Atlanta Braves fans fired up as team will retire No. 25 in honor of Andruw Jones - "One of the best to ever do it" "Long overdue!"
On Saturday, former Atlanta Braves great Andruw Jones will be honored by having his No. 25 retired by the organization. He joins players like Hank Aaron, Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, Phil Niekro and Warren Spahn to have their jerseys retired by the team.
This was a long time coming for somebody who had an incredible career in Atlanta. He spent 12 years with the team, and the team inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2016.
During his 12 seasons with the Braves, he slashed .263/.342/.497 with 368 home runs, 1,117 RBIs and 138 stolen bases. Jones provided a ton of offense, but that was not all he was good for.
From 1998 to 2007, Jones was a 10-time Gold Glove Award recipient. He was a human vacuum for Atlanta in centerfield. His speed allowed him to track down balls many other outfielders could not reach.
"Long overdue! Andruw Jones is the best" one fan posted.
"One of the best to ever do it and one of my favorite Braves players of all time. Congratulations! Thanks for making my childhood incredible" another fan posted.
Atlanta Braves fans believe Andruw Jones truly deserves this. He is regarded as one of the best defensive centerfielders of his time.
Jones was a fan favorite during his time in Atlanta. He still holds the Braves' single-season home run record (51). However, that record is on the verge of being beaten by the red-hot Matt Olson, who has 47 home runs.
Andruw Jones was a star for the Atlanta Braves
Andruw Jones signed with the Atlanta Braves as a free agent in 1993 at the age of 16. In 1995, he finished the season with 25 home runs, 100 RBIs and 56 steals and was the Minor League Player of the Year.
He made his MLB debut the following year on Aug. 15, 1996. It took the slugger only two games to hit his first big-league home run; the rest was history.
In the 1996 World Series against the New York Yankees, Jones clobbered two home runs in his first two at-bats. Unfortunately, the Braves went on to lose that series.
On the defensive side of things, he was a walking highlight reel. Nobody can forget when he made the diving catch against the Montreal Expos to preserve Tom Glavine's 22nd career shutout.
Jones had a fantastic career with the Braves and it is great to see the organization honor him.