Orioles’ Jones’s bond with Baltimore means much more than a ring
BALTIMORE — With Baltimore’s baseball team careening through a dismal season, on pace to lose more than 110 games for the first time since they became the Orioles in 1954, its front office decided to dismantle the roster to build for the future.
So, just before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, Manny Machado, a superstar infielder, became a Los Angeles Dodger. Jonathan Schoop, a standout second baseman, became a Milwaukee Brewer. Brad Brach, Kevin Gausman and Darren O’Day all became Atlanta Braves pitchers. Zach Britton, a closer, joined the New York Yankees.
But one star, outfielder Adam Jones, remains — and that is by his choice.
In the ruthless business of professional sports, players rarely have much say as to where they are traded or when they are cut. But Jones’ veteran status meant he did, and he followed his heart.
“I’m married with two kids,” Jones, 33, said before the Orioles’ game against the New York Mets at Camden Yards on Wednesday. “The comfort is most important, as well as finishing out and honouring my contract. I signed a six-year deal and I’ll finish it out.”
Jones is not just any Orioles player. He is an energetic fivetime all-star, a four-time Gold Glove winner and the longesttenured player on a team that reached the playoffs three times from 2012 to ’16.
He is also among the most outspoken players in the major leagues, often discussing issues like education, racism and civil unrest. He donates time and tens of thousands of dollars a year to causes across Baltimore. In a city where the poverty rate is nearly double the national level and the population is nearly two-thirds Black, Jones, who is also Black, is a leading voice.
So instead of accepting a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies, who were seeking a veteran presence and proven hitter as they push for a playoff spot, Jones exercised his right to say no. A longtime everyday player, Jones would have seen his playing time reduced in Philadelphia.
“I respect Philadelphia,” Jones said. “I was going to go to a role that I’ve never done. They have a great team and they don’t need me.”
Jones wanted to spend the final two months of his six-year, $85.5million contract extension with the Orioles. Because he has earned 10-and-5 rights (10 years of service time in the major leagues and five with one team) within baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, Jones can veto any potential trade.
“It was in my best interests,” he said.
It is about more than playing time. Jones has called Baltimore his in-season home for 11 years (he spends his off-seasons in his native San Diego), and likened his relationship with Baltimore as going from dating to marriage.
His many years as an Orioles staple is what allows him to be so influential in the community, he said. He cited his annual #StayHungry Purple Tailgate party at a Baltimore Ravens game — the sixth edition will take place on Nov. 25 — which has raised over $180,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore, as part of his strong bond with his second home.
He earmarked $75,000 annually from his 2012 contract extension for the local Boys & Girls Clubs, spent his free time with local children, and he and his wife have stayed in touch with students who were awarded scholarships with their donations.
“I’m trying to honour my commitment to the city,” he said.
Sometimes that has meant speaking on behalf of its residents. Amid tense protests in response to Freddie Gray’s death in policy custody in 2015, the Orioles hosted the Chicago White Sox in a crowdless Camden Yards, which was kept empty for security reasons. Before the game, Jones spoke eloquently about the city, the concerns of Black residents and the need for peaceful protests, but also acknowledged that people were crying for help.
He has talked passionately about the dwindling number of Black athletes in baseball, and in support of Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who knelt during the national anthem in 2016, to call attention to police brutality and racial inequality. Jones also called attention last year to racial slurs directed at him at Fenway Park in Boston.
“He’s not afraid to put himself out there and tell you how he feels, and it’s very admirable, especially in a city like Baltimore,” said O’s first baseman Chris Davis. “It’s a city definitely in need of a voice and a city that’s full of hurt and full of pain.”