Appreciate Chipper Jones while you still can — Aaron does
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Henry Aaron said he knew the Braves had made the right choice with Chipper Jones. (AJC photo)
(Updated: 2 p.m.)
Enjoy this season because it will be your last look.
Enjoy watching Chipper Jones because the chance to watch a first-ballot Hall of Famer – and if he’s not enshrined in his first year of eligibility, I’m surrendering my vote – just doesn’t come around very often.
Jones isn’t the best position player in Braves’ history. That’s only because there’s a guy named Henry Aaron ahead of him. Sometimes, being in second place is an honor — especially when the guy who is in first place is bowing in your direction.
“I remember when we took Chipper in the draft,” Aaron recalled Thursday. “There were a lot of people in the organization who thought we should take that pitcher [Todd Van Poppel]. But I saw star written all over Chipper, and I put my vote in. There were quite a few people involved in that decision. I can tell you this: Some are going to say now that they voted for Chipper, but I know they didn’t.”
These are how the fortunes of franchises can change.
In 1990, the Braves passed on Van Poppel, in part because he told the organization he wouldn’t sign with them. So they drafted Chipper Jones, who would go on to bat third for a World Series team as a rookie, win an MVP award and a batting title and amass seven All-Star selections. And counting. Van Poppel had an unspectacular, injury-plagued career that spanned six organizations (two of them twice) and ended eight years ago with a career ERA of 5.58 and less than four wins per season.
Jones got emotional, particularly when addressing teammates. (AP)
Jones’ career will start and end with the Braves. Enjoy him one final year. The Braves’ third baseman announced Thursday he will retire after this season. The decision was less a surprise than the timing, two weeks before the season opener. But Jones wanted to end speculation that might serve as a distraction for his team this season, particularly after some remarks he made last week to out-of-town reporters regarding his health were misinterpreted.
“There’s no set of circumstances that can persuade me to come back — no hedging,” Jones said, adding that he wanted to spend time with his family.
Believe it. He has been on the relative year-to-year plan for a while. But he was always prompted to come back because he believed he could still perform at a high level, he enjoyed playing with this current group of teammates and his desire to get back to another World Series still burned.
It wasn’t for the money, and here’s where we will address the loud and misguided ones.
Some fans have believed Jones should’ve retired long ago, suggesting his career extension was all about dollar signs. I believe Jones put it best last year when he said, “I still feel like I have something to offer, and the cynical fan can really kiss my ass. There’s a bunch of true fans, and the people who actually want to take the time to get to know me know who I am. The guy who sits in his mom’s basement and types on his mom’s computer, I couldn’t really care less about.”
Jones long has been under-appreciated. He deserves a statue outside of Turner Field — two if you want him batting both left- and right-handed.
Beyond the blur of statistical evidence, what he has brought to the team in leadership and help to young players can’t be measured. He has been an icon for the franchise and the city of Atlanta. We’ve had too few of those.
“I think many great players in Chipper’s era are under-appreciated, and the reason for that is the way the system is,” Aaron said. “Baseball is a lot different than it was 10, 15 years ago. People look at players, I guess, by the money they make. Chipper falls into that category of players who have not only meant a lot to the Braves but to the city. When you see a ballplayer like this come along and you watch him for 19 or 20 years, sometimes you don’t fully appreciate him until after he’s gone.”
Jones choked up at several times during Thursday’s news conference, particularly when he addressed his teammates.
“You kept me young, or at least as young as a 40-year-old man can be,” he said.
Jones knows the body is wearing down. Aaron, when asked to named Jones’ greatest attribute, said, “His determination. He has played through so many injuries.”
This will be your final chance to watch him and appreciate him. One player, one franchise, 23 years, 19 seasons. When it’s over, he deserves a bow.
