Growing up as an Atlanta Braves fan, there were a few things that you were always expecting from the '90s and 2000s teams. Of course, you were expecting to see some great pitching, but you were also expecting to see how the opposing team would try "Keeping up with the Joneses."
You had Chipper Jones at the hot corner and Andruw Jones in center field. Both of them were a menace with a bat in their hands, but there was nothing more majestic than watching Andruw roam the outfield and make hard plays look easy. He played the game with a Je ne sais quoi that was unmatched. You were just hoping someone would hit the ball to him so you could watch him glide around and make a leaping grab over the wall or a diving catch to save a run.
Jones is one of only four outfielders to have ever won exactly 10 Gold Glove Awards. The other three were Ken Griffey Jr., Al Kaline, and Ichiro Suzuki. The first two of those guys are both first-ballot Hall of Famer and Suzuki will be a shoe-in Hall of Famer as well.
Let’s go a step further. Overall, there have been 15 non-pitchers to win at least 10 Gold Gloves. Only four of them also hit at least 400 home runs: Mays, Griffey, Mike Schmidt, and Jones. That’s right, another list comprised entirely of first-ballot Hall of Famers, plus Jones.
In my mind, Jones should have already been a Hall of Famer. I believe it is a travesty that he has not made it yet. He has just three more tries to make it before he is locked out. Will this be the year?
Important Braves Today Offseason Stories
2023 MLB Free Agent Rankings
Current Atlanta Braves prospect rankings
Current Atlanta Braves 40-man roster
Key offseason dates for the Atlanta Braves
Projecting the 2024 Atlanta Braves' arbitration salaries
More must-reads: