The Braves will retire the No. 25, worn by outfielder Andruw Jones, the team announced Monday. Jones will be honored in a ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 9, before the Braves play the Pirates.
“It’s a great honor getting your number retired,” Jones said in a statement. “You don’t think about things like that while you’re playing. You just play the game you love. I’m thankful to the Braves for giving me the opportunity to play the game I love. Being the first kid from Curaçao to have his jersey retired is also an honor. So many kids who grew up there watching me play and this will give them hope on what they can do in their careers.”
Jones signed with the Braves in 1993 as an amateur free agent and made his Major League debut in August of 1996. Two months later, at the age of 19, Jones became the youngest player to hit a home run in the World Series, when he had a two-homer game in Game 1 of the 1996 Series against the Yankees.
During his 12 seasons with the Braves, Jones won 10 straight Gold Glove Awards and was voted to the all-star team five times. In 2005 he won the Silver Slugger Award, the NL Hank Aaron Award and the Major League Player of the Year. Jones finished his Major League career with 1,933 hits, 1,289 RBIs and 434 home runs. He was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2016.
“Andruw Jones is one of the most dynamic, beloved players to ever wear a Braves uniform,” Braves Chairman Terry McGuirk said in a statement. “His impact on this organization far outlives his playing days, and this number retirement is a well-deserved honor.”
Added Braves manager Brian Snitker on Monday at Busch Stadium: “I love it. We talked and I said it seemed weird when you’d see somebody else in that number 25. But Andruw has meant so much to this organization. …Just an unbelievable talent that Andrew was from day one, and what he has meant and continues to mean to this organization. I’m really happy that he’s gonna get that honor.”
Jones will become the 11th Braves player to have his number retired. Nine of the numbers retired were worn by players and a manager who are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“It’s awesome,” Snitker said. “I looked and we’re getting right up there with all the really quality guys that you have up there hanging in the rafters with their retired numbers. It just goes to (show) the success of this organization over a long, long period of time. I’m so proud of the organization that we drafted, signed and developed those guys that are now hitting their numbers retired.”
Braves retired numbers:
3 – Dale Murphy
6 – Bobby Cox
10 – Chipper Jones
21 – Warren Spahn
29 – John Smoltz
31 – Greg Maddux
35 – Phil Niekro
41 – Eddie Mathews
42 – Jackie Robinson*
44 – Hank Aaron
47 – Tom Glavine
*Number retired by all Major League Baseball clubs
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