By Jeff Schultz
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305 comments Add your comment
cursive
March 22nd, 2012
1:43 pm
I will be @ Turner Field hopefully a fair amount this season and will stand and cheer every time Chipper comes to bat. One of the all time greats. Thanks for everything Chipper!
kbb
March 22nd, 2012
1:45 pm
Thank God! Shame on the mediocre ATL press for allowing this guy to hang on for years and go out on “his terms”. In sports nobody goes out on their terms. Do you think Emmitt Smith wanted to play for the lowly Cardinals, do you think that Willie Mays wanted to stumble around for the Mets? Michael Jordan in a Wizards uniform? The media and the easily satisfied fanbase allowed Chipper to decay at 3rd as if we couldn’t get his .270 and 17 HRs from some Cuban defector.
5150 UOAD
March 22nd, 2012
1:45 pm
JB….I just had to poke a LIL fun but he was a GREAT player to watch on the field. the Times have changed and Player Personal lives are open to the public unlike in the past.
DePort
March 22nd, 2012
1:47 pm
Did you really say it aint that hard to get 3000 hits? Really? … Did you ever do it? … That wins the DUMBEST comment in the history of the WORLD!!!
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
1:49 pm
JB
March 22nd, 2012
1:42 pm
“How much have they made by 40?”
Enough to laugh at your Mitt Thought-bot comment! They sent Michael Milken to jail for about the same amount of money as Chipper stole between 04 and today! Thanks again Chipper
dean
March 22nd, 2012
1:49 pm
Thanks Jeff.
I’m bummed out at the news but appreciate Chipper going ahead and ending speculation. Those who say he announced now for selfish reasons must live miserable lives.
(No offense whatsoever, but I sure would have like to have read Mr. Bisher’s take on Chipper hanging up his spurs.)
Gary
March 22nd, 2012
1:50 pm
I cant imagine a more knowledgeable or effective hitting coach than Chipper and would love to see him in that role. Perhaps this announcement will give the Chipper haters less ammo to crack on him all season, despite the fact he has been one of the most consistent and effective hitters in baseball and not a bad defensive 3rd baseman. Most of the injuries he has sustained is by busting his arse every day for the Braves and playing 110%. So what he needs to rest more, we should be darn glad he still plays. We have plenty of young, great infield prospects that can get some extra playing time by giving Chip a day off every now and then. Thanks for the memories Larry Wayne Jones, Jr!
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
1:52 pm
No genius, it is “not hard” to figure out how “Wade Boggs” got to “3000 hits” and “Chipper Jones” didn’t! Ha ha, wow AJC Blogger prime time players are out today!!! Well, they are trying to Sabermetric Jones into the greatest hitter of the last half century of MLB!
Kevin
March 22nd, 2012
1:59 pm
I never seen so many classless posts about Chipper “needing to retire sooner” or “it took him long enough”.
Chipper has done so much for the city of Atlanta on and off the field. He could’ve left in the early 2000’s for a ton of money in New York. He moved from 3B to LF in 2002 to make the team better. He took numerous pay cuts during his tenure so the team could afford to bring in more talent or retain the players we already had.
Chipper is still one of the best 3B in the NL today and will go down as one of the best switch hitters to ever play the game. Chipper gave us fans 19 years of greatness to watch from the beginning of his career until today. Now let’s support him and the rest of the Braves this year and hope that Chipper goes into retirement with one more ring on his finger.
Go Braves and thank you Chipper for being a role model for generations!
Paul From Milton
March 22nd, 2012
2:02 pm
I can’t understand why people have to go negative on this. I guess it makes a small person feel bigger. Can’t we just appreciate one of the greatest baseball players ever? Can’t we just appreciate a player whose poster was in more kids bedrooms around the Southeast than any other? Can’t we just appreciate the fact that after 19 years more #10 jerseys are seen at Turner Field than any other? We’ll probably never see another Brave like this in our lifetime. You have one more season to watch Hall of Fame greatness. And then you small people won’t have Chipper to misguidedly and ignorantly kick around any longer.
