Orioles center fielder Adam Jones doesn't mind getting your attention, whether it's with a flashy play in center field, a long home run or a controversial opinion on Twitter. He knows baseball stardom has put him in a unique position to help kids, but he isn't afraid to use that platform to draw attention to a cause or societal problem.
He wasn't born in Baltimore, but he has grown up before our eyes and now is a husband, new father and the unquestioned leader of a team that has risen from the ashes of 14 straight losing seasons to enter this season as the defending American League East champion.
The Orioles have developed a winning culture that now spans three seasons, and Jones is a big part of that, both on the field and in the clubhouse. He's also a big player in the community, with a strong message for young people that endorses teamwork, the importance of athletics and — first and foremost — education. Below is the third of a four-part interview from earlier this spring.
Over the past several years, you've been pretty consistent on the field, but over the past 18 months or so, there has been a huge change in your life. You've got a child. You're married now. You took your time. You're not a young kid anymore, so you've probably given this a lot of thought. How much has it changed you?
I'd say, the first day my wife told me she was pregnant, it was right before the All-Star Game in 2013. And I'm like, "What?" It was surreal. … Now here's an extension of me. Now here's my legacy. I can see my son every day and just see the smile on his face, and this is my legacy. This is where I leave my mark. Now you can leave your mark other ways. There are people who are 50 or 60 with no kids who give back and help out. There's tons of ways. But to have blood — that's my son, and he's my responsibility. He weighs on me. He counts on me to provide for him until he's 18, then he can provide for himself. Or maybe 23. I'll give him some college and a year or two after college to get his act together. He's going to depend on me. The rest of my life, I'm always going to think about him and the next kids and however many kids I have. He's always in the back of my mind because he's an extension of me now.
How much different is it walking through your front door than it was 18 months ago
Well, I've got to be quieter. I don't know if he's napping. My wife gets mad when I start my truck and it's too loud, and she doesn't know if he's going to get up a little earlier. There are things I just can't do anymore and I'm fine with that.
I meant, how does it feel to come home knowing that little smiling face is going to be waiting for you?
Oh, yeah. He's starting to do a lot more this offseason. Obviously, the six-months-to-a-year range [in which] you get to see so much change. He's crawling all over the place. You can't turn your head. Standing up on everything. Smiling. He's starting to want to talk back to you. Picking himself up and trying to walk. It's crazy. I'm sure it's going to be just one day [when] it clicks and he's walking, and then he's really going to be into everything. So now I'm child-proofing my house in Maryland, just anticipating him being just a little run-around kid, as he should.
What has the first year [of] being a parent made you re-evaluate or think about your mom and what parents have gone through in your life?
Parents sacrifice a lot. Obviously, I'm in a different situation financially than my parents were at the time of my birth, but the mental aspect of parenting doesn't change. Whether you've got a million dollars or $1, a parent is a parent. It's just being hands-on, letting him know he's a loved kid and letting him know that, "Hey, you're here on this earth to have some fun — especially in these early years — have some fun and create your worth. Create your value." I talk to him as a normal person and say, "Hey, I want you to succeed in life." I tell him all the time, and I tell these other people [who ask], "Are your kids going to play baseball?" I don't care if he plays baseball. I just want him to do something he enjoys.
If he's a plumber but he likes it, he'll be a very good plumber. If he's a stockbroker and he likes it, he'll be a very good stockbroker. Now, if he's an accountant by default, because of this, he might not like it. And if you don't like it, you're not good at it. I try to reiterate to him and reiterate to myself to continue to love what you're doing; it'll bless you a lot more than you think.
You and your wife are from fairly different backgrounds. How do you think that will play with your child or children? Do you think that's an advantage, that you're going to come at your children from two different perspectives?
Well, she's private school. She's already told me to set some money aside for him. He's going to private school, so set it aside. I said, "All right, that's another bill." But I understand it. Her family, they're all private school. They're all educated. They've got lawyers. They've got business people. There are some good fields there. My side, we weren't as fortunate in terms of private school, but we've got the same family values as my wife's family has. We're a family. We're close-knit. We don't like to bicker with each other. We keep each other in our thoughts. We're there for one another, and that's family. I think, when our families combine, there's a lot of love in one room.
We were there together over this winter. There was a lot of love in the room, everybody mingling, our families connecting, and it's just one big extension now.
Now you have your own child and maybe will have more children, but you've focused a lot of attention during your career on other young black children. Talk a little bit about that. Is there an identification there with you growing up? How important is it for these kids to be involved in baseball? Because most kids in the inner city for the last few decades have turned to basketball and football instead of baseball.
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I look at it as, inner city is not just black. Inner city is inner city. It's economic … black, white, Hispanic, all walks of life. I want to help the people who don't have that help. ... Growing up, my parents weren't the richest. I had to do certain things to make sure I was able to pay for tournaments. Certain other parents paid for my tournaments, which made me work harder so that, look, if they're going to fork over $150 for a tournament, I'm going to go out there and make sure they get their $150 worth instead of just dogging it and thinking, "Somebody else paid for me. I don't have to really do much." No, I went out there and proved to them that it's unfortunate I don't have it, but I'm glad you are someone who was able to help out because I'm going to prove my worth. I just want to help the kids that don't have it, and I tell these kids all the time when I talk to them that it's not about playing sports. It's not about to getting to my level and making all this money. … It's not going to happen regularly. I tell these kids, "Get your education. Get good grades in high school. If you get good grades in high school, someone's going to give you a college scholarship if you're playing a sport somehow."
