Anyone who has followed the Baltimore Orioles over the past two decades understands what Adam Jones has meant to the organization.
Selected 37th overall in the 2003 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners as a shortstop and pitcher — his fastball touched the low 90s — Jones eventually transitioned to center field in Seattle’s system. The position change altered his career trajectory and, ultimately, caught Baltimore’s attention.
In February 2008, the Mariners made Jones the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade, sending him, George Sherrill, Kam Mickolio and Chris Tillman to Baltimore for left-hander Érik Bédard.
Jones became the face of the franchise and its everyday center fielder for 11 seasons. A five-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and Silver Slugger, he routinely paired durability with production.
The O’s CAP10 led the majors in putouts and assists three times and in double plays twice, while finishing among the franchise’s top 10 in hits, extra-base hits, doubles, RBIs, home runs, stolen bases and runs scored.
Defensively, Jones ranks second in club history among outfielders in games played, putouts, assists and Gold Gloves — trailing only Paul Blair — and holds the franchise record with 1,555 games played in center field. At Camden Yards, he often described center as “my office,” a reflection of the pride he took in anchoring the Orioles’ defense.
After Baltimore, Jones spent one season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and two with the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball. He returned to Charm City to sign a ceremonial one-day contract on Sept. 15, 2023, retiring as an Oriole.
In retirement, Jones joined the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Black Baseball Initiative alongside figures such as Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Larkin, Dave Winfield, Doug Glanville and Dave Stewart, helping The Hall honor the impact of Black players on the game.
He has also returned to Baltimore as a special advisor to president of baseball operations and acting-GM Mike Elias and as a community ambassador, leveraging his experience in Japan and across MLB’s baseball operations initiatives.
Jones has left his mark on the game of baseball and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Orioles of all time. Though he did not have a Hall of Fame career, he knows his place in history and is proud of it.
Jones might not be immortalized in Cooperstown, but being a legend and ambassador in Baltimore means so much to O’s fans. We celebrate him and his contributions to Birdland this Black History Month.
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