There have been some great players to don the number 25 for the Atlanta Braves over the years. Troy Glaus, Tyler Flowers, and Cameron Maybin to name just a few of them.
However, there isn't a name more associated with that number than Andruw Jones. It will remain that way for eternity now as Atlanta retires that number on Saturday evening's game against the Pirates.
The "Curacao Kid" will join the likes of Chipper Jones, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, Warren Spahn, Phil Niekro, and Hank Aaron who have also had their numbers retired by the organization.
Andruw was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall-of-Fame seven years ago but hasn't been inducted into the MLB Hall just yet. He has gotten closer year after year and will hopefully have his number called soon.
Jones began his career with the Braves in 1996 at the tender age of 19 and provided fans with some memorable moments. He finished with a .263 career average and .839 OPS through 1,761 games with the Braves. This includes 1,683 hits with 368 home runs, 330 doubles, and 34 triples. Andruw also scored 1,045 runs and drove in 1,117 runs with 138 stolen bases and an OPS+ of 114.
His last season was in 2007 for the Braves after 11 years with the team. The five-time All-Star had a slash line of .222/.311/.413, a .724 OPS, 26 HR, and 94 RBI. His .222 average was the second worst of his Braves career and led to him leaving Atlanta in the offseason.
Jones went on to play for the Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, and Yankees in the final 5 years of his career. His 2012 season was the last played in Major League Baseball as he played in Japan for the 2013-2014 seasons. He attempted to make a comeback to MLB in 2015 and 2016 but that didn't work out and he formally retired from baseball in 2016.
The Curacao native averaged about 31 homers a season with the Braves during that 11-year stint but was most known for his absolutely incredible defense. In his prime, there wasn't a single defender better than Andruw Jones. He is regarded as one of the best defenders in all of MLB history.
There are many incredible moments on both sides of the ball for Jones. He hit two home runs in his first two at-bats in game 1 of the 1996 World Series at Yankee Stadium. In that same World Series, Jones caught a ball at the wall and doubled up Tim Raines at first base showing off his incredible arm.
There's his iconic catch at Turner Field in 1999 where he took a chunk out of the wall with his cleat against the Houston Astros. That catch is one I'll always remember and I'm sure Bill Spiers hasn't either as it robbed him of extra-bases.
There's the diving catch for the last out of the game to preserve Tom Glavine's 22nd career shutout in Montreal against the Expos. Jones was so good in the outfield that you think about him any time a great defensive player comes along in today's game.
One of the greatest moments in his career was breaking the franchise record for home runs in a season with 51 of them in 2005. That record hasn't been touched in 18 years but is on the verge of being broken by Matt Olson who has 47 of them in the 2023 season at the time of writing this.
RELATED: Matt Olson Breaks Braves Record For Most Homers By A First Baseman
It's easy to see when reminiscing on the career of number 25 why the Braves will be retiring his number. When you think about the Braves, his name is one of the first to come to mind. Braves fans are extremely lucky to have witnessed a player of his caliber each and every day.
There have been so many iconic moments and players in the history of baseball's oldest continually operating franchise. I doubt that is going to change any time soon as the 2023 Braves have proven so far this season.
Congratulations, Andruw, on an amazing career and thank you for the memories!