The Braves announced this morning that Andruw Jones‘ #25 will be retired.
Jones will join an impressive list of Braves who have already had their jersey numbers retired — Chipper Jones #10, John Smoltz #29, Bobby Cox #6, Dale Murphy #3, Warren Spahn #21, Greg Maddux #31, Phil Niekro #35, Eddie Matthews #41, Hank Aaron #44, and Jackie Robinson #42.
Andruw Jones should already have been elected into Cooperstown. For a decade, he was one of the best players in baseball, smacking over 400 home runs and winning 10 straight Gold Gloves. He is widely regarded as the best defensive centerfielder to ever play the game, and he helped the Braves during their golden era of fourteen consecutive division titles.
The only reason Jones isn’t already in the Hall of Fame is because of how his career ended. Once he signed a lucrative deal with the Dodgers, his production fell off a cliff, and he quickly found himself out of the league altogether. Still, if you’re one of the best players in the game for over an entire decade, your legacy will never be forgotten. He belongs in the Hall of Fame, and if recent voting trends are any indication, he will eventually be honored nationally. However, he will always be remembered forever in Atlanta, and no player will ever wear #25 as a member of the Braves organization again.
Congratulations, Andruw Jones!
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