ATLANTA (AP) -Andruw Jones got a standing ovation when he stepped in to bat for the first time at Turner Field wearing a visiting uniform.
By the end of the game, the Atlanta fans had turned on him.
Jones got a mixed reception Friday night in his first game against the Braves, the team he spent his entire career with before signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers over the winter.
“It didn’t bother me,” Jones said. “If they boo you, they care about you. If they don’t boo you, they don’t care.”
Jones struck out in his first two at-bats, but he did manage a meaningless ninth-inning double in the Braves’ 6-1 victory. He’s off to a rough start with the Dodgers, hitting just .167 with no homers and two RBIs.
“It felt good, playing in the stadium you played in forever,” Jones said. “It was good all round, seeing former teammates and family. It’s too bad we couldn’t get a win.”
During a dozen seasons with the Braves, Jones won 10 straight Gold Gloves and a career-high 51 homers in 2005, when he finished runner-up in the NL MVP voting.
The center fielder was cheered when his picture was shown on the video board during pregame introductions, and a smattering of boos was drowned out by a standing ovation when he came to bat leading off the second inning. He fouled off a couple of pitches, then took a called third strike.
He struck out swinging in the third, walked in the seventh and lined a double to gap in left-center off Manny Acosta in the ninth. Jones was still there when Mark Sweeney struck out to end the game.
There also was a scary collision in the fifth inning. Brian McCann blooped one out beyond shortstop, and Jones slammed into another former Brave, shortstop Rafael Furcal, as both of them tried to make the catch. Furcal got up slowly but managed to stay in the game.
“It did hurt me just for a moment,” Furcal said. “It hurt my chin a little. It’s OK now.”
Chipper Jones, who homered twice for the Braves, was hurt that some Atlanta fans decided to boo the ex-teammate who shares the same last name.
“That ovation he got at the beginning of the game was nice,” Chipper Jones said. “For some reason, it turned into boos. I didn’t really appreciate that.”
Manager Joe Torre hopes a return to Atlanta will be just what Andruw Jones needs to shake out of his slump.
“All bets are off here,” Torre said. “This was the only organization he’s ever been with. Hopefully it works to our benefit, where all of a sudden he steps in the batters box and he’s comfortable. I’m sure there’s an emotional tie here.”
Jones has gotten a cool reception in Los Angeles as well.
“When you don’t do good and people have so many expectations of you to do what you’re supposed to do or do what you normally do … those things happen,” he said. “But you just have to be patient and keep working hard on it.”
He’s used to getting off to slow starts, so there’s no need to worry just yet. Then again, he’s coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. Jones batted just .222 with 26 homers and 94 RBIs in his final season with the Braves, who made no effort to re-sign him.
“It’s a young season,” Jones said. “There are a lot of months left and a lot of games left. I just have to keep working hard.”
Torre has seen signs of progress.
“He’s in a big slump,” Torre said. “But the last three days I’m very comfortable watching him hit. His stance in the batter’s box, his approach is so much more solid.”
As usual, no one has complained about Jones’ defense.
“He glides around out there,” Torre said. “It’s fun to watch him. I hate to say it, but even when we played against him I had fun watching him.”
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