'Great baseball mind' Jones back with O's as advisor to GM, community ambassador

BALTIMORE -- Born and raised in San Diego, Adam Jones naturally grew up as a fan of the Padres. His 14-year MLB career featured stints with Seattle, Baltimore and Arizona, and his pair of seasons played in Japan came for the Orix Buffaloes of Osaka.

The 39-year-old Jones has also become a bit of a world traveler upon retirement, even taking residence in Barcelona, with his wife and two kids.

No matter where Jones goes, though, one place remains close to his heart: Baltimore.

“I’m an Oriole,” Jones said. “I’m a fan of the Padres, I had a brief cup of coffee -- a panini, I should say -- in Arizona. But I’m an Oriole.”

Jones rejoined the Orioles in a working capacity on Monday, when it was announced the club had hired the former center fielder to serve as a special advisor to general manager Mike Elias and as a community ambassador. It’s a role that will allow Jones to return to the organization with which he had his greatest baseball success.

A five-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glover and one-time Silver Slugger over an 11-year run in Baltimore from 2008-18, Jones became one of the greatest players in Orioles history while developing an affinity for both the franchise and the city of Baltimore.

Jones retired as an Oriole when he signed a ceremonial one-day contract on Sept. 15, 2023. When he was reintroduced to the media in his new role during a Tuesday Zoom call, his customized “Captain Splash” City Connect jersey was hanging on the wall, a memento from his appearance as a “guest splasher” in the Bird Bath splash zone at Camden Yards in July ‘23.

“When this news broke, everybody was just ecstatic. It drew a lot of attention,” Jones said. “I think that people really appreciated what I did between the lines. Off the field, also. And now that I have more time as a retired player, I think that I can give back to the city and to the organization a little bit more.”

Elias was eager to welcome Jones to the staff. Who wouldn’t want to have one of the most popular -- and most impactful -- Orioles of all time as a resource?

“I think that his particular perspective as an ex-Oriole, a guy that devoted his entire career to this city, his baseball knowledge -- it seemed like a really good fit for us right now,” Elias said, "and this front office and this group of players. So, this made sense.

“I’m looking forward to more of this type of relationship building with ex-players. I think that the team that Adam was a big part of, his team was kind of the last group to have a good run in the American League East.

“It’s important for me to kind of build a bridge to that era, and Adam is the perfect guy.”

No AL team won more games from 2012-16 than the Jones-led Orioles, who made three postseason appearances in that span. They won the AL East in ‘14, then swept the Tigers in three games in the AL Division Series -- the most recent playoff victories for the O’s.

The current flock of Orioles have made back-to-back postseason appearances -- winning the AL East in 2023, then securing an AL Wild Card berth in ‘24 -- but they have yet to experience postseason success. Jones is ready to provide any help he can to get the club over that hump.

Jones’ new role is still evolving, as it wasn’t previously a position on Baltimore’s staff. But he has a “great baseball mind,” as Elias put it, and Jones’ passion for the sport has always been on display throughout his life. He worked with the Commissioner Ambassador Program in recent years and served as a member of MLB’s baseball operations department.

The new generation of O’s players will surely be open to hearing Jones’ input, beginning with his upcoming stint as a guest instructor at Spring Training in Sarasota, Fla., next month.

“Honestly, I think my best attribute is just to be a resource. I’ve played the game. I know the game,” Jones said. “I think I can help player personnel understand how to navigate professional life. It’s a little different when you’re in high school, it’s a little different when you’re in college. Professional life is a completely different aspect, and I would love to help the young kids navigate that first, second year, adapt themselves to the professional level.

“I’m not a coach, and I don’t ever want to step on any coach’s feet. But I think that I can help with certain mentalities, certain verbiages that may be not suitable, obviously, for normal conversations, but through the baseball channels, I can maybe talk to them in a different light and give them a kick in the pants in a different way.”