COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — A 21-year-old Chris Sale was just summoned to the big leagues for the first time. He was wandering through the unfamiliar visitor halls in Detroit when he ran into one of his new teammates: Andruw Jones.

“I remember walking through the clubhouse door and hung a left into the food room, and he is just sitting there at one of the tables,” Sale said. “And I was just like, ‘Damn, that’s Andruw Jones.’ (laughs). He was really cool about it, introduced himself and he was great. It was kind of crazy that he was a teammate of mine and I was a little busy being starstruck.”

This weekend, Jones became Sale’s first teammate to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Andruw Jones reacts as he sits with other Hall of Fame members during the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Clark Sports Center on Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Cooperstown, N.Y. The Braves center fielder was inducted as part of the Class of 2026, alongside Carlos Beltrán and Jeff Kent. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Jones completed a 12-year run in which the Hall inducted eight Braves from the 1990s. It was a defining period that shaped the franchise into everything they are now, from their on-field success to their branding to The Battery. It can all be traced back to the people who contributed during that time.

This weekend was a celebration, an opportunity to revisit Jones’ historic combination of defense and power. It was also a victory lap for the organization, as its members have long pushed for Jones’ election — and that translated into success on his ninth year of eligibility.

“I’ll be honest — and maybe I have a biased opinion — but I figured he was a first-ballot, shoo-in Hall of Famer,” Sale said. “You’ve got a guy who’d won 10 Gold Gloves, the All-Star games, over 400 homers. I was definitely surprised (it took this long).”

Jones fielded several questions in recent days about his lengthy wait. It was a prominent storyline, how he overcame receiving just 7.3% of votes during his first year of eligibility to finally earn induction eight cycles later.

“I’m in the Hall of Fame now, and that’s all that matters,” he said.

Here are some highlights from the weekend:

- There were 60 Hall of Famers present Sunday, which the Hall said is a record. That list includes Braves legends Jones, Chipper Jones, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Fred McGriff.

- The 1990s Braves have turned Hall of Fame induction weekend into their annual reunion in upstate New York. Smoltz, in an introductory video for Jones, shared the symbolism of Jones’ induction.

“The moment he’s inducted, I think it’s full circle for our franchise,” Smoltz said. “For the run we were on, for where we were before Andruw got to us, and where we went — Glavine, Maddux, Chipper, now Andruw. It’s why we had the success we did. He’s the measuring stick, I don’t know that you’ll ever see a better combination of offense and defense.”

- Sale, in a phone call with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, put it succinctly: “When you thought of the Atlanta Braves, there’s a handful of names that you associate with this organization. (Jones is) definitely one of them.”

- This was one of the least-attended ceremony in recent memory, according to veteran observers in Cooperstown. The announced attendance was an estimated 12,000 (for context, more than 30,000 came last summer, though Ichiro’s induction was a unique case).

There was still strong Braves representation and Jones’ No. 25 was probably the most popular jersey. There was a significant Mets fan presence as well for Carlos Beltran’s induction.

- This was the first induction weekend since Hall of Fame Braves manager Bobby Cox died in May at age 84. The Hall honored Cox, along with the late Ryne Sandberg and Bill Mazeroski, and held a moment of silence during the ceremony.

- Among other Braves in attendance: former manager Brian Snitker, former player and broadcaster Jeff Francoeur, chairman Terry McGuirk, president and CEO Derek Schiller, president and CEO of Braves Development Company Mike Plant, senior director of alumni relations and former Jones teammate Greg McMichael, along with numerous other Braves employees, players and associates.

- The Braves held a private celebration for Jones on Saturday night. It was well attended by Braves representatives, alumni, employees, executives and Jones’ guests. The organization has been euphoric over his induction, especially after seeing Jones wait for nine years.

- Cooperstown is a necessary visit for any baseball fan, and particularly for Braves fans. It doesn’t have to be during an induction weekend, when the area is much busier, but the Hall of Fame is loaded with Braves history. That includes an exhibit titled “Hank Aaron: Chasing The Dream” on the third floor in celebration of Aaron’s life and career.

- One unique Braves item in the Hall: Eli White’s helmet from the MLB Speedway Classic last summer. The Braves and Reds played the first game at a racetrack. It was also the first major league game played in Tennessee. White homered twice, en route to winning MVP honors.

- Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was in attendance the entire weekend to celebrate his friend Jones. Tomlin is a longtime Braves fan who’s spoken about his admiration for legends like Jones and Dale Murphy. He’ll have more time to follow the team now if he chooses, as Tomlin walked away from the Steelers and will be an NFL analyst for NBC this coming season.