Chipper takes shots at drug cheaters (though he considered it)
Chipper Jones knows when his career is over, he will have done it right way. (Jason Getz/AJC)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – There was a time when he considered it. Chipper Jones thought about taking a pill, sticking a needle in his arm, doing whatever it is cheaters do in hopes of gaining an edge and fooling us into believing the mutant statistics all came about from hard work and whey shakes.
“Yeah. I mean, definitely,” the Braves’ almost-40 third baseman said Monday when asked if he ever considered using performance-enhancing drugs. “You see peers doing it. You see contemporaries on other teams doing it and putting up [big] numbers. But at that point in my career, while I didn’t have kids yet, and I thought, I don’t want to jeopardize their lives [with the backlash] one day.”
On Monday, Braves players were given a presentation from a team doctor on what substances to stay away from.
“I can pretty much recite it from year to year,” Jones said, and the banned list didn’t include the yogurt he happened to be eating at the time.
Jones will go into the Hall of Fame one day. He will be in a special group of players who, as he said, “have done it right. The guys who get done with their career and make it through the so-called steroid era unscathed, that’s a huge feather in our cap.”
There have never been any allegations against Jones. No smoking syringe. No leaked grand jury testimony with his name on it. No chapter in a Jose Canseco book.
Still, Jones’ father wanted to know for sure. “A few years ago,” according to Chipper, the elder Larry Jones asked him point blank if he had ever cheated.
Jones believes "less than one percent" of players in the majors still take performance-enhancing drugs. (Jason Getz/AJC)
“I can just imagine what my dad would’ve said if he found out that four, five or six years out of my career he knew that I was cheating,” Jones said. “He told me as much. He said, ‘Please tell me you never did that.’ I said, ‘I never did.’ He said, ‘I can’t think of anything that would disappointment me more than finding out that you did something like that.’ I said, ‘Well, you don’t have to worry about that.’”
Performance-enhancing drugs are in the news again. Ryan Braun, the National League’s Most Valuable Player last season, failed a drug test last October. He had extraordinarily elevated levels of testosterone. He was suspended for the first 50 games of this season but had the penalty overturned by an appeal. Braun and his legal team did not question the science of the test but rather the protocol, and won the appeal on a technicality: The sample was stored in the tester’s home over a weekend because he believed Federal Express was closed.
Jones understands why Major League Baseball is livid over the arbitration panel’s decision: “Now the integrity of every positive test is going to be scrutinized. They’re going to have to back-check everything,” he said.
But he didn’t openly question Braun.
“I feel like I know Ryan pretty well — he would’ve been one of the guys who never would’ve considered to have done it,” Jones said. “If he went to the lengths that he did to clear his name, I believe him. I just don’t know how someone could be so negligent. If he did [take something], he got lucky. If he didn’t, he was rightly vindicated.”
But haven’t Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens gone to great lengths to clear their names?
“Sure — and did they? Why was [Bonds] convicted of [obstruction of justice]? Why would he lie?”
Jones believes the used of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, while not completely eradicated, is way down. He estimated that at its peak, 20 percent of the league was using, or five players per team. His breakdown: “I would say one of the numbers producers, one of the stud pitchers and the other two or three were down at the end of the roster, trying to stay out of Triple A.”
And now?
“Less than one percent,” he said. “Guys just don’t do it anymore. You’ve seen what happens to the reputations of the guys who even remotely are considered to have done it. It’s so not worth it.”
He said players in general know who’s using and who isn’t. “Let’s just say there’s an aura about them,” he said, laughing.
For what it’s worth, he said some PED users should be allowed in the Hall, the deciding factor being whether they would have had the credentials without drugs.
That’s not an issue for Jones. He has done it right way and has the credentials: 454 homers, 1,561 RBI, 2,615 hits, a .304 career average.
He turns 40 in April. He has been non-committal about playing after this season, health obviously being a significant unknown. But we can be certain of one thing: He won’t resort to chemistry to play another year.
By Jeff Schultz
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241 comments Add your comment
Hillbilly D
February 28th, 2012
12:41 pm
and they have high powered weapons and you don’t. All you have is a quicker mind.
Deer also have keener eyesight and a vastly superior sense of smell. There’s a reason old bucks get to be old bucks.
DetroitBraves
February 28th, 2012
12:44 pm
The other problem with Rose betting on his team to win is you don’t want a manager thinking he has to do everything possible to win that one game out of 162. I mean, do you want to win every game? Sure. But if it is so critical, as a wager might have it appear, you may play injured players, or extend starting pitcher beyond reasonable limits, or bring in your ace reliever for a 5th straight day in an effort to win the game – tomorrow be damned.
Bama Mike
February 28th, 2012
12:52 pm
Dumbassery = Chipper aka Zipper Jones. Just dont say a word Chipper.
