Andruw Jones

I was reading the thread about which Hall Of Fame players are overrated, particularly the last part arguing Ozzie Smith's credentials. It got me thinking about other defensively great players who might deserve to be in. It could be a dumb question, (I haven't been a big baseball fan except for the last 5 or 6 years. I've tentatively followed the Braves most my life, but have only recently gotten more involved. [mostly because of my love for baseball mogul has sparked further interest]) but what about Andruw Jones. Arguably the greatest defensive center fielder ever in his prime, his average is only a few points lower than Ozzie's. And that's not mentioning his 371 home runs, and he is only 31. Although, he does strikeout more than a player who only draws about 60 walks a season should. Again, could be a dumb question, but you guys know more about it than I do.

Andruw Jones has been an overrated defensive center fielder for a while now. He's still good, but he's no Jim Edmonds or Willie Mays. Problem is, unless he smartens up and starts working out, he could face the possibility of getting a lot worse as his waist gets wider.

Comparing Andruw Jones and Ozzie Smith offensively is like comparing apples and oranges, really.

Andruw Jones has played his entire career in an era of offense that was previously unprecedented, where Smith played most of his career in a relatively low-average offensive era. I would guess the league average SS and CF are similarly valuable overall offensively, so that's a relatively unimportant point. But again, unless Jones gets himself back in shape and finds his swing again, the closest he'll be getting to Cooperstown is sitting there while Chipper reads his acceptance speech.

If Jones can "find it" again he could definitely put up the numbers to be a Hall of Famer, but I can't say I see that happening the way he's been going the past 2-3 seasons.

Had Jones not fallen off a cliff and had he stayed productive through his mid-late 30's, I could see the argument for him. Of course, I'd need to see what that production looked like before actually making any decision. That's not how things have gone though, and I think Jone faces a really uphill battle to get back to respectability. There's a miniscule chance that he turns himself around and gets back on the Hall of Fame track. So, given how things seemed to have turned out, no, I don't think there's an argument for Jones.

Jones was certainly a top defensive center fielder, one of but not the best ever, in his prime, but most defensive metrics agree that he suffered a major dropoff in the recent years. Baseball Prospectus' fielding runs above average starting in 1997 for Jones go like this:

97 - +22
98 - +25
99 - +30
00 - +16
01 - +19
02 - +21
03 - +25
04 - +2
05 - -9
06 - -4
07 - +10
08 - +2

As you can see, in this system, Jones suffered a dramatic dropoff defensively after 2003. Jones had a Hall of Fame peak, but not high enough to get in solely based on that ala Sandy Koufax, and he doesn't have enough value outside of his peak to get in for his whole career unless he defeats the huge odds and turns himself around.

PS, way to make us feel old. Andru is only 29/30 yo right now. Hate or love it, he is a huge upgrade in CF for most teams. I am sick and tired of reading post about this guy like he is 50 and has had 2 strokes. I will take him in my CF any day.

Sorry, my bad he was born in Curacao in 77. Still amazing player. I will take him on the Yanks anyday.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by grasshopper

PS, way to make us feel old. Andru is only 29/30 yo right now. Hate or love it, he is a huge upgrade in CF for most teams. I am sick and tired of reading post about this guy like he is 50 and has had 2 strokes. I will take him in my CF any day.

---

Here's the number. Ask for Ned or Kim.

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la...dium_info4.gif

Wtf? Who care when he played for the Dodgers. At Age 19 he hit 2 of the most critical HRs in the WS.

You said you'd take him in your CF anyday. Call up and make an offer. I'm sure Ned will listen.

I would cream my pants to have him on the Yanks. So would Joe, so I dont think soon.

Have you seen what Andruw has done the last two years? More importantly, last year? Also, have you actually seen Andruw, let alone seen him play, the last two years? The guy has ballooned, his swing is a mess, his performance proves it.

Like I said, he can turn it around, sure. Stranger things have happened. But, the odds are against him. Check out Dale Murphy, though, for one comparison. Murphy dropped off a cliff at age 32 and never returned. Jones has already dropped even further than Murphy did around that age.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by grasshopper

PS, way to make us feel old. Andru is only 29/30 yo right now. Hate or love it, he is a huge upgrade in CF for most teams. I am sick and tired of reading post about this guy like he is 50 and has had 2 strokes. I will take him in my CF any day.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by filihok

Here's the number. Ask for Ned or Kim.

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la...dium_info4.gif

---

Might be the post of the year!! LOL

As a Red Sox fan, I would sincerely love nothing more than to see Jones patrolling CF for the Yanks for 162 games next season, and for several more after that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Swampdog

As a Red Sox fan, I would sincerely love nothing more than to see Jones patrolling CF for the Yanks for 162 games next season, and for several more after that.

---

I was thinking the exact same thing :).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by filihok

Here's the number. Ask for Ned or Kim.

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la...dium_info4.gif

---

Hilarious! A++++++++++ like they say on eBay.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by grasshopper

Wtf? Who care when he played for the Dodgers. At Age 19 he hit 2 of the most critical HRs in the WS.

---

Yeah? So? He's not 19 anymore... a little problem there. Willie Mays hit 52 home runs in 1965... might as well call him up too!

Not to just pick nits here....

At the age of 19, Jones hit two home runs in Game 1 of the 1996 WS for Atlanta. The Braves won that game 12-1. Someone explain to me how those homers were among the "most critical" in WS history.

I still want him in CF for NY this year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by YEAH DAAAAWG

Andruw Jones has been an overrated defensive center fielder for a while now. He's still good, but he's no Jim Edmonds or Willie Mays.

