Yanks’ Andruw Jones More ‘Fan’ Than Fantastic

Oh, it must be tempting for the New York Yankees to utilize Andruw Jones for more than a part time role.
There are times when the ex-Braves star still flashes amazing power, with a blast Friday vs. the Mariners and two weeks ago vs. the Tigers. You see that famous smile and the guy just sucks you into thinking he can somehow turn the clock back and be great again.

But the 18-year veteran probably can’t and won’t and the Yanks are wise to just try to get the occasional homer and contribution from Jones. Why? Because Andruw Kingman, er Jones, also has a penchant for striking out … a ton! Along with that swing, so crazy I had to stop and tweet about it the other day, comes more fans than a Georgia home.
Jones’ four homers and eight RBI have come at a heavy price: 18 strikeouts in just 50 at-bats. Put that over 300 at-bats and he almost has 100 whiffs.
The strikeouts are nothing new for Jones, who will finish his career with among the most-ever in the category —he currently stands at 1,695 — but they no longer come with the benefit of enough round-trippers. His last solid season came in 2007, after all, when he belted 26 homers with 94 RBI.
It will be interesting to see if he can reach 2,000 hits and 450 or more homers. At 1,899 and 424, respectively, it will be a tall order for this part-timer.
Otherwise, enjoy the occasional jaw-dropping home run, or the frequent breeze coming off his bat.