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:13 pm
Hey Paul, that’ll look great on the Bulova (the official timepiece of the Atlanta Braves) as they give it to him on his appreciation day…
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:17 pm
When will they broadcast the last “Chipper’s Notebook?” I need to make sure Gwinnett and Hall counties are well stocked vicodin, oxycotin, and kleenex that day! You know, since it will be the End of the World!
Big Lou
March 22nd, 2012
2:17 pm
Great column, Jeff. You have done a great service today for us fans. I especially loved the Hank Aaron pieces.
Chipper, you will be truly missed. I hope to see you coaching with the Braves someday. You were truly something special.
__
JSS
You are a worthless, typing jockey, trolling, POS. While you hit away at your stained-filled keyboard, disrespecting somebody who has done more in a year of his life than your whole existence; you are just wasting oxygen while you inhale, which could be utilized a more productive member of society. You are nothing but the manure left from a dog’s backside that dries out in the summer sun, cracking and withering away into nothingness–grass feed. All you do is post on these boards to get attention, trying to make sense of you useless life, but at the end of the day, you’re just a nobody. You will not be missed. You will not be remembered.
Heck, I’m about to forget about you right now.
GO BRAVES!
mike
March 22nd, 2012
2:22 pm
Don’t know why you folks think that just because somebody doesn’t go all gaga and drool on themselves over Chipper Jones that they haven’t accomplished anything in their own right. Some people just don’t idolize celebs. To each his own.
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:24 pm
“We’ll probably never see another Brave like this in our lifetime.”
What? This is baseball! In my lifetime Aaron, Mathews, Niekro, Murphy, Maddox, Glavine, Smoltz, and yes the Jones (Chipper and the enigma Andruw) have graced ballparks wearing the Braves many ugly uniforms in that time… Don’t worry, that is the beauty of baseball, somebody is out there to make say “great ball player!”
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:27 pm
@ Big Lou…
Was that cathartic? Breathe out now… Ha ha, he’s still leaving!!!
@JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:27 pm
” I’ve said it before, between 1997 to 2002, Chipper was one of the greats, but in the past 9 seasons excluding his .364 season at the plate, it has been just sad to watch for the most part…”
If you have to qualify statements like the one above, “Excluding his .364 season”, you are clearly the idiot in your mom’s basement Chipper was referring to.
yawn
March 22nd, 2012
2:28 pm
Sorry Schultz. I don’t share your opinion that I should “bow” to Jones. He is not my superior except on the baseball field and that does not require a “bow”. I won’t be at any games this year unless I am given a ticket from someone. And I also won’t consider it a loss if I don’t see him this year.
@JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:29 pm
Oh, BTW, JSS, maybe it’s time for you to retire too. Like from this blog.
An inmate at a correctional facility
March 22nd, 2012
2:31 pm
Bye. Should have retired 3 years ago. Unless he changes his mind (like he did in 2010)…we wont have to worry about paying $14 mil (if he were to reach his max game incentives this year, guaranteeing another year of Chipper stealing money) for an over the hill, broken down, cant stay healthy, the range of a snail playing third base in 2013.
With Lowe’s $10 mil (the Indians are paying $5 mil of Lowe’s $15 mil salary) and Chipper’s $14 mil coming off the books at the end of this season….that will give the Braves at least $24 mil to improve our offense during the off season.
‘
We are going to have a long 2012 season. Jurrjens, Hanson and Hudson have injury issues. Teheran and Delgado are Triple A pitchers who are very hittable at the Major League level. Our middle relief is going to get taxed….because they will be eating up a lot of innings in the middle of the game.
A “bright” spot is that it looks like Kimbrel, Venters and O’Flaherty wont have to worry about being overworked in 2012. There wont be a lot of leads to protect.
Other than Bourn, Uggla and McCann (if he can stay healthy)….our offense is going to SUCK!!!!!!!!!
