Jones was selected in the first round (third overall) of the 1982 Major League Baseball draft by the Padres out of Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, Texas.[1] While in high school Jones had gained national attention for striking out 28 batters in a 16-inning play-off game while throwing 251 pitches. Jones claimed in a 2004 interview that his arm was so sore two days after the marathon effort that he could not throw a baseball from third base to first base.[2][citation needed]
Jones threw a one-hit shutout against the first-place Houston Astros in his big league debut on September 21, 1986.[3] He was the first pitcher to throw a one-hitter in his debut game since Billy Rohr in 1967.
^"Padres Announce Minor League Coaching Staffs". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. January 27, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2018. Returning to San Antonio will be Pitching Coach Jimmy Jones, entering his ninth season in the Padres' organization.