Braves to finally retire No. 25 for Andruw Jones

The honor is likely overdue. Jones was a vital piece of the Braves lineup for 11 years after debuting during the 1996 season as a 19-year-old. His recognition for that tenure has fallen short since his career ended, however. Jason Foster at The Sporting News examined the very oversight back in 2015:

"For more than 11 seasons, Andruw Jones roamed center field for the Braves like no one else in his era, boasting elite defense that was arguably as critical to the team's success as Glavine's guts, Smotlz's slider and Maddux's Madduxes. Yet, despite all those run-saving catches, all those assists, all those Gold Gloves and five All-Star appearances, not to mention a game-changing bat, somehow, Jones seems underappreciated."

Foster continues, at length, to argue that the team needs to rectify how Jones is being remembered -- partly with a comparison of Jones's career to Dale Murphy's and partly by rightfully pointing out how much of a fan favorite he was. Many of those suggestions have since been rectified, too. Jones was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2016. Now they'll retire his uniform number, too.

Jones, in the opinion of many, belongs in Cooperstown, as well, but that honor he still waits for. 

For his Braves career, Jones batted .263/.342/.497 with 368 home runs while winning 10-straight Gold Glove awards for his defense in center field. Atlanta went to the postseason each of the first nine years Jones was in the lineup, reaching the World Series in 1996 and 1999 (both losses to the New York Yankees).