We’re going to lose Bourn after this season to free agency…so that will mean we’ll have another $7 mil to add to the $24 mil that will be freed up at the end of 2012.
JoshTown
March 22nd, 2012
2:31 pm
Wonderfully written, Jeff! Give em’ hell Chipper!
MetsH8r
March 22nd, 2012
2:31 pm
Thanks for an awesome career Chipper! You have definitely earned the right and honor to be mentioned alongside Aaron and Matthews.
While we’re talking about retirement…with Chipper being the last holdover from the 90s Braves, can we FINALLY retire the Tomahawk Chop as well. It had a great role for those 90s teams and the fans. It had its day. Now it’s annoying and irrelevant, and has been so for years.
Seriously, look at the new throwback jerseys this year – no tomahawk. I think we’re on to something there. Let’s close the book on that generation of Braves and look ahead to the great things to come.
hooter honey
March 22nd, 2012
2:34 pm
Bob Horner is a better tipper!
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:38 pm
at ain’t blogger enough to use a user name…
“you are clearly the idiot in your mom’s basement Chipper was referring to.”
Was that before or after he made his annual disabled list visit or made his “post-season guarantee” to the Phillies?
Patrick
March 22nd, 2012
2:39 pm
Chipper you will be missed
I knew this annoucement would come and sooner rather than later. But I’m sad to know that this year will be the final season where I’ll be able to watch one of the best players every to play the game. I really love the pride Chipper has for being an Atlanta Brave. I think that is my most favorite thing about him.
Chipper you are one of my favorite Atlanta Braves. I will miss you.
I’ve always been that if you’re a baseball fan, that you must go to Cooperstown at least once in your life. I think when he goes in would be a great time to go!
Thank you Chipper!
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:41 pm
“Oh, BTW, JSS, maybe it’s time for you to retire too. Like from this blog.”
I’ll retire when Chipper gets to 500 homeruns and 3,000 hits promise! Ha ha, the greatest hitter of the last 50 years!!!
Jeff Schultz
March 22nd, 2012
2:41 pm
Oh, JSS … You haven fallen into the abyss.
Jeff Schultz
March 22nd, 2012
2:45 pm
Lou: “‘Jeff, what are the odds that Hank Aaron comes to Chipper’s jersey retirement? I mean seriously he hasn’t showed up to any the last few years.”
< < He was at Cox tribute. Visual evidence: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/images/2010/10/02/QVJskWvB.jpg
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:48 pm
@ Jeff Schultz…
The day he walks out of the locker room for the last time will be bittersweet.. Bitter because he was the gift that kept on giving in terms of Clusters material… Sweet because this team can make the choices and the moves to finally get itself righted. If not, heads will (and should) roll! They’ve been hamstrung by him (Lowe, KK, and other poor choices)…
Larvell Blanks
March 22nd, 2012
2:48 pm
I’ve said it before, between 1997 to 2002, Chipper was one of the greats, but in the past 9 seasons excluding his .364 season at the plate, it has been just sad to watch for the most part…
Yeah, the “past 9 seasons” have been pretty sad, if you exclude 2006, 2007, and 2008, in each of which his OPS was over 1.000, which is almost Pujols territory. And 2005, when it was .968. And 2003, when it was .920. Although, to be fair, maybe you were talking in dog years.
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:52 pm
@ jeff Schultz…
I’ve been pretty tame, you know I could have linked up that Mexican Day of the Dead picture of Mr. Jones that I found in Guadlajara! Now that’s pretty much sums it up!
Jeff Schultz
March 22nd, 2012
2:54 pm
Big Lou — Thanks.
yeahsure
March 22nd, 2012
2:55 pm
Chipper a Primadonna? LOL. I hope that was a joke. He has never demanded the spotlight. Went about this business as a professional and has mentored young hitters for a decade.
Let him take a year off, then bring him back as hitting coach!!!
Jeff Schultz
March 22nd, 2012
2:55 pm
Joshtown — Thank you, sir.
