Andruw Jones is one of the most influential figures in baseball history. The Curacao Kid was a child prodigy who became national baseball champion and made his debut at MLB at a young age.
Jones was a one-of-a-kind player during his tenure in the MLB. He is best known for his play as an outfielder with the Atlanta Braves.
The outfielder was not only one of the finest defensive players in major league history, but he was also a dynamic power hitter who would always hit the ball off the court.
Andruw had a fantastic baseball career with impressive stats. He is the youngest player in World Series history to hit a home run.
Also, Jones is one of the decorated baseball players. He is ten times Gold Glove Award winner, two times all-star, and Silver Slugger Award recipient, and has won several other awards.
However, Jones hasn’t been inducted into the Baseball Hall of fame despite his outstanding career. Why hasn’t Jones been inducted? We will look into that detail.
Let’s uncover the life story of Andruw Jones and how he became the basketball legend. But, before that, let’s briefly know him from his quick facts.
Quick Facts
| Name | Andruw Jones |
| Full Name | Andruw Rudolf Jones |
| Nick Name | The Curacao Kid |
| Date of Birth | April 23, 1977 |
| Age | 47 years old |
| Birth Place | Willemstad, Curaçao |
| Ethnicity | Curaçaoan |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Nationality | Curaçaoan |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| Weight | 101 kg |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Father’s Name | Henry Jones |
| Mother’s Name | Carmen Jones |
| Siblings | Not available |
| High School | Not available |
| Education | Not available |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Spouse | Nicole Derik |
| Kids | Three children; Drew Jones, Madison Jones, and Joshua Jones |
| Profession | Former baseball player |
| League |
|
| Position | Center fielder |
| Bats and Throws | Right batting and right throwing |
| Active Years | 1996 – 2012 |
| Debut Date | August 15, 1996 |
| Retirement Date | October 3, 2012 |
| Major Achievement |
|
| Net Worth | $50 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Basketball Card |
| Last Update | November, 2024 |
Andruw Jones | Early Life
Andruw Rudolf Jones was born and raised in Willemstad, Curacao, on April 23, 1977. Curacao is a small island country in the southern Caribbean sea.
Andruw was born to his father, Henry Jones, and his mother, Carmen Jones. Unfortunately, there is no information about his childhood and education.
However, it is known that Andruw was a child prodigy and his early achievements are legendary.
Becoming National Baseball Star
The Curaçaoan showed extraordinary talent with baseball from a young age. When he was eleven, he traveled to Japan to compete in international competitions.
Jones could play every position on the field, but he was frequently assigned to catcher or third base due to his strong arm. Later, he played as an outfielder.
When he was 13 years old, he shot a ball flying over 400 feet (120 meters) to the tennis court of a neighboring hotel.
His skills were so good that he even beat the professional adults in the game.
By the age of 15, Andruw was known as the best baseball player all over his country.
The national baseball star also represented Curacao in Latin American Games. He was a part of the national baseball team of Curacao.
Despite being a national baseball star, Andruw was under the rock since Curaçao was still way off the main path for major league scouts.
Andruw Jones | Amateur Career
But then, diamonds do shine under the rock as well. Atlanta Braves scouted Jones for his talent and signed a contract to play in Minor League Baseball in 1993 when he was 16.
He played 27 games with the Braves in West Palm Beach, Florida, and then was promoted to Danville of the Appalachian League.
Jones had impressive stats at the end of the season. He had 25 home runs and 100 RBIs, and 56 steals. He had the most steals in the South Atlantic League.
As a result, he was voted Minor League Player of the Year. After that, Jones became a household name for his extraordinary achievements.
You may also like reading about:12 Fastest MLB Players of This Year>>>
Andruw Jones | MLB Career
Atlanta Braves
In 1996, Jones got selected to the Braves’ postseason roster. Jones was able to showcase his abilities to the world in the opening game of the 1996 World Series.
On October 20, 1996, the Braves thrashed the New York Yankees 12–1, where Jones hit two home runs to left field in his first two at-bats.
At 19, Jones became the youngest player in World Series history to hit a home run. He was the second player to hit home runs in his first two World Series appearances.
In 1997, Atlanta Braves selected him as their regular right fielder. He hit back-to-back home runs and had a 0.231 batting average, 18 home runs, and 70 runs during his rookie season.
In 1998, he had a much more encouraging season. That year, he received his first Gold Glove Awards after hitting his 30th home run of the season.
Smashing the Baseball Records
Jones was a very relaxed player and smashed the records like a piece of cake. His career reached an all-time high, and he was unstoppable.
The rising star had set his career high and won several titles, including the Braves’ best player Babe Ruth Home Run Award, the Second most famous baseball player (2005), and so on.
In 2006, Jones became the first player in Atlanta history to hit at least 40 home runs in consecutive seasons.
Many fans and sports commentators predicted that Jones wouldn’t be playing with Braves after his contract expiry in 2007. They believed that Braves could not afford his high market value.
People anticipated Jones to set a new career-high after two fantastic seasons, but he had a surprisingly poor start to the season.
However, as predicted, the Braves announced on October 2, 2007, that Jones would not be playing for the 2008 season.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2008)
After the contract ended, many baseball teams wanted to sign Andruw and offered attractive contract deals.
Out of many offers, Jones chose Los Angeles Dodgers and signed a two-year, $36.2 million worth of contract with them on December 5, 2007.
However, his first year in Los Angeles was a total disaster. Jones was limited to 75 games as he struggled to play due to his knee pain and being slightly overweight.
Jones wasn’t himself, and he set the league’s second-worst score. It was a massive letdown to Jones’s fan and coach, who was highly expecting his performance.
