Ten Gold Gloves, five All-Star selections, 400-plus home runs. There was little left for Andruw Jones to accomplish after nearly two decades in the MLB. He had already secured his legacy as one of baseball’s greatest center fielders, and when he took center stage in Cooperstown to accept the highest individual honor in the sport, he made sure to let people know about the man who made it all possible.

“This moment is bittersweet because my father, Henry Jones, is not here today,” Andruw said, as per MLB Network’s X post. “I know you’re looking down on me now, and with a big smile. And I love it. I love you very much.”

Henry Jones was a standout baseball player from Curaçao, and long before Andruw Jones made his MLB debut, Jones Sr. was celebrated for his speed and acumen. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2016, and a decade later, his son became the first MLB player from Curaçao to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Jones Jr. accepted the honor alongside Carlos Beltrán and Jeff Kent. As 57 fellow Hall of Famers and nearly 12,000 fans looked on, Andruw made sure they knew the reason behind his success.

“Because [my father] played center field, I wanted to be a center fielder. And he passed down every bit of knowledge about the game to me,” Andruw added. “Everything he taught me had a purpose.”

From reading balls off the bat to strengthening his wrists by rolling a sledgehammer, Jones got everything from his father. He even admitted that his old man had him catch fly balls from foul pole to foul pole to improve his ball tracking. It was an incredible help in his development as a fielder, as the ocean breeze on the island made those balls difficult to track.

Jones spent over a decade with the Atlanta Braves after making his MLB debut in 1966. He then jumped between different teams and ultimately closed his career with the New York Yankees in 2012. 

Andruw had the highest defensive WAR among outfielders and recorded 434 homers playing 2,196 games. He became the youngest player (age 19) to hit a home run in the World Series in 1996. Additionally, he was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame in 2016. The Braves also retired his jersey No. 25 in 2023.

The way he acknowledged his father’s contribution to his life and baseball career showed just how much he loved and cherished his presence. Jones also didn’t forget to praise an array of people from his hometown, along with his family and coaches, making sure to give credit to everyone who believed in him. The 49-year-old also highlighted how difficult it is to become an MLB player from Curaçao and acknowledged Hensley Meulens for being the first to achieve that feat.

While Andruw Jones has hung up his boots, the legacy of his family in this sport lives on. And he now has his son, Druw Jones, selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks to take it even further.