DURHAM – Andruw Jones’ highlights in the major leagues came with a powerful bat and scintillating outfield defense.
He’d like to limit it to showcasing a home run swing when he participates in the upcoming Home Run Derby X 2024.
Jones will be in competition for the first time at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in nearly three decades for the Sept. 7 event.
“I’m not going to dive for any balls out in the outfield because I love my golf game so much,” he said. “I’d rather play golf than try to make some plays in outfield.”
Still a teenager in 1996, Jones played for the Durham Bulls just months before taking a key role in the World Series.
Back then, the Bulls were a Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. He ended that season with the big-league Braves in the World Series.
He reminisced a bit about his early days as a professional player on his way to a stellar career in the big leagues.
“I remember there used to be a bus station in left field and we trying to hit a bus with a home run,” Jones said.
During a July visit, Jones entered DBAP for the first time since he drove past in 2016 when he was in the area because of his son’s involvement with USA Baseball.
Jones smacked 434 major league home runs, including a majors-best 51 in 2005, and racked up 152 stolen bases. He’s a 10-time Gold Glove Award recipient. The Braves retired his No. 25 jersey last September.
Most of his production came during 12 seasons with the Braves, though he logged one season each with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, and Chicago White Sox before wrapping up his MLB career with two years with the New York Yankees. He then played a couple of seasons in Japan.
Durham is the final stop on this year’s The Home Run Derby X tour, which is an MLB initiative. There will be August stops in Fort Wayne, Ind., Albuquerque, N.M., and Nashville, Tenn. Jones will also be involved in the Nashville event, while former Bulls outfielder Jonny Gomes, from the club’s Triple-A era, is expected to be part of the Durham competition.
Stars from other sports will be involved in this unique format. Unlike other home run competitions, there’s a defensive component where making catches and hustle plays in the field can boost point totals. So maybe Jones, 47, will get caught up in the moment.
“I took a lot of pride with defense,” he said. “I don’t know when out on the field what my mind will tell me. Right now, I’m telling you I will not dive. But you never know when you get on that field. The excitement of being there, the excitement of doing it, things happen.”
Bulls general manager Tyler Parsons is billing the event as a cross between the MLB Home Run Derby and the Savannah Bananas.
“It’s just a show for the fans,” Jones said. “I’m sure I’ll hit a couple of home runs.”
These days, Jones handles assignments for the Braves front office and enjoys monitoring the progress of his son, Druw Jones, who plays in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization after being the second overall selection in the 2022 draft.
With that, Andruw Jones’ legacy exists.
“He has his own way of going about business,” he said. “Sometimes it’s so unfair for parents who have their kids playing in the major leagues or in the minor leagues because they’re going to try to compare them with them and I don’t think it’s fair for anybody. He’s working. He’s learning, and I’m just proud of him.
“I watch all the games. I watch a lot of games. … It’s fun. It’s his career. It’s what he chose.”
So far, Jones has fallen short of votes for entry to the Hall of Fame.
“If it doesn’t happen, I will be the same person,” he said.
The connection with baseball isn’t likely to wane.
“I’m still involved. I do a lot of stuff with the Braves,” Jones said. “I just want to continue to be in the game and pass the good knowledge to the youth. This has been my whole life. Right now, enjoying life. It was a big grind for a long time.”
