Oakdale Author Shares Thoughts on 'Baseball Guy'

Gordy Jones grew up loving baseball.

While he was never good enough to play Major League baseball, Jones didn’t let that stop him from doing the next best thing: Associating with Major Leaguers by photographing and writing about them and covering their charity events. 

Jones also, during his career, worked part time for the Minnesota Twins. And now Jones has a baseball column that he syndicates to newspapers in a five-state Midwest area.

Jones, an Oakdale author and photographer, shared some of those thoughts on Saturday at a book discussion and signing at the Barnes & Noble in Roseville.

Jones, 56, read from a couple pages of his book “Baseball Guy, the Book,’’ an illustrated children’s tome that now is in its second edition.  

Jones said had the good fortune to grow up in St. Paul and have Dave Winfield, a future Baseball Hall of Famer, as one of his acquaintances. He said he was impressed with Winfield’s work ethic, something that he has seen in many of the greatest Minnesota Twins too. Later in 1977, Jones said he helped Winfield set his charity known as the Winfield Foundation in California.  

“Most of them (the ballplayers) have the same quality work ethic,” Jones said.  "They are close to their families,” added Jones, who also worked in several capacities at the St Paul Pioneer Press before retiring from there about four years ago.  

Jones said he loves kids, writing and baseball. In penning “Baseball Guy,” Jones said he was able to combine all three things.  

The book’s first edition came out in 2006; the second edition just came out this year and has endorsements from several Twins players including Michael Cuddyer.

In his book,  Jones said he touches on the importance of education, family “and chasing your dream.'' 

For Jones, that’s been doing such things as photographing charity events for, among others, Minnesota Twin Joe Mauer, he said.