LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – He’s new to the coaching thing, but Andruw Jones is already showing he might have a knack for it and the desire to do more than offer an occasional tip or two.
The Braves’ former 10-time Gold Glove winner was hired Monday as a special assistant, a job that will have Jones primarily working with the team’s minor league outfielders during the season, although he will also be involved in international initiatives and probably work some with big-league outfielders.
He’s been at spring training as a guest instructor nearly a week and will stay through March 6, working with prospects and major league outfielders including Hector Olivera, the Cuban who’s learning to play left field after switching from third base following the 2015 season.
“He’s been terrific,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Jones. “He’s been an asset to spring training. I’ve seen him working with Olivera. He came over to me unannounced a couple of days ago and said, ‘I think this guy can play left field.’ He goes, ‘You’ve got (Ender) Inciarte in center, so that’ll take a lot of pressure off (Olivera). Which makes sense. Andruw goes, ‘I think he’s athletic enough and I think he’s got enough speed that I think he could play left field.’”
One of the key players Jones is expected to work with this season is speedy center-field prospect Mallex Smith. The two already have talked and worked together at spring training.
“He’s a very smooth outfielder. Very, very smooth,” Jones said. “Couple of things he needs to work on, but those are things, if he wants to work on them and try to get better it will be easy, because he’s a great athlete.”
Gonzalez said it was his understanding that Jones would work primarily with minor league outfielders during the season, but said he would welcome him to occasionally suit up and work with big-leaguers before home games.
Jones, 38, spent the first 12 seasons of his major league career with the Braves and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves before leaving as a free agent after the 2007 season. He last played in the majors in 2012 and then spent two seasons playing in Japan.
What made him decide to consider the special-assistant position with the Braves?
“When the opportunity came up I talked with Scott (Boras, his agent) and told him I probably wasn’t going to play anymore,” said Jones, who has kept his permanent home in Atlanta since the beginning of his career. “He said, do what you want to do. My dad always said, if you know something, just try to stay in it. And try to pass it along to the upcoming guys or the younger guys.
“(Share) the experience of the things you know — so when you look back you look at that kid and say, I helped him get better and I helped him get where he’s at right no. Those are the things I had on my mind when it came time to retire. That’s all you know your whole life – you play this game so long. So to get a chance to come out here, be at spring training and show up and try to teach the kids the right things and things you know — it makes me happy. That’s why the decision came up.”
