'Forever grateful' Jones officially retires as an Oriole

BALTIMORE -- A five-time All-Star. A four-time Gold Glover. A Silver Slugger.

The high black socks. The constant wide smiles. The bubble-gum blowing in center field. The celebratory pies to the faces of his teammates (and, on one special occasion, of the fans).

The leadership. The hard-nosed, never-quit attitude. The max effort on a nightly basis.

Adam Jones was the heart and soul of an entire generation of Orioles baseball. He stood front and center during an era that was one of the most successful in the history of the storied franchise.

And now, Jones’ legacy has been further cemented in Baltimore.

On Friday, the Orioles signed Jones to a one-day ceremonial contract, allowing him to put a stamp on a playing career that places him among the team’s all-time greats before officially retiring. A few hours prior to the contest between Baltimore and Tampa Bay, Jones put pen to paper in the press conference room at Camden Yards and again donned an O’s cap and jersey.

In front of the local media and members of his friends and family -- including his wife, Audie, and his two sons, August and Axel -- and standing alongside Orioles general manager Mike Elias, Jones returned home.

“My final time putting on a jersey will be here, and I’m just forever grateful for what Baltimore has taught me,” the 38-year-old Jones said. “I’m just glad that I’ll always be welcome in this city. The people here really appreciated the way I carried myself, played the game and gave back.”

Baltimore isn’t Jones’ hometown. The Orioles weren’t even the franchise that drafted him. He’s a San Diego native who broke into pro baseball out of Samuel F. B. Morse High School in 2003, when the Mariners selected him with the No. 37 overall pick.

But Jones will be forever linked to Baltimore, the city that embraced him with open arms.

“It’s the comfortability. It’s the city where I don’t have to use navigation,” Jones said. “It is my second home.”

Jones didn’t get much of an opportunity in the big leagues until 2008, when he was one of five players moved from the Mariners to the Orioles in the Erik Bedard trade. Over 11 seasons with the Orioles from 2008-18, Jones left a huge mark on the organization, as he ranks fourth in hits (1,781), fifth in home runs (263), fifth in RBIs (866), fifth in runs (875) and eighth in games played (1,613). He also led the O's to the postseason in '12, '14 and '16.

With that said, Jones’ impact off the field may have been greater.

Early during his tenure in Baltimore, Jones linked up with Brandon Scott, the city’s current mayor who is a former member/president of the Baltimore City Council. Using that connection, Jones found ways to contribute through the Boys & Girls Club, YMCA and various other organizations in an effort to give back to the community.

“Those things are easy,” Jones said. “Since I grew up in the Boys & Girls Club, I knew what those kids faced, the challenges. For me, that was a shot in the bucket. I understand every kid, I understand the home life of them, I understand what they go through.”

Jones also made things look easy on the same field to which he returned Friday night.

At the start of a pregame ceremony, Jones and his sons stormed through the gate in center field and jogged toward the diamond. He stopped -- to jokingly catch his breath -- and tipped his cap to the packed house at Camden Yards.

Many of Jones’ former teammates either stood on the field for the ceremony or sent in a video message to be played on the scoreboard. Among those in attendance were Nick Markakis, Chris Davis, Darren O’Day, Wei-Yin Chen and more.

Jones threw out the first pitch, which was caught by Markakis. The duo patrolled the outfield in Baltimore together from 2008-14.

Then, Jones stayed for the game, taking in a pivotal American League East clash. Entering the matchup, the Orioles held a one-game division lead over the Rays, so every contest the rest of the way -- especially those between the two rivals this weekend -- is crucial.

Unsurprisingly, a sold-out crowd took in Jones’ festivities and the ensuing huge game.

“To have Adam be cemented as one of those guys that’s part of the special family around here in a formal way is a really big deal for us,” Elias said. “The timing couldn’t be better with everything going on on the field and behind the scenes with the team.”

Jones’ playing career for the Orioles didn’t end on the best note, as he vetoed a trade during the 2018 season -- when the organization was looking to rebuild -- and played out the final year of his contract. He understood it was business, which he reiterated Friday. Jones then went on to play for the D-backs in ‘19 and the Orix Buffaloes of the Japan Pacific League in 2020 and ‘21.

But it’s only fitting that Jones returned to Baltimore and put a ceremonial bow on his playing days. And it had to be in an Orioles uniform.

After all, many fans still wear Jones’ No. 10 on shirts and jerseys at the ballpark. He’s aware of it, and he’s appreciative of it.

“The 10 is still a strong number here. People still respect what I’ve done,” Jones said. “When I first got here, the mission was to play as many games as I could as hard as I could as long as I could, and I was able to fulfill that. And I just think that people respect that.

“That was the easiest thing to do, was to play.”