ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves announced Monday that they will retire a jersey in honor of one of their greatest players.
Andruw Jones will have his number 25 jersey retired in a ceremony Sept. 9 at Truist Park. A multifaceted player, Jones earned a reputation for being one of the best centerfielders in Braves’ history.
At just 19 years old, Jones made his mark when he became the youngest player to hit a home run in the World Series in the 1996 Fall Classic against the New York Yankees, according to a release.
That year, he hit five home runs, starting his record-breaking career off with a bang.
During his time playing, the Curaçao native garnered numerous awards, including the Silver Slugger Award, the NL Hank Aaron Award and the Major League Player of the Year, the release said. He was a five-time all star, as well.
Jones finished his Major League career with 1,933 hits, 1,289 RBIs and 434 home runs, according to the release.
“It’s a great honor getting your number retired. You don’t think about things like that while you’re playing. You just play the game you love,” Jones said.
“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," he added.
Jones will join the list of former players who've had their jerseys retired, which include:
- 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 (Number retired by all Major League Baseball clubs)
- 44 – Hank Aaron
- 47 – Tom Glavine
The former Braves player will be honored before the Braves face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 7:20 p.m., the release said.