Adam Jones is Back in San Diego as the Padres Face the Orioles

Morse High School Alum Opens Up About his Time with Hero Tony Gwynn

Before San Diego fans watched the Padres start their final home stand of the first half of the season, we caught up with a hometown favorite. San Diego product Adam Jones is back in America’s finest city with the Baltimore Orioles for a two game series against the Padres. The Morse High School alum says even though he’s playing for the other team, his old school friends and fans greeted him with open arms. “Upon landing here Sunday night my phone probably had two or three hundred text messages. Just family and friends saying hey we’re coming out to support you” says Jones. “On my fan page on Facebook we have a class group discussion of our 2003 Morse High alumni and a lot of them have responded to that page. A lot of them should be out here tonight and hopefully tomorrow. It’s just good. The only thing I don’t like about it is we’re only out here for two days.”

Despite the brevity of the trip, Jones says he was instantly transported to his childhood and the days he watched Padres legend Tony Gwynn. “I don’t think you understood or appreciated it while you’re watching it, I think it’s once everybody retires or passes away that you appreciate what they’ve done more for you” says the outfielder. “Watching him and then getting to hit with him at San Diego State over the last decade was just a treat; something that you couldn’t pay for. Money can’t buy those types of things.”

The five time all-star is also looking forward to having the All-Star Game come to his hometown. He shared a family memory during his pre-game interview today about his parents bringing home a beach towel which he believes was the giveaway souvenir at the 1992 All-Star Game. Jones says family is very important to him. In 2014 he took his son, who was only four months old at the time, to the All-Star with him. “I had him in a Bjorn [carrier], so I wore him on my chest. He was my accessory.”

This year’s All-Star game is right around the corner but Jones says he still remembers his first time in the all-star clubhouse saying, “It was just a great experience being around [Derek] Jeter, getting to meet President Obama his first year in office, just being in that club house and the atmosphere around all the big boys in the game. From that moment on it was just something inside of me that made me feel like I belong here, I belong around these guys. I know their names are big, let me make my name just as big as these guys.”

For the third consecutive year Petco Park will host the Perfect Game All-American Classic which will feature some of the best high school players in the country. Jones said he never had an opportunity to play at “Jack Murphy Stadium” (now Qualcomm Stadium), but hopes this next generation knows how lucky they are. “These kids now a days are getting spoiled. They get to come in and get the opportunity to sit in the dugouts that we sit in, sit in the club house that we’re in, sometimes eat the spread, and get on these fields where if you spit out a sunflower seed there’s someone there to pick it up for you. These kids are getting spoiled now. But at the end of the day if they’re out there working their tails off and they deserve it and they’ve earned it then more power to them.”

The Padres lost game one against the Orioles 11-7. They’ll face off again Wednesday afternoon to close out the series. The Friars will take on the New York Yankees in a three game stretch which starts Friday night at Petco Park.

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