Adam Jones inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame

By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com

The Baltimore Orioles announced that five-time All-Star centerfielder Adam Jones will be inducted into their Hall of Fame. The Orioles will cement Jones’s legacy and importance to the organization on Aug. 8. 

The four-time Gold Glove recipient was a mainstay in the Orioles outfield for a decade after being acquired from the Seattle Mariners in 2008 and starred as one of Major League Baseball’s best centerfielders during the early 2010s. 

“This was his first year of eligibility and he was as sure-fire of a lock as Cal Ripkin, Jim Palmer and Eddy Murray,” said Bill Stetka, director of Orioles alumni. 

All three of the aforementioned Orioles were inducted into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame on the first ballot. However, Jones’ impact in Baltimore was felt far beyond his play in center field. 

Jones currently serves as a special advisor to the general manager and a community ambassador for the Orioles. During his playing days, he was a three-time recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award, which honors an individual who “best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”

“Adam grew up with the Boy’s and Girl’s Club in San Diego, and when he came to Baltimore he took that on as his main charity. He donated money and his time. He helped fix fields. He also played a major role in jumpstarting our Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program,” said Stetka. “He held a tailgate before Ravens games every year, amassing $100,000 every year which went directly to charity.” 

After being traded to the Orioles, Jones embraced the city as what he calls his “second, adopted home.” Jones’ wife and family-in-law are all Baltimore natives. 

“Baltimore is a really, really thriving city in a lot of different ways. Even someone like Lamar Jackson it’s so inspiring, showing that in a city like this, there’s someone who looks like you and striving to be the best version of themselves is a game changer especially when it comes to hope and opportunity,” said Jones. 

Coming to Baltimore as a 23-year-old, Jones spent a large chunk of his adult life in Baltimore, growing with the city. 

“Adam came to Baltimore as a young player with a brief stint in the majors with Seattle. When he got here, he didn’t try to take charge but everything kind of flowed to him naturally,” said Stetka. “He became the team’s leader.”

Throughout the years, Jones has become more and more involved with the community, even forming a “good, professional” relationship with Mayor Brandon Scott.

“I got to know the city, I got to know the people in the city and the problems in the city. I know the city thoroughly. Now this city is led by Mayor Brandon Scott and I give him a lot of credit because he wants to see this city get better and better,” said Jones. “I think we have the right guys in our corner who help move the needle like Mayor Scott and Governor Wes Moore.” 

Jones will be inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame at a luncheon at Oriole Park hosted by the Oriole Advocates who founded the Orioles Hall of Fame. Fellow outfielder Joe Orsulak and broadcaster Tom Davis will also be entering the Orioles Hall of Fame alongside Jones. 

Jones, Orsulak and Davis will be recognized with an on-field ceremony prior to the Orioles matchup against the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 9. The game is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. EST and the first 20,000 fans will receive an Adam Jones Hall of Fame bobblehead.  

“It’s an honor. I am going to be joining a really good cohort of guys who really respected the front of the jersey and played for the entire city on a daily basis,” said Jones. “I really just want to say thank you. The fans here pushed me to be great every night. If I didn’t play hard, they would let me know, and I didn’t want them to let me know. So when I played, I played my a– off.”