The Atlanta Braves made an exciting announcement for fans who have followed the team since the nineties.
Center fielder Andruw Jones, who made his debut with the franchise in 1996 and played there until 2007, will have his number 25 retired.
It will happen during a ceremony on September 9, before a game with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Fans, of course, are ecstatic about the team’s decision to honor one of its legends.
This is wonderful and Andruw is a legend on and off the field.
Congratulations Andruw Jones 👏🏾😎Five-time All-Star OF Andruw Jones will have his No. 25 jersey retired in September https://t.co/6zYmQa5moV
— ♊Gemini Clone May 23rd ♊ (@RAllen18122159) April 3, 2023
Jones made five All-Star teams and won a whopping 10 Gold Gloves in center field.
All of them were consecutive, from 1998 to 2007.
That was the year he left the Braves.
I NEED AN ANDRUW JONES JERSEY https://t.co/yBbAdoyyHF
— Phil T. Rich (@Dom_Magic) April 3, 2023
Only the people that saw him play have an idea about how much of a difference-maker Jones was to defend.
I was fortunate to live in the Atlanta media market when Andruw Jones came up.
I know a little bit about baseball.
He is the greatest defensive player I’ve ever seen at any position, & it’s not really close.
Mind you, I’ve watched Ozzie Smith, Ryne Sandberg, & Nolan Arenado.
—BarleyPop (@MikePilbean) April 3, 2023
The legend says that he ran his routes and took his jumps just by hearing the sound of the baseball.
He was elegant, but really effective.
Jones hit 434 home runs over the course of his brilliant career, and also drove in 1,289 runs and had a .254 average.
Those numbers, plus his obvious defensive prowess, make him worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.
That’s awesome Andruw Jones!!! Next step is hall of fame where you should have already been inducted too
—Christy (@cskiibee3) April 3, 2023
In fact, in his sixth year of eligibility, he earned 58 percent of the votes.
He needs 75 percent to be inducted and has four additional years, so he should get in eventually.
For now, it’s nice to see him get recognized for the many things he contributed to the Braves’ franchise.
Andruw Jones, one of the best ever
—Blank (@TheMSeries1) April 3, 2023
He is joining an exclusive group of players and managers who have had their numbers retired by the successful Braves franchise.
Chipper Jones, Hank Aaron, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews, and Phil Niekro have seen their numbers rise to exclusivity and immortality.
Jones is now part of that group.
NEXT:
Braves Plan To Honor A Franchise Legend In 2023
