Wallie Jones says his health is fine, there are no hurt or bitter feelings, no underlying circumstances.
After 25 years, nine state titles and two Southeast Regional crowns, it was just time for him to step down as the head coach of the Sumter P-15's American Legion baseball team.
Winning the American Legion World Series is about the only thing the P-15's didn't do during his time in charge; however, Jones did take the program to its first two World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 2006 and Shelby, N.C., in 2008. The P-15's finished fourth in '06 and third in '08.
Sumter went 31-8 in Jones' final year at the helm, finishing third in the Southeast Regional held at Riley Park. It was at that point Jones thought he was done with the job.
"When we got to the end, I told (wife) Marcia, 'I think I'm done,'" Jones said. "Marcia said, 'Are you sure about that?' My dad (the late Bernie Jones, who preceded Wallie as a P-15's head coach and served with him as an assistant) always told me not to make any decisions right after the season because of the emotions, the highs and lows. I did that, and it came back to this."
