(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & Marco Stoovelaar)
  Andruw Jones elected into Braves Hall of Fame
Nederlands
...Andruw Jones during Spring Training...
...2011 with the New York Yankees...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
 LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (USA) -
Outfielder Andruw Jones and former General Manager John Schuerholz have been elected into the Hall of Fame of the Atlanta Braves.
The club made the announcement on Wednesday (February 24) at their Spring Training-site in Lake Buena Vista (Florida).
Jones and Schuerholz will officially be inducted into the Ivan Allen Jr. Braves Museum & Hall of Fame on August 19.
That will happen at Turner Field, which will be the home of the Braves for the last time this season.
Next year, the Braves move into a new stadium.
In 1999, the first persons were elected for the Braves Hall of Fame.
Since then, 28 players, coaches, executives and staff-members have been elected.
The last of them in 2014, being players Javy Lopez and Rabbit Maranville and athletic trainer Dave Pursley.
Jones becomes the third Netherlands-player to be inducted into a Hall of Fame in less than a month.
In January, Hensley Meulens and Andrelton Simmons were elected into a Hall of Fame.
Meulens was elected into the International League Hall of Fame (Triple-A), while Simmons was elected into the Western Oklahoma State College Alumni Hall of Fame a week later.
In 2011, former Major League-pitcher Bert Blyleven was the first Dutch baseball-player to be elected into a Hall of Fame, as he was elected for the National Baseball Hall of Fame (Major League).
Blyleven was born in the Netherlands, but moved the USA with his family when he was only two years old.
...Andruw Jones with Randall Simon...
...during Spring Training 1998...
...with the Atlanta Braves...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In 1993, the Curaçao-born Andruw Jones was 16 when he signed a contract with the Braves.
In 1996, Jones made his Major League-debut at age 19.
He began the season in Single-A, but was recalled on August 15 and made his debut on that day against the Philadelphia Phillies, hitting 1-for-5 with one RBI.
Jones played in 31 games that year for the Braves and remained on the roster for the postseason.
He made his name during the World Series, when he homered in his first two at bats against the New York Yankees.
With that, he became the youngest player ever to hit a homerun in a World Series, breaking the record of legendary Mickey Mantle (Yankees).
The record still stands.
Jones became only the second player in history to homer twice in his first two World Series at bats.
The first to do so was Gene Tenace when he played for Oakland Athletics in 1972.
From 1997 on, Jones remained the starting centerfielder for the Braves through 2007.
He then became a Free Agent and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he played in 2008.
In January 2009, Jones was released by the Dodgers, but signed with the Texas Rangers less than a month later.
He also played only one season for the Rangers, as he became a Free Agent again in November 2009.
Jones then signed with the Chicago White Sox, where he played in 2010.
In November of that year, he became a Free Agent for the third time and this time, he signed with the New York Yankees.
After having played in 77 games for the Yankees in 2011, Jones again was a Free Agent after the season, but re-signed with the Yankees.
In 2012, the outfielder played in 94 games for the team in The Bronx, but once again, he became a Free Agent after the season.
From 2009 on, Jones transfered from the outfield to becoming a designated hitter.
Jones then decided to continue his professional career in Japan.
There, he played in 2013 and 2014 for Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Pacific League in the Japanese Major League.
With the Golden Eagles, Jones went on to win the Japan Series.
Last year, Jones didn't play professionally.
...Andruw Jones with the Netherlands...
...Kingdom Team during the...
...2013 World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
While playing for the Braves, Jones, who turns 39 in April, won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves and was selected for five All Star Games.
In each of his final ten seasons with the Braves, Jones hit at least 26 homeruns.
He set a franchise-record in 2005 by hitting 51.
In 2006 and 2013, Jones played for the Netherlands Kingdom Team in the World Baseball Classic.
In 2013, he reached the semi-final of the event with the Orange squad.
In November last year, Jones played for the team during the Premier12 in Taiwan.
In 2013 and last year, the team was led by Hensley Meulens, since 2010 the Hitting Coach of the San Francisco Giants.
John Schuerholz is currently President of the Braves.
When he was General Manager of the club (1991-2007), he brought Jones to the Major League.
Jones went on to become one of the best centerfielders ever.
Jones and Schuerholz became part of a very successful Atlanta Braves-organization.
When Schuerholz became General Manager in 1991, the team won its first of fourteen consecutive Division-titles and went on to play in five World Series, winning in 1995.
Jones was the centerfielder of the Braves during ten of those Championship-seasons.
With the Braves, Jones played in two World Series (1996, 1999), which were both lost to the New York Yankees.
In 17 Major League-seasons, Jones played in 2196 games and collected 1933 basehits, including 434 homeruns.
Jones batted in 1289 runs and scored 1204.
All the successes of the Braves were accomplished under the leadership of Bobby Cox, who was the Manager of the Braves in 1990-2010 after already having led the team in 1978-1981.
Cox was elected into the Major League Hall of Fame in December 2013.
He is a member of the Braves Hall of Fame since 2011.
(February 24)
Related Articles:
 Andrelton Simmons elected in Hall of Fame Western Oklahoma. (January 30, 2016)
Hensley Meulens elected into Triple-A Hall of Fame! (January 26, 2016)
Bert Blyleven inducted into Hall of Fame. (July 24, 2011)
Bert Blyleven elected into Baseball Hall of Fame! (January 5, 2011)
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