Andruw Jones Deserves Election To Hall of Fame

Andruw Jones Deserves Election To Hall of Fame

By Dan Schlossberg

DEcember 2024

***

Note - This article appeared in the IBWAA's newsletter, Here's The Pitch, and is used with permission.

***

Many of the 400-plus writers who vote in the annual election for the Baseball Hall of Fame don’t cast their ballots before the final day.

That day is New Year’s Eve — Tuesday, December 31 — but conflicted voters often have trouble making up their minds even though ballots have 10 spaces for names.

To join the Class of 2025, winning candidates need 75 per cent of the vote.

Ichiro, who holds the single-season record for hits, is a lock, perhaps a unanimous one.

CC Sabathia, also listed for the first time, should reach the Hall eventually but maybe not this year.

Billy Wagner, who came thisclose to election a year ago, will probably clear the threshold too, expanding the new class to four (with Eras Committee choices Dick Allen and Dave Parker).

But the most intriguing name on the ballot belongs to Andruw Jones.

Like Ichiro and fellow incumbent Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Ken Griffey, Jr., he once won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves for his outfield play — a rare and distinct achievement that should stand alone on its own merits.

That Jones also hit 434 home runs, including 51 in a single season, is merely a bonus.

Ozzie Smith, Nellie Fox, Bill Mazeroski, Luis Aparicio, Red Schoendienst, Phil Rizzuto, Pee Wee Reese, Rich Ashburn, and a myriad of others got to Cooperstown mainly for their defense. None of them were home run hitters, even though Mazeroski was the first man to end a World Series with one.

Twice named Minor League Player of the Year, Jones broke into the majors at age 19 and quickly became the youngest man to homer in a World Series. In fact, he tied Gene Tenace by homering in his first two World Series at-bats.

During Atlanta’s record streak of 14 consecutive division titles, Jones had five better WAR years than any of his more celebrated teammates, including Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Chipper Jones. That’s pretty heady company.

Over a nine-year span from 1998-2006, he not only made five All-Star teams but averaged 35 homers, 21 fielding runs, and 6.1 WAR — better than anyone not suspected of relying on performance-enhancing drugs (Jones trailed A-Rod’s 7.8 and the 7.5 of Barry Bonds during that streak).

According to Jay Jaffe, his 192 runs saved were 58 better than anyone in the game adn 239 runs above average during the 14 years of the title streak.

Only late-career injuries plunged his final batting average to .254. He suffered a torn meniscus, cyst on his right knee, tendinitis, and hamstring woes — some of them at the same time. He even had knee surgery.

There are three Hall of Famers with similar batting averages, namely Ray Schalk (.253), Harmon Killebrew (.256), and Rabbit Maranville (.258). But none of them could field like the one-time Curacao comet.

As Jaffe points out, Jones’ total of 235 fielding runs not only leads all center fielders but all outfielders — 50 ahead of second-place Willie Mays.

His home run total through age 29 trails only A-Rod and his WAR ranks third. By the same token, his 58 WAR at the same age ranks 25th among all position players.

The former right-handed slugger, who finished his career in Japan, is in his eight year on the ballot. He got 61.6 per cent last year — close enough to climb over the required 75 per cent if voters for the Class of 2025 do their due diligence.

The Braves have already retired the No. 25 Andruw wore so well throughout his Atlanta tenure and inducted him into their team’s Hall of Fame. Now the bigger Hall of Fame needs to follow suit.

***

Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ covers baseball for forbes, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, Memories & Dreams, Sports Collectors Digest, and Here’s The Pitch, among other outlets. He’s also the author of two Hank Aaron biographies.