The visitors’ clubhouse was loud on Sunday afternoon, with thumping bass beats from the sound system overpowered by celebratory shouts from Yankees teammates. There was a distinct aroma of barley and hops sacrificed to the carpet, and at the center of it all stood Jahmai Jones.
On a day when the Yankees belted five home runs, including a two-homer performance by catcher Jose Trevino, a milestone meant the most. Jones connected for his first Major League home run in the third inning, a shot that helped New York to a 10-6 victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field.
“Getting to be in the lineup with the Yankees is special in itself, but doing it on Mother’s Day is something I’ll never forget,” Jones said. “My mom means a lot to me, and we’ve been through a lot together. I can’t wait to give her a call.”
Indeed, they have plenty to discuss. It has been a long wait for the 26-year-old Jones, who is wearing his fourth big league uniform following brief stints with the Angels (2020), Orioles (’21) and Brewers (’23).
That his first homer would come on this pink-bat holiday is significant to Jones, who relayed the following text message from his mother, Michele: “I’m so happy for you. The fact you did it on Mother’s Day is special. I can’t wait for a phone call later.”
Jones’ father, Andre, was a standout Notre Dame linebacker who played professionally for the Detroit Lions. He passed away from a brain aneurysm in 2011, just days before Jahmai’s freshman year of high school in Norcross, Ga. The event rocked the family, leaving Michele as a single mother to six children.
“Going through that, she had to take on a lot of different things to keep everything as normal as it could be,” Jones said. “Without her, I wouldn’t be here, for sure.”