Andruw Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Andruw Jones |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Jones with the Texas Rangers in 2009
|
|||
| Center fielder | |||
| Born: April 23, 1977 Willemstad, Curaçao |
|||
|
|||
| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: August 15, 1996, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| NPB: March 29, 2013, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: October 3, 2012, for the New York Yankees | |||
| NPB: October 1, 2014, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .254 | ||
| Home runs | 434 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,289 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .232 | ||
| Home runs | 50 | ||
| Runs batted in | 165 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
MLB
NPB
|
|||
Andruw Rudolf Jones (born April 23, 1977) is a former professional baseball player from Curaçao. He was a fantastic center fielder for 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for his time with the Atlanta Braves.
Jones also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees. Later, he played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Andruw was famous for his amazing defense. He won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for outfielders every year from 1998 to 2007. He had a very strong throwing arm and was an elite fielder.
He was chosen for the MLB All-Star team five times. In 2005, he won both the Hank Aaron Award and a Silver Slugger Award for outfielders.
Jones started his MLB career with the Atlanta Braves in 1996. In the 1996 World Series, he made history. He became the youngest player ever to hit a home run in the postseason. He was also only the second player to hit a homer in his first two World Series at-bats. The next year, he finished fifth in the voting for Rookie of the Year.
From 1998 to 1999, he got even better at hitting. In 2000, Jones batted .303 with 36 home runs and 104 runs batted in (RBIs). This earned him his first All-Star spot. Many people compared him to the legendary Willie Mays. Jones was considered one of the best center fielders in baseball. He led all center fielders in putouts and total zone runs for five years in a row (1998-2002).
In 2005, he had an incredible season. He led the National League (NL) with 51 home runs and 128 RBIs. He finished second in the voting for NL Most Valuable Player. After his time in MLB, Jones played in Japan. He officially retired from baseball in 2016. The Atlanta Braves retired his number 25 jersey in 2023.
Contents
Andruw Jones: Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Growing Up in Curaçao
Andruw Jones was born on April 23, 1977. His hometown was Willemstad, the capital city of Curaçao. This is a beautiful island nation in the Caribbean.
When he was just 11 years old, Jones was already a talented baseball player. He joined a special youth team that traveled all the way to Japan for a tournament. He was so good that he could play almost any position on the field. Because he had such a strong arm, he often played as a catcher or at third base. A few years later, he switched to playing in the outfield.
Starting His Professional Journey
In 1993, when he was 16, Jones signed with the Atlanta Braves. This was his first step into professional baseball. He quickly showed his talent. After playing only 27 games with the Braves' team in West Palm Beach, Florida, he moved up to the Danville team.
In 1995, Jones played for the Class-A Macon team. In his very first time at bat, he hit a home run! He ended that season with 25 home runs and 100 RBIs. He also led the South Atlantic League with 56 stolen bases. Because of his amazing season, he was named Minor League Player of the Year.
Amazing MLB Career
Atlanta Braves Years (1996–2007)
The Atlanta Braves called Jones up to the major leagues on August 15, 1996. He was only 19 years old. In his first MLB game, Jones got one hit and an RBI. In his second game, he got two hits, including a home run and a triple. He even hit two home runs in one game against the Reds on August 22.
At first, he played in right field. This was because Marquis Grissom was already the team's main center fielder. Jones finished his first season batting .217 with five home runs and 13 RBIs. The Braves chose him for their postseason team in 1996. They won the National League Championship Series and went to the World Series.
World Series History in 1996
In Game 1 of the 1996 World Series on October 20, 1996, Jones showed everyone how talented he was. He hit two home runs in his first two at bats. The Braves easily beat the New York Yankees 12–1.
Jones became the youngest player ever to hit a home run in the World Series. He was 19 years and 180 days old. This broke Mickey Mantle's record. Jones also joined Gene Tenace as the only players to hit home runs in their first two World Series at-bats.
Becoming a Star Outfielder
In 1997, Jones became the Braves' everyday right fielder. He finished his rookie season with a .231 batting average, 18 home runs, and 70 runs batted in. He also showed his speed by stealing 20 bases. He finished 5th in the Rookie of the Year voting.
