first of many

The first big league bomb by a Mississippian in 2017 was launched Tuesday by Richton High product JaCoby Jones. Jones, a lightly seasoned rookie who won Detroit’s center field job in spring training, hit a three-run homer off the Chicago White Sox’s Jose Quintana, propelling the Tigers to a 6-3 win at Guaranteed Rate Field. Jones reacted to his first MLB homer by flashing a No. 1 sign as he left the batter’s box. Jones, who goes 6 feet 2, 205 pounds, has pop. He hit 23 homers in a minor league campaign in 2014, when he was in Pittsburgh’s system. He also stole a base on Tuesday, showing off another tool. He swiped 25 bags in the minors in 2015. Jones brings youth and athleticism to a Tigers’ team that needs just such an injection.