When the Reno Aces open their season on April 17, many in the Nevada community will think fondly of the late C.J. Jones, the man who paved the way for the return of pro baseball to the area.
When the Reno Aces open their season on April 17, many in the Nevada community will think fondly of the late C.J. Jones, the man who paved the way for the return of pro baseball to the area.
Jones was the force behind Sierra Nevada Baseball, the group seeking to bring Pacific Coast League baseball to a development in nearby Sparks. Jones was a presence in baseball circles, and by sheer persistence to managed to raise what many in baseball assumed was a fringe territory to a contender for PCL baseball, arranging for a ballpark-financing plan, Sparks location and community support.
The only thing Jones couldn’t do before he passed away was close things with a developer; RED Development came the closest, but officials there couldn’t pull the trigger on the deal.
But Jones’ work paved the way for SK Baseball to swoop in the market and snare the development work in downtown Reno on their own. After purchasing the Tucson Sidewinders (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), the Reno Aces are ready for business.
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