Hillman, whom Jones met while Hillman was managing in the Yankees minor league system. Nowadays, scouts from the major league teams keep a close eye on the Japan leagues, and that's one reason why Jones feels the move can only do him good. Also, the Japan leagues have become Americanized enough that he feels the move will be a good experience for him and his family, and a better path to reach his eventual career goal.
"If I didn't feel like I should be playing in the major leagues then I probably shouldn't be playing at all anymore," Jones said. "But at some point I'm going to be playing in the major leagues. I plan to finish my career playing for a major league team."
E-mail: jimr@desnews.com