Andruw Jones’ final at-bats before he retired came in a Netherlands uniform. It wasn’t the plan — the 10-time Gold Glove Award winner and five-time MLB All-Star had spent the 2013 and ’14 seasons in Japan with the Rakuten Golden Eagles before joining the Kingdom for the 2015 Premier12. Playing primarily first base for that tournament, Jones was hoping a strong performance could find him a place to play back in the States.
While that didn’t happen, Jones has no regrets. Playing for the Netherlands — which he did in the 2006 and 2013 World Baseball Classic tournaments — was always something special.
“You’re playing for your country, you’re playing with [people who came from where you’re from],” Jones told MLB.com before he took the field at the Durham Home Run Derby X event on Saturday. “There’s ex-teammates that you grew up playing baseball against and now you get a chance to be on the same team with them and bond together.”
Jones will now be in charge of the national team roster as he’s been named the Netherlands’ manager ahead of next year’s World Baseball Classic. While the job will be a new one, Jones has remained deeply involved in the sport since hanging up the cleats. He was a bench coach for the national team at the 2017 and ’23 tournaments and Saturday will see Jones take part in his third HRDX tournament. Baseball, quite simply, is his life.
“To be honest, that’s all I’ve known my whole life,” Jones said with a laugh. “I’ve been in baseball since I was a teenager. So, I lived it. I sleep it. I’m trying to learn every day, so why not stick around and try to pass your knowledge, your experience, on to the future?”
That made accepting the manager’s job a no brainer.
“They asked me if I wanted to be the manager, and I was like, ‘Yes, why not?'” Jones said. “I know that the WBC is a big event. Everybody is excited to play for their country. I wanted to do it and give it a shot, and give us a chance to get into the finals.”
I got a chance to speak with the star before he took the HRDX stage about his thoughts on the upcoming World Baseball Classic, his approach to the roster, and what his expectations are. Here is our conversation, edited for length and readability.
MLB: The Netherlands were a little unlucky in 2023, going 2-2 and finishing third thanks to tiebreakers after all five teams in the Taiwan pool had the same record. What are some changes you’re hoping to bring to the dugout?
Andruw Jones: I’m trying to get these guys to stay consistent. It’s a short series, so we’ve got a different plan for 2026 that hopefully can work. We’ve also got a lot of guys who have not played in the World Baseball Classic before. I’m excited to see them — guys like Ozzie [Albies], who obviously never played in the WBC. Cedanne Rafaela didn’t play in the WBC before. I’m excited to see them come out there and get the experience of playing for your country and be a part of the WBC.
MLB: You mentioned Rafaela, who is reportedly intending to play. You were a Gold Glove center fielder and Rafaela is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. What will it mean to have him in the Netherlands outfield?
AJ: I think everybody knows he’s probably going to be a future Gold Glove winner. Hopefully he can win it this year. I’m looking forward to working with him. I talked with him already when Boston came to play in Atlanta. I’m excited to manage him and pass some of my knowledge to him, and hopefully he continues to be great and have a tremendous career.
MLB: I’d love to go back in time to when you were growing up in Curacao. What was baseball in the country like then?
AJ: I came to the States when I was 15, but I’ve been playing baseball since I was 6. Baseball has always been big in Curacao, one of the sports that every kid plays. So it’s nothing new to see a lot of these kids get an opportunity to chase their dreams. I know that before me, it was tough to you get that chance to come to the States and play professional baseball, but now, I think the door is open. We’ve seen a lot of kids coming. I’m just proud of all the kids that are committed to it and are trying to chase their dream.
MLB: What does it mean to be someone that these young kids in Curacao look up to and want to follow in your footsteps?
AJ: I’m sure all these kids that watched me play, they’re like, ‘I want to do that. I’m from the same island that he is. I think I can do it, too.’ So, going out there and being consistent, and having a long career in the Major Leagues show these kids that they can do it, too. I’m proud of giving them that hope and opening that door for them to get a chance to chase their dream, too.
MLB: The Netherlands have long been an international power: Dominating in European baseball and playing in every World Baseball Classic. Are there some new players who have caught your eye who could be the next great star for the national team?
AJ: I’ve seen the roster and we’ve got a lot of young guys that are in Single-A or in the Rookie Leagues that are coming. I think some of them might get a chance, I don’t know yet — depends how the roster shapes up, and if their teams let them play. I think we’ve got great arms. We’ve got guys like Antwone Kelly, who’s pitching with Pittsburgh. He’s having a tremendous year. He’s got a great arm.
We’ve got Jurrangelo Cintje who pitches with both hands. He’s with Seattle. I’ve asked both of those kids and they are excited to be part of the team, but it’s up to their clubs to give them the opportunity to go play. We’ll see what happens. It’s incredible to see the opportunities these kids are getting.
MLB: It’s not just young players, either. You could have someone like Kenley Jansen on the team, who was even a catcher for the national team back in 2009. What would it be like to manage someone who was also playing for the national team alongside you?
AJ: Well, he already committed to me. He’s going to be on the roster, he told me to count on him. Just having him be a part of the team and help teach the young arms that we have and to give them that guidance on how he does it, how he goes about his business, [is important]. I think that’s what I talked to him most about: ‘I want you to be there even if you don’t play. I don’t care. I just want you to be there to help give these guys your mind mindset of how you did it.’
MLB: The Netherlands are a unique team in that this is the Kingdom of the Netherlands. You’re bringing together people from Curacao, Aruba, the Dutch Antilles and Holland. Is that difficult to balance in the clubhouse?
AJ: Everybody’s in it together. I think we’ll have a team as soon as we come up there. Every ego is out of the window. We win as a team, we lose as a team. We don’t pinpoint who made a mistake or did not make a mistake. This is a game of failure. You’re trying to fail less than the other team, so you can win. The clubhouse we have is a family, that’s all it is.
MLB: What would a good World Baseball Classic mean for the future of the Netherlands baseball program?
AJ: The program is in good shape. We compete in the European Cup all the time. I think if we can get a lot of the other guys to commit, we have a chance at the Olympic qualifier. I think the goal is to get back into the Olympics and represent the Kingdom and the Netherlands in the Olympics. This WBC is a good way to get everything started, and hopefully we can move on from here.
MLB: What is the goal in 2026?
AJ: When we put the uniform on, we want to win. We want to win the whole thing. I know it’s going to be tough. We’re going to to be in a tough pool this year. We’re going to have to play the Dominican Republic, we’re going to have Venezuela, we’re going to have Israel, Nicaragua, all these teams are tough teams.
MLB: Some of those teams are huge rivals. The Netherlands have had a few huge victories over the Dominican Republic in previous WBC tournaments and have faced Israel in Olympic qualifiers. Does it mean even more to play in these games against rivals?
AJ: It’s always big when you’re playing against one of the toughest teams in the world, like the Dominican Republic, like Venezuela, like Israel … It’s going to be a tough series, so we’re going to have to put a good things together. We have to put a good roster together, we have to play well and try to make fewer mistakes than the other team. The team that that makes the least mistakes is probably going to win.
