Cleon Jones
The left fielder who glove-tapped the final out of the 1969 World Series, cementing the Miracle Mets' impossible championship run.
Born 1942 (age 84)·American baseball player·Birthday: August 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
Cleon Jones was the homegrown talent who became the steady, powerful heartbeat of the New York Mets' transformation from lovable losers to world champions. Signed out of Mobile, Alabama, he debuted in the Mets' early, struggling years, developing into a reliable .280 hitter with speed and a strong arm. His career year came in 1969, when he batted .340 and made his only All-Star team, providing crucial offensive firepower for a team built on pitching. That October, it was Jones who camped under Davey Johnson's fly ball in left field, securing the final out of Game 5 against the Baltimore Orioles. The image of him falling to his knees, then springing up to celebrate, is frozen in baseball lore. While injuries later slowed him, his role as a cornerstone of the franchise's first and most magical title ensured his place in the hearts of Mets fans forever.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Cleon was born in 1942, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cleon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1942
#1 Movie
Bambi
Best Picture
Mrs. Miniver
Cleon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1942Born
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1947Started school
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1955Became a teenager
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Could drive
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1960Could vote
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Turned 21
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1972Turned 30
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 40
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 50
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 60
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 70
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 80
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 84 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Caught the final out of the 1969 World Series, clinching the championship for the 'Miracle Mets.'
- Batted a career-high .340 in the 1969 season and was selected as a National League All-Star.
- Holds the Mets franchise record for most career hits by a left fielder.
- Led the National League in hits in 1969 with 164.
Did You Know?
He was discovered by Mets scout Red Murff while playing baseball at Alabama A&M University.
Jones and his wife, Angela, were instrumental in founding the 'Baseball Alumni Team' (BAT), which provides assistance to former players in need.
He was the first Mets player to hit 30 doubles and steal 30 bases in a single season (1976).
“When I caught that ball, it was like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. We had done it.”
