ANDRUW JONES – CF
Imagine yourself as a 19-year-old rookie from Curacao. You have spent six weeks in the Majors and you get to start your first World Series game at Yankee Stadium. How do you react? Striking out four times?
If you are Andruw Jones, you homer twice. Not a bad way to introduce yourself to the sports world. For 12 years, he kept his name at the top of the Braves and the sport.
One of the better defensive center fielder’s ever to play, Jones won a Gold Glove 10 straight seasons. There was never a fly ball he could not track down.
When not shagging them, he crushed baseballs. Seven times, he smashed over 30 home runs. In 2005, he nailed a career-high 51, driving in 128. The next year, he sent 129 Braves across home plate. If they needed a stolen base, he did it. At the plate or in the field, Jones was a machine.
Ten times, Jones’ Braves made the postseason, reaching the NLCS five. In the 2004 NLDS, he hit .526 with two home runs. The next season, he hit .471.
During the golden era of Atlanta Braves baseball, Jones turned potential into championship talent. Thrilling fans at Turner Field night after night.
Next: Forever, 715.