Nippy Jones Dies at 70; Famous for Shoe Polish : Baseball: Umpire ruled he was hit by pitch in 1957 World Series, leading to Braves’ victory.

Former Milwaukee Brave and St. Louis Cardinal first baseman Vernal (Nippy) Jones, who earned enduring fame because of some polish on his shoes, has died of a heart attack.

Jones, who died Tuesday in his Sacramento home, was 70.

He was best remembered for being hit on the foot by a pitched ball in the 1957 World Series, when he played for the Braves against the New York Yankees.

Jones stepped to the plate with the Yankees leading, 5-4, in the bottom of the 10th inning. Umpire Augie Donatelli called the pitch a ball and Jones was ordered to continue batting.

But Donatelli was then shown a ball that had a smudge of shoe polish on it, and Jones was allowed to take his base.

That ignited a rally that ended when Eddie Mathews hit a home run to lift Milwaukee to a 7-5 victory. The Braves went on to win the series.

“It’s a funny thing,” Jones said in a 1991 interview. “Nobody remembers Mathews’ home run to win the game. But they remember me getting hit on the foot.”

His best year in the major leagues was 1949, when he hit .300 for St. Louis as cleanup batter behind Stan Musial. But he also injured his back that season and was never the same.

After retiring from baseball, Jones worked in the public relations and title insurance businesses in Sacramento and became a professional fishing guide.

Jones, a Los Angeles native, is survived by his wife of 49 years, Nora, four children and six grandchildren.