Bama Mike
February 28th, 2012
12:56 pm
Has Chipper ever had a defining moment or comment other than ” It hurts and I cant play today “
Andrew
February 28th, 2012
12:58 pm
You write one article per month and can’t even manage to spell on a H.S. level…good job. Chipper is King!!!
DawgDad
February 28th, 2012
1:13 pm
When I saw Chipper play left field I knew whatever he was taking was NOT a PED!
Shoz
February 28th, 2012
1:17 pm
Am I the only one here who doesn’t believe this for a second? Chipper says he didn’t juice, so we all just believe him? Go back and look at pictures of him from his MVP year in ‘99. No WAY he wasn’t juiced. Dude was HUGE. Do you all think it’s just a coincidence that he couldn’t stay healthy after the crack-down on PEDs in the early 2000’s? There were quite a few players who rarely if ever missed playing time, Chipper included. And then the very year MLB starts publicly cracking down on PEDs, these same players suddenly can’t seem to stay off the disabled list.
Look, I love Chipper, and to be completely honest, I don’t care if he juiced or not. But you’ll never convince me he wasn’t taking PEDs for at least a few years there in the late 90’s and early 2000’s…
JSS
February 28th, 2012
1:19 pm
Bama Mike and Larry making sense in all in one blog… Did someone install a new HVAC unit in Hades? Trailer Trash Kevin Smith, well same ole gibberish!
Mark's for the Braves
February 28th, 2012
1:22 pm
Nice to know Chipper played during the steroids era, but never gave in and used them. Hope he has a great year and a great 2013 if he wants to play again next year.
JSS
February 28th, 2012
1:26 pm
And where was all of this indignation when he was sitting in the presence of Ken Caminiti?
Skeezix
February 28th, 2012
1:34 pm
On a few occasions when my allergies have been completely out of control, the allergist has to put me on steroids–usually for just 5-7 days. They do a great job on the allergy symptons, but after two days on them, I can hardly sleep, always feel like I have had ten cups of coffee, and my wife says I become cranky and hyperactive.
I have no idea how these athletes can stand to feel like that over the course of a season.
dre
February 28th, 2012
2:05 pm
Shoz, I am with you.
dre
February 28th, 2012
2:07 pm
Class Act…LOL. Shtuupping a Hooters waitress while married, that’s claaaaassss. haha
longshot151
February 28th, 2012
2:07 pm
Really, what did you expect Chipper to say?
As for the 5 Braves who did use steroids, who cares?
Chipper Jones admits he thought about using steroids years ago | Larry Brown Sports
February 28th, 2012
2:22 pm
[...] mean, definitely,” Chipper said Monday when asked if he ever considered using performance-enhancing drugs. “You see peers doing it. You see contemporaries on other teams [...]
Sonny Clusters
February 28th, 2012
2:56 pm
“The guys who get done with their career and make it through the so-called steroid era unscathed, that’s a huge feather in our cap.” – uh, Chipper
Well, if he says so. We would think unscathed could mean a few different things and the absence of cheating and wrongdoing is sort of expected, don’t you think? We’re not sure it a “huge feather in our cap” like Chipper says. We was wondering if it’s harder to tip a cap with a feather in it?
JSS
February 28th, 2012
3:23 pm
“We was wondering if it’s harder to tip a cap with a feather in it?”
You mean like when he was pimping at the Hooters?
Terry Rasmussen
February 28th, 2012
3:28 pm
I have loved Chipper Jones since the day he became an Atlanta Brave. My oldest son, soon to be 24, has been a fan his entire life. I remember that it was Chipper that inspired us to have Daniel’s (my son) 8th birthday at the Braves game in June 1996. He invited the whole family, his aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents and siblings all got to go and a few friends. We were treated wonderfully by the Braves staff. He was given a birthday party in a covered tent area; and every guest was given multiple Braves souvenirs to take home. The fans were a BIG hit that day!!! It was a very special day for my son. We still love to watch Chipper and will be sad to ever see him leave. Let’s see, Daniel has been watching him since he was 6 and he is almost 24, that is 18 years! Has he really been with the Braves that long? He will be so missed when he leaves!
Ed
February 28th, 2012
3:35 pm
“Jones will go into the Hall of Fame one day.”
I don’t know if I share your optimism, Jeff, but I sure hope you are right. Barring injuries, I think he’d be a lock because he would have passed important milestones by now, including the 500 home-run barrier. He sure has been fun to watch and pull for over the years.
Braves will be better off with a more aggressive mindset | Jeff Schultz
February 28th, 2012
3:44 pm
[...] • Chipper Jones takes shots at drug cheaters (but he considered it too) [...]