Unfortunately, he went from being one of the best defenders in the league to one of the worst. Jones had only 0.166 batting average, two home runs, and 12 RBIs in 187 at-bats at the time, with 68 strikeouts.
Jones underperformed while in Los Angeles. So, the Dodgers terminated him a year early.
Texas Rangers (2009)
Jones signed a one-year contract with the Texas Rangers on February 8, 2009, after being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The contract paid him $500,000 and included a $1 million bonus. He was supposed to be a pinch-hitter for the Rangers, but he ended up the outfield.
In his last two at-bats, Jones had a chance to smash his fourth home run of the game, but he popped up and struck out.
Jones finished the season with a .214 batting average, although he did smash 17 home runs in 82 games.
Chicago White Sox
Jones signed a $500,000 contract with Chicago White Sox on November 25, 2009, with an extra $1 million in performance bonuses.
Jones arrived at camp in excellent form, a total of 30 pounds lighter than he had been with the Braves and Dodgers in prior seasons.
On his 33rd birthday, April 23, 2010, Jones hit two home runs, and he hit his 400th career home run on July 11th.
In 107 games, he scored 41 runs, had 48 RBI, and 64 base hits, his highest since 2007.
New York Yankees
Jones and the New York Yankees signed to a two-year, $2 million deal on January 20, 2011. He smashed a home ball over the left-field wall in his debut game with the Yankees.
Andruw ended the season with a 0.247 batting average, 13 home runs, and 33 RBIs. After the World Series, he became a free agent.
On December 30, 2011, Jones re-signed with the Yankees for the 2012 season. With a $2 million one-year contract, The center fielder had a solid first half of the season, hitting 12 home runs in his first 62 at-bats.
Andruw Jones | NPB Career
Jones played in Nippon Professional Baseball for a year. He signed a one-year, 300 million yen (roughly US $3.5 million) contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on December 7, 2012.
He hit 26 home runs in 478 at-bats during the regular season. In 143 games, he had 81 runs, 94 RBI, 116 base hits, and 105 walks, helping the Eagles win their first Pacific League Championship.
His strong play continued in the postseason, with two home runs in the 2013 Pacific League Climax Series and one in the 2013 Japan Series, all of which were crucial in the Eagles’ victory in Japan.
Retirement
After playing in Japan, Jones made several comeback attempts to MLB, but he could not get hold of any playing teams.
In February 2016, Jones announced his retirement from baseball and was recruited as a special assistant by the Atlanta Braves later that month.
You may also like reading about: Details About the Greatest Hitter; Ted Williams>>>
Andruw Jones | Awards and Achievements
MLB
- Five times All-Star (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006)
- Ten times Gold Glove Award (1998–2007)
- Silver Slugger Award (2005)
- NL Hank Aaron Award (2005)
- MLB home run leader (2005)
- NL RBI leader (2005)
- Braves Hall of Fame
NPB
- All-Star (2013)
- Japan Series champion (2013)
Andruw Jones | Wife and Divorce
Andruw Jones married Nicole Derick Jones on November 23, 2002. The couple is blessed with two kids Drew Jones and Madison Jones.
He shares a son, Joshua with Mélissa Vaillancourt.
The couple was happily married for a decade until they had a significant crack in their relationship, which led to the divorce filing.
On Christmas Day of 2012, while other families celebrated, the Jones family became involved in a mass flight.
The fight occurred on Christmas morning when Andruw dragged her down the stairs and yelled at her, saying he wanted to kill her.
The police mentioned in their report that Nicole Jones had visible injuries on her neck as an aftermath of the altercation.
Andruw received a prison sentence for assault on his wife. Later that day, he was released with a penalty. This event had a massive impact on Andruw’s career and his character.
Andruw Jones | Net worth
Andruw Jones is one of the wealthiest baseball players. The net worth of Andruw Jones is estimated to be $50 million.
The player has earned a net worth from his primary career as a baseball player.
Andruw received his first paycheck after signing for Atlanta Braves for $46,000 in the Minor Basketball League.
Later, he signed for the Major Basketball League with Braves with a whopping amount of $152,500.
In 2007, he signed two year deal with Los Angels Dodgers worth $36.2 million. Then, he signed $1 million worth of contracts with the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox.
In 2011, Jones and the New York Yankees confirmed a contract for the 2011 season for $2 million, with an additional $1.2 million in performance bonuses.
Then, he went to play in Japan’s baseball league, where he signed a one-year deal worth ¥300 million which is approximately US $3.5 million.
You may also like reading about: Bryse Wilson Bio: Early Life, MLB, Girlfriend & Net Worth>>>
Social Media Presence
Andruw is active on his social media accounts, where he shares his professional and personal life.
His Instagram and Twitter are verified and have a significant fan following. However, Andruw probably has deleted his Insta posts as there are no posts there.
There are reels of story highlights in his profile where he has shared his personal and professional moments.
Also, Andruw is active on Twitter and frequently tweets about his opinions, life, and games.
If you want to know more about him and his life, then make sure to follow him on his social media handles.
FAQs
Why is Andruw Jones not in the Hall of Fame?
Andruw Jones had a fantastic career initially, but he had a steep decline in his career followed by several controversies, including the assault on his ex-wife.
It is believed that the assault on his ex-wife is one of the significant reasons Jones is not included in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
What are the career statistics of Andruw Jones?
In MLB, Andruw Jones had a batting average of .254, 434 home runs, and 1289 runs.
The baseballer also briefly played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPL), where he had a .232 batting average,50 home runs, and 165 runs.
