Inside The Dodgers

Former Dodgers Outfielder Hired for First Managerial Job

J.P. Hoornstra|
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp (27) is congratulated by outfielder Andruw Jones (25) and his teammates after crossing home plate for a run during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA on July 5, 2008.
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp (27) is congratulated by outfielder Andruw Jones (25) and his teammates after crossing home plate for a run during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA on July 5, 2008. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Dodgers

Former Dodgers outfielder Andruw Jones learned in January that he just missed the Hall of Fame cutoff by a mere 35 votes. He'll appear on a Baseball Writers Association of America ballot for the ninth time this December.

Jones, 48, won't have to wait that long to write his legacy.

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The Netherlands selected Jones to manage its entry in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the first time he'll hold the title of manager. Jones previously served as a coach on Hensley Meulens' staff for the 2017 WBC.

"I've worn the uniform as a player and coach," Jones said in a statement Tuesday. "I can't wait to put a great team together."

As an outfielder, Jones represented the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2013, and the WBSC Premier12 in 2015.

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A native of Curaçao, Jones burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old with the Atlanta Braves in 1996, batting .400 in that year's World Series against the New York Yankees.

Over 12 seasons in Atlanta (1996-07), Jones established himself as the premier defensive center fielder in baseball. He helped the Braves reach the World Series again in 1999 — where they lost to the Yankees — and is widely credited by Hall of Fame teammates Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz for the role his defense played in boosting their individual careers.

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Jones made five National League All-Star teams, won 10 Gold Glove Awards, and one Silver Slugger award during his time in Atlanta.

The Dodgers signed Jones to a two-year, $36.2 million contract in December 2007. If he is ever elected to Cooperstown, he will not wear an L.A. hat on his plaque.

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Jones proceeded to play only 75 games with the Dodgers and hit .158 before he was released one year into the deal.

Although he bounced around Major League Baseball for another four seasons — the Texas Rangers (2009), Chicago White Sox (2010), and Yankees (2011-12) — Jones' legacy as a player was written in Atlanta.

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Jones finished his playing career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), leading the Rakuten Golden Eagles to the 2013 Japan Series title with an All-Star season. He hit 434 home runs in MLB, and 50 more in NPB.

The Netherlands will compete in the Miami, Florida WBC bracket from March 6-11, 2026, along with the Dominican Republic, Israel, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.

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J.P. Hoornstra
J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

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