AttaBoy Andruw! | The DawgHouse

It seems that Andruw Jones's career might finally be back on track, proven even more so last night against the Angels. Jones homered in his first 3 at-bats in the Rangers' 8-1 victory over the Angels. The win over Los Angeles was huge, as it now gives Texas a one game lead in the AL West. Although it is early in the year, every game counts.

This year appeared to be make-or-break for Andruw Jones. Problems first arised for Andruw back in '07, his last year in Atlanta. Jones saw his HR numbers drop from 41 in '06 to 26, his Batting Average go from .262 to .222, and his RBIs go from 129 to 94. Still, the LA Dodgers decided to take a chance and sign Jones to a 2 year, $36.2 million deal. HUGE MISTAKE. Jones only played in 75 games, where he hit 3 HRs, hit .158, and drove in only 14 runs. In the '08 offseason, The Dodgers decided to release Jones. Things have went up ever since.

Jones then signed on with Texas. It was believed his thinking was that batting coach Rudy Jaramillo could help him revive his swing. For all intents and purposes, I will from now on call Jaramillo the "Miracle Worker". Just compare '08 to '09. He hit 3 HRs in 75 games last year. HE HIT 3 HRs IN ONE GAME LAST NIGHT!

So far Andruw has 14 HRs, has a batting average of .250, and has 34 RBIs. Some people would say that's nothing to brag about, but I think it's amazing. This guy was at the end of his rope last year, and now he's working his way back to become the man that NL East teams hated facing. If Andruw keeps this up into next year, I guarantee he will be selected to the All Star Game. And for any general managers who are looking to fill a manager position, please see Rudy Jaramillo immediately. Why this man doesn't have a managerial job yet I have no idea.

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July 19, 2009 12:07 AM ET

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yes andruw jones has had a few bad years and has taken a lot of heat for it, but in my eyes he is still a quality player. maybe the abuse hes taken from fans and media alike are a manifestation of his previous success. By that statement i mean people have come to expect 40 homers a .285 BA and reels of fielding highlights. I think its a shame that when he does go into a slump people are standing in line to take a cheap shot at him. For a player who is basically quiet and well mannered that could have a negative effect on him upstairs and cause even more problems on the field. Ive always and will continue to be a fan of Andruw Jones and hope he comes on strong over the next few seasons just to shut his critics mouths. With that being said I applaud the Rangers for seeing through the smoke and mirrors put up by those critics.