---

Jim Edmonds just as overrated of a fielder.

Now in his late-30's, early-40's he is, but in his prime he was one of the best defensive center fielders to set foot on a diamond.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by YEAH DAAAAWG

Andruw Jones has been an overrated defensive center fielder for a while now. He's still good, but he's no Jim Edmonds or Willie Mays. Problem is, unless he smartens up and starts working out, he could face the possibility of getting a lot worse as his waist gets wider.

Comparing Andruw Jones and Ozzie Smith offensively is like comparing apples and oranges, really.

Andruw Jones has played his entire career in an era of offense that was previously unprecedented, where Smith played most of his career in a relatively low-average offensive era. I would guess the league average SS and CF are similarly valuable overall offensively, so that's a relatively unimportant point. But again, unless Jones gets himself back in shape and finds his swing again, the closest he'll be getting to Cooperstown is sitting there while Chipper reads his acceptance speech.

If Jones can "find it" again he could definitely put up the numbers to be a Hall of Famer, but I can't say I see that happening the way he's been going the past 2-3 seasons.

---

That's very true. I often forget to take the era the players played into account. Also, he has definitely been overrated defensively for a while. His last years in Atlanta, while he still got a phenomenal jump on most the balls, he just can't seem to catch up to them. His prime defensively, however, was one of the best.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by grasshopper

PS, way to make us feel old. Andru is only 29/30 yo right now. Hate or love it, he is a huge upgrade in CF for most teams. I am sick and tired of reading post about this guy like he is 50 and has had 2 strokes. I will take him in my CF any day.

---

He DOES look like he's grown by a good 50 pounds and 2 pants sizes, though.

Andruw also has a propensity for making the fantastic play, but blowing some easy ones more often that he should.

Wait.....wait...let me see if I understand this correctly.


There are Yankee fans who WANT Andruw Jones as their starting CF next year!?!?



Wow..why not just bring Bernie Williams out of retirement. Tell him he can play guitar while out in CF...it probably won't affect his range at all.

I would take Gary Pettis right now over Mr. Jones in center.

Better yet, I would take Mike Hampton in CF over Jones, heck, he can at least hit better.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KowboyKoop

Wait.....wait...let me see if I understand this correctly.


There are Yankee fans who WANT Andruw Jones as their starting CF next year!?!?



Wow..why not just bring Bernie Williams out of retirement. Tell him he can play guitar while out in CF...it probably won't affect his range at all.

---

bernie could hold Andruws "junk"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KowboyKoop

Wait.....wait...let me see if I understand this correctly.


There are Yankee fans who WANT Andruw Jones as their starting CF next year!?!?



Wow..why not just bring Bernie Williams out of retirement. Tell him he can play guitar while out in CF...it probably won't affect his range at all.

---

I thought it was Red Sox fans that wanted Andruw Jones as the Yankees' starting CF next year.

No, it's DODGER fans

Seems to be all three, actually.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BINGLEBOP

I thought it was Red Sox fans that wanted Andruw Jones as the Yankees' starting CF next year.

---

Well that would make more sense.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bucher34

Jim Edmonds just as overrated of a fielder.

---

Thank god. Someone understands.

Jim Edmonds takes AWFUL routes to the ball, where for most OF'ers would be camped under the ball, he has to dive for it.

Andruw Jones could hit .230 with 15 HR in 2009 and probably be deserving of Comeback Player of the Year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by justanewguy

Andruw Jones could hit .230 with 15 HR in 2009 and probably be deserving of Comeback Player of the Year.

---

Literal LOL. The funniest things are funny because they are true

Baseball gets a little more serious about steroid testing. Andruw Jones' numbers take big hits.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TwinswillWin

Baseball gets a little more serious about steroid testing. Andruw Jones' numbers take big hits.

---

Could be related, sure. The fact that he appears to have started consuming pizzas by the dozen certainly doesn't help any area of his production, either. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TwinswillWin

Baseball gets a little more serious about steroid testing. Andruw Jones' numbers take big hits.

---

Baseball introduces drug testing for the 2004 season and makes it tougher over the next 2 or so years, and Andruw Jones goes on to hit 51 and then 41 home runs, pretty out of line with the rest of his career.

:rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Arctic Blast

Could be related, sure. The fact that he appears to have started consuming pizzas by the dozen certainly doesn't help any area of his production, either. :D

---

I LOL at this. I can picture him putting pizzas in the pitching machine and eating them when they come flying at him, ala Homer Simpson.

His wife is a fantastic cook and he doesn't have the will power to say no to her food.

That's why, lol.

It's probably more along the lines of his wife is a horrible cook so he stuffs his face with McDonalds and Burger King whenever he can.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by YEAH DAAAAWG

It's probably more along the lines of his wife is a horrible cook so he stuffs his face with McDonalds and Burger King whenever he can.

---

I'm being serious, lol. His wife is like a gourmet chef.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HoustonGM

Baseball introduces drug testing for the 2004 season and makes it tougher over the next 2 or so years, and Andruw Jones goes on to hit 51 and then 41 home runs, pretty out of line with the rest of his career.

:rolleyes:

---

Exactly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BravesFan4Life

I'm being serious, lol. His wife is like a gourmet chef.

---

Oh, well I didn't know that, lol. That probably is the case then.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ragecage

I LOL at this. I can picture him putting pizzas in the pitching machine and eating them when they come flying at him, ala Homer Simpson.

---

Lol! That image is hilarious, man!