Jeff Schultz
March 22nd, 2012
2:58 pm
JSS — “The day he walks out of the locker room for the last time will be bittersweet.. Bitter because he was the gift that kept on giving in terms of Clusters material… Sweet because this team can make the choices and the moves to finally get itself righted. If not, heads will (and should) roll! They’ve been hamstrung by him (Lowe, KK, and other poor choices)…”
<< 1) Totally with you on the Clusters’ part of your comment. This will be like talkshow hosts losing Nixon (not that Chipper is Nixon, but you get my drift). … 2) Yes, one “benefit” of this is getting Jones’ salary space. But as you noted, that only means something if you can sign player(s) who give you what Chipper gave you both on and off the field. Salary space just gives a team options, doesn’t guarantee success.
FAN
March 22nd, 2012
2:59 pm
http://atlantahaulitallinc.com/Bird_Houses.php
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
2:59 pm
Larvell, how many at bats did have in 04, 05, 06? You guys always run that one out there… Pujois had nearly 120-175 more at bats during that appearances! I won’t even get into plate appearances! Chipper just was MIA!
Jeff Schultz
March 22nd, 2012
2:59 pm
JSS — Oh, and yes — you’ve been relatively tame (but always entertaining).
JAFO
March 22nd, 2012
3:00 pm
And so has our offense…the abyss. Unwatchable. Completely inept. Zeroes after zeroes sprinkle in a run here and there to check the bulbs in the scoreboard.
Jeff Schultz
March 22nd, 2012
3:00 pm
Speaking of which, where is Mr. Sonny Clusters? Buying drinks, perhaps?
JAFO
March 22nd, 2012
3:02 pm
That must have helped. 4-4.
5150 UOAD
March 22nd, 2012
3:04 pm
I am going to go knock boots with a Hooters Girl to cure my depression of this announcement.
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
3:04 pm
Like I said, if they fail after salary relief, that is on them! But sorry for all of his lovers, but he is not a bottle of 1900 Bordeaux that is now ready to be consumed because it has reached its prime! He’s cooking sherry!
Carole
March 22nd, 2012
3:08 pm
Thank you Chipper. We will all miss you. Enjoy your new life.
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
3:08 pm
We really may need to check at the local DQs and make sure Clusters has taken to the Ice Cream machine again! It might get ugly!
5150 UOAD
March 22nd, 2012
3:09 pm
JSS I can cook but do you know a Cleaning Sherry?
JSS
March 22nd, 2012
3:17 pm
@ POAD…
That sounds like a GBI sting on Craigs List!
gdawginkalamazoo
March 22nd, 2012
3:17 pm
Thank God he didn’t “Favre” it up! At least I don’t think he will. He sounded sincere.
BOO BOO And TT
March 22nd, 2012
3:19 pm
You people (rednecks) are out of your mind, Larry did accomplish a lot and I’m pleased that he at least had enough respect for my city to play his entire career here, but seriously, people like JSS and HT are CORRECT… Chipper hasn’t done ANYTHING since winning the batting title a few years ago… John Rocker was right when he said that players such as Chipper got away with doing whatever they wanted to do… It’s true!!! Larry should had retired at least three (3) years ago!!!!!!! He has done nothing but prevent us from making big moves during his off season due to his massive contract!!! He has recently been the Joe Johnson of the Braves…. Meanwhile, he hasn’t produced, he sits out most of the games (even when he isn’t truly injured), he chews that nasty redneck tobacco, and we got to constantly sit and watch his redneck father as he sits at the stadium.
Chop Chop
March 22nd, 2012
3:19 pm
Most of the cynical folks in their mothers’ basements using their mothers’ computers would have been fine if Chipper hadn’t signed that big contract extension. Then again, Wren is the guy who put it in front of him. I blame him. Chipper would have been a fool not to take that money. Let’s hope he goes out with a bang and not as The Gimper.