Gimpah & McError
February 28th, 2012
4:09 pm
But, has Gimper ever used Viagra?
johnson bratsworth
February 28th, 2012
4:26 pm
CHIPPER
Meitzsche
February 28th, 2012
4:43 pm
Im 20 years old and Chipper has/was/is my favorite brave all time. If I found out he had been using it would really hurt the way I view the game of baseball. I cant wait to raise my future braves fans and tell them about the Hall of Famer by the name of Chipper Jones
LWells2000
February 28th, 2012
4:47 pm
Chipper says it, I believe him, that’s final. In my book, a chip off the old block…his daddy. Great player, great example, first draftee into the Hall.
Dugout Central » Blog Archive » Chipper Jones: A Class Act for Avoiding Performance-Enhancing Drugs?
February 28th, 2012
5:07 pm
[...] Chipper Jones believes he did things “the right way” because he did not us performance-enhancing drugs: Jones will go into the Hall of Fame one day. He [...]
AndOhByTheWay
February 28th, 2012
5:20 pm
No time for steroids. Trying to juggle wife and mistress (or two) required clear head and enough focus to not get stories confused that drugs could not have been considered. HOF, maybe. But on a table, in a corner – not on polished marble pedestal.
Chipper Jones: A Class Act for Avoiding Performance-Enhancing Drugs? | :: Sparxxrx LLC ::
February 28th, 2012
5:31 pm
[...] Chipper Jones believes he did things “the right way” because he did not us performance-enhancing drugs: Jones will go into the Hall of Fame one day. He [...]
rick
February 28th, 2012
5:40 pm
I hope he sticks around and gets 3000 hits, he deserves it
Creegah
February 28th, 2012
6:00 pm
“The sample was stored in the tester’s home over a weekend because he believed Federal Express was closed.”
Not quite.
There were FIVE FedEx offices open between the ballpark and the tester’s home but the last plane between Milwaukee and the lab had since departed and the rules suggest that the sample would be better off staying with the tester than spending a weekend unguarded at the FedEx office.
Speedy Gonzalez ( Fredis cousin)
February 28th, 2012
6:26 pm
Javy Lopez, Julio Franco, Bret Boone just some of the former Braves to juice, Javy had 1 big year with 41 homers, then gets paid & declines in Baltimore, Julio & his “Jesus is my juice” bs, yeah right!!!
Jason
February 28th, 2012
6:33 pm
I am glad the question was asked of Chipper, if he had ever taken PED’s and that his Dad asked. I always wondered, and I am glad to hear him answer that question. Like some others I use to wonder if the frequent injuries had anything to do with PED’s. Let me hope he is truthful, or else i would be a disappointed fool.
Tucker Tiger
February 28th, 2012
7:30 pm
I wonder if his dad was upset when he cheated on his wife? Cheating on a wife or in baseball…same thing.
JSS
February 28th, 2012
8:04 pm
He’ll always pull an oblique as he tells us to “kiss his rear!”
You jokes still think “Mr. 125 games a year if he’s lucky” is going to squeeze 385 hits out of the next two years? He has no one to blame for not getting to 3,000 but himself! 2004, 2005, and 2006 when he was stealing the Braves money did him in on the chance!
Steroids tempted Chipper Jones
February 28th, 2012
8:21 pm
[...] According to a recent story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chipper Jones considered taking performance enhancing drugs at one point during his 18-year career with the Atlanta Braves. [...]
Jojo
February 28th, 2012
8:46 pm
Yeah Chipper!! Play till your sons can play right along beside you!! Wouldn’t that be a Hoot(er) ?!
Brian
February 29th, 2012
10:23 am
I will cry when Chipper retires…..cry like a baby. He has been my favorite player since 1994 in all levels of baseball. When you put career stats of bonds and Sosa next to chippers, are they really all that grand? Hell no. I just hope the braves tend to chipper unlike smoltz and glav.
George
February 29th, 2012
11:53 am
Just curious, where in proof does it say that Pete Rose bet AGAINST his own team?
David
March 2nd, 2012
9:59 am
If Chipper played in New York or Boston or Philadelphia, ESPN and the rest of the media would have already declared him a first ballot Hall of Famer… but they continue to debate it… he is the best switch hitter of all-time… and yes, that includes Mickey…
mistermak
March 3rd, 2012
12:45 am
The problem with the drug testing in MLB is the protocol! The samples should never be allowed to go home with anybody. they need to schedule the collection times so they have time to get them to Fed ex or whomever will be shipping them. If anybody reading this had a urine sample that went home with the collector over the weekend you would cry foul also. It is MLB’s fault (once again) for not having a better protocol for collecting and shipping the samples!
mistermak
March 3rd, 2012
12:51 am
I have to agree with JSS. I say Chipper wont play 100 games this year. You know his toe hurts, or th ever popular oblique that noone can verify. or maybe just a good old fashioned headache from too much JD the night before! I for one will be glad when he is back on the ranch! this game if for the young guns!!
The Locker
March 5th, 2012
11:09 pm
[...] Chipper takes shots at drug cheaters (though he considered it) [...]