In 1998, he moved to center field almost full-time. He had a much better season, hitting his 30th home run on September 13. He also won his first of ten straight Gold Glove Awards. The Braves won their division but lost in the 1998 NLCS.
Jones was known for playing in a very relaxed way. Sometimes, this even bothered his manager, Bobby Cox. But Jones continued to play well. In 1998, he hit .271 with 31 home runs and 90 RBIs. He also stole 27 bases.
All-Star Seasons and Power Hitting
In 1999, Jones had similar good numbers. In 2000, he had a breakout season with his bat. He reached new career highs in batting average (.303), home runs (36), and RBIs (104). He also made his first All-Star Game appearance.
In 2001, Jones' batting average dropped, and his strikeouts went up. He still hit 34 home runs and had 104 RBIs, but his average was .251. By this time, Jones had gained weight, which made him less fast on the bases.
He kept hitting for power in 2002. On September 7, he hit two home runs in his last two at-bats. Then, on September 10, he hit two more home runs in his first two at-bats. This made him the 11th player in MLB history to homer in four straight at-bats. On September 25, Jones hit three home runs in one game against the Phillies. He made his second All-Star team that year. He ended the season with 35 home runs and 94 RBIs.
In 2003, Jones reached a new career high with 116 RBIs. He made his third All-Star team and even hit a home run in the game. In 2004, he hit fewer than 30 homers and struck out many times.
Breaking Records in 2005
Before the 2005 season, Jones worked very hard and changed his batting style. This led to his best hitting season ever. When his teammate Chipper Jones got injured, Andruw really stepped up for the Braves. By the All-Star break, Jones was leading the National League in home runs with 27. He was named to his fourth All-Star team.
On August 23, Jones hit his 40th home run of the season. This was the first time in his career he hit at least 40 homers. On September 14, 2005, Jones hit his 300th career home run. The ball traveled about 430 feet! He became the first hitter since Alex Rodriguez and Jim Thome to hit at least 50 home runs in a season. Jones also became the 12th player in history to hit 300 home runs before his 30th birthday.
Jones led the major leagues with 51 home runs. This broke Hank Aaron's and Eddie Mathews' club record for the Braves. He also led the National League with a career-high 128 RBIs. His amazing hitting helped the Braves win their 14th straight division championship. He finished second in the 2005 NL MVP vote. In the 2005 National League Divisional Series, Jones hit very well, but the Astros won the series.
2006 Season
Before the 2006 season, Jones played for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. He started the MLB season strong, hitting a home run in his first game. From April 16 to April 19, Jones hit a home run in four games in a row.
On July 18, he had 6 RBIs in one game, matching his career high. He also got 5 hits and 2 home runs. On August 29, Jones got his 1000th career RBI. On September 26, he hit his 40th home run of the season. He was the first Braves hitter to have two seasons in a row with at least 40 homers.
Jones finished the 2006 season with 41 home runs and 129 RBIs. He also walked more often, which helped him score 107 runs. He won his ninth straight Gold Glove award.
2007 Season
In 2007, Jones had a tough start to the season. He struck out many times and had a low batting average. However, he still hit some important home runs. On April 30, Jones hit a three-run walk-off home run to win the game against the Philadelphia Phillies. On May 28, he hit his 350th career home run.
He finished the 2007 season with 26 home runs and 94 RBIs. However, his batting average was only .222, and he struck out 138 times. On October 2, the Braves announced that Jones would not be returning for the 2008 season.
Later MLB Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (2008)
On December 5, 2007, Jones signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he struggled a lot with the Dodgers. He hit below .200 for most of the season. He also had very few hits when runners were in scoring position. Because he wasn't playing well, he was moved lower in the batting order.
Jones went on the disabled list for the first time in his career on May 25, 2008, for knee surgery. On July 27, the Dodgers manager said Jones would only be a spot starter. Jones finished the season with a .158 batting average, three home runs, and 14 RBIs. He was released by the Dodgers in January 2009.
Texas Rangers (2009)
On February 8, 2009, Jones signed a one-year contract with the Texas Rangers. He was expected to be a pinch-hitter but became a starting outfielder due to an injury to Josh Hamilton. Jones played well in his Rangers debut, getting three hits and an RBI. By the end of April, he was batting .344 with three home runs.
He played against his old team, the Dodgers, in June and hit a home run in each game. On July 8, Jones hit three home runs in one game against the Angels. It was his second time hitting three homers in a single game. He ended the season batting .214 but still hit 17 home runs in 82 games.
Chicago White Sox (2010)
On November 25, 2009, Jones signed with the Chicago White Sox for the 2010 season. He arrived at camp in great shape, much lighter than before. On April 23, 2010, his 33rd birthday, Jones hit two home runs. One of them was a walk-off homer that won the game for the White Sox. On July 11, he hit his 400th career home run.
He finished the year with 19 home runs in 278 at-bats. He scored 41 runs, had 48 RBIs, and 64 hits in 107 games. This was the most games he had played since 2007.
New York Yankees (2011–2012)
On January 20, 2011, Jones signed a contract with the New York Yankees. In his first Yankees at-bat on April 5, 2011, Jones hit a home run at Yankee Stadium.
Jones finished the season with a .247 average, 13 home runs, and 33 runs batted in. He signed with the Yankees again for the 2012 season. He was supposed to be a backup player. However, because of an injury to Brett Gardner, Jones played more often than expected. He played very well in the first half of the season, hitting 12 home runs in his first 62 games.
Playing in Japan
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2013–2014)
On December 7, 2012, Jones signed a contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan. He finished the regular season with 26 home runs. He scored 81 runs, had 94 RBIs, and 105 walks in 143 games. He helped the Eagles win their first Pacific League Championship.
His strong play continued in the postseason. He hit two home runs in the 2013 Pacific League Climax Series and one in the 2013 Japan Series. These hits were very important in the Eagles winning the Japan Series. After the season, Jones signed with Rakuten again for 2014. In his two years in Japan, Jones hit 50 home runs. He mostly played as a designated hitter, but he also played 48 games at first base.
Career Highlights and Retirement
Retirement from Baseball
After playing in Japan, Jones tried to return to MLB in 2015 and 2016. He officially retired from baseball in February 2016. Soon after, the Braves hired him as a special assistant. On April 3, 2023, the Braves announced that Jones's number 25 jersey would be retired by the team on September 9, 2023.
Career Summary
Jones ended his career with a .254 batting average, 434 home runs, and 1,289 runs batted in. His home run total was tied for 40th on the all-time list when he retired. Jones was known for his amazing defense. From 1998 to 2007, he won 10 straight Gold Gloves. His 10 Gold Gloves for an outfielder tie him for third all-time. Only Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente won more.
Jones was also very fast early in his career. He stole 20 or more bases from 1997 to 2000. However, his speed decreased as he hit for more power and gained weight.
Jones was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame in 2016. His uniform number, 25, was retired by the team on September 9, 2023.
International Baseball
Since he was born in Curaçao, Jones could play for the Netherlands national baseball team. He played for them in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006. Jones also joined the team again for the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
.jpg)
In 2015, Jones was chosen to play for the Dutch team as a first baseman in the 2015 Premier 12 tournament. He later announced that these were his final games as a player.
Personal Life
Andruw Jones is married to Nicole Derick. They have a son named Druw and a daughter named Madison. Druw was a top prospect in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He was chosen second overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Awards and Accomplishments
- Minor League Player of the Year Award (1995 and 1996)
- Youngest player in the National League (1996 and 1997)
- 10-Time NL Gold Glove Award Winner (1998–2007)
- 5-Time All-Star (2000, 2002–03, 2005–06)
- Inaugural National League All-Star Final Vote winner (2002)
- Led the majors with 51 home runs in 2005
- Held Braves record for most home runs in a season (2005, with 51) until surpassed by Matt Olson in 2023
- Led the National League with 656 at-bats in 2000
- Led the National League with 128 RBIs in 2005
- NL Silver Slugger Award in 2005
- NL Hank Aaron Award as the league's best offensive player in 2005
- NL Player of the Month for June and August 2005
- Major League Player of the Year for 2005, as chosen by the Major League Baseball Players Association
- Fielding Bible Award at center field (2007)
- Number retired by the Atlanta Braves on September 9, 2023
Jones has been on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 2018. Players need 75% of the vote to be elected. His support has grown over the years, reaching 66.2% in 2025. A player can be on the ballot for a maximum of 10 times.
See Also
In Spanish: Andruw Jones para niños
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
