Chipper wasn’t the Braves’ first choice – just the best
Chipper Jones had a lot to do with a lot of those flags out there. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
Buzzard’s luck, one AJC writer called it. I know. I was the writer, and I was describing the Braves’ plight in the 1990 draft. A forlorn franchise — its last winning season had been in 1983 — had finally been graced with the No. 1 overall pick, and the guy the Braves (and every other team) wanted most had scared them off.
So: Buzzard’s luck, which is what occurs when you can’t kill anything and nothing will die. Bobby Cox, then the Braves’ general manager, had spent the weekend before the draft in Texas, trying to convince the high school pitcher Todd Van Poppel to sign with the Braves. No sale. Van Poppel stuck to his stated position: He wanted to play college ball for the Texas Longhorns, meaning that any team drafting him would likely wind up with nothing.
Which, for an already forlorn franchise, would have been a new nadir: You get to exercise the No. 1 pick and you net a big fat zero. Speaking of that possibility, Cox said: “That would be the worst thing that could ever happen in this world.” (As we know, Cox sometimes overstates.)
So it was with a heavy heart that the Braves turned to Plan B. There are some who will insist today that the Braves wound up taking The Guy They Really Wanted All Along, but that’s revisionist history. Van Poppel was the guy they preferred, but they couldn’t chance taking him. Choosing to err on the side of safety, they settled — and that, at the time, seemed the operative verb — for a shortstop from Jacksonville.
Here was how a guy in the AJC (me again) assessed the pick, whose name was Larry Wayne Jones Jr.: “Nothing against Chipper, said to be cut from the same estimable cloth as Robin Yount and Alan Trammell, but Van Poppel seems an arm from the ages.”
Nobody knew it at the time — certainly I didn’t know it — but that June draft was the moment when the Braves’ rotten luck began to change into something approaching serendipity. By the end of the month, team president Stan Kasten had persuaded Cox to replace the hard-bitten Russ Nixon as manager. By the end of the year, John Schuerholz had arrived from Kansas City to become GM. By the time the Braves reported to spring training in West Palm Beach, they’d signed free agents Terry Pendleton, Sid Bream and Rafael Belliard.
And marinating in the minors was the young man who would become the second-best everyday Atlanta Brave (after only Henry Aaron) ever. We kind of forgot about Chipper Jones in the giddy worst-to-first season of 1991 and the pulsating runs of ‘92 and ‘93, but by 1995 he was here and he was so obviously gifted that the Braves had allowed Pendleton, the 1991 National League MVP, to leave as a free agent to clear a position.
To say that Chipper Jones turned this club into a winner would be historically incorrect. They were three division titles into their run by the time he became a full-time Atlanta Brave. But he was the guy who served as the bridge from that first wave of excellence to something far greater. It still sounds crazy, but here’s the fact: Chipper Jones, who made his major-league debut at 21, turned 34 before he played on a big-league team that didn’t finish first over a completed season.
If he wasn’t the foundation, he became the cornerstone. Turns out he was even better than advertised. He’ll finish more than 200 home runs and 200 RBI’s ahead of Yount, who was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. (Trammell, the other point of comparison, hasn’t and won’t make it to Cooperstown.) He won a batting title at 36, and even at 40 he’s within sight of .300. The shortstop from Jacksonville became one of the greatest third basemen in the history of the sport.
As for Todd Van Poppel: He wound up being taken with the 14th pick of Round 1 by the Oakland A’s, the defending World Series champs. Turning his back on college life, he signed with the A’s for $1.2 million. (His agent was, wouldn’t you know, the dreaded Scott Boras, and Oakland wasn’t yet into Billy Beane’s Moneyball.) He spent parts of 11 seasons in the majors, playing for six different organizations, winning 40 games and losing 52. He retired in 2004.
Hindsight tells us that Van Poppel and Boras bluffed their way into what seemed a better situation, but the Braves were the ones who made out like bandits. (Rule of thumb: Being a bandit beats the heck out of being a buzzard.) They took the shortstop from Jacksonville, and for more than two decades they’ve counted their blessings. They might have wanted someone else, but they landed the player of their dreams.
By Mark Bradley
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80 comments Add your comment
Jimmy Crack
September 28th, 2012
2:33 pm
Mark, I know there are varying accounts out there but I remember talking with my brother and father about our drafting some kid named “Chipper” (we all laughed at the name). I remember we also read in the newpaper (AJC?) that Van Poppel had said if the Braves (who were truly one of the, if not THE worst team in baseball at the time) picked him that he would go back to Texas rather than pitch for the them. If this is true, I’d hate for history to be kind to Van Poppel for his arrogance.
Ted Striker
September 28th, 2012
3:13 pm
I remember the hoopla over Van Poppel. He was a big deal.
However didn’t Mr. Aaron advise the Braves to go with Chipper over Van Poppel?
PMC
September 28th, 2012
3:17 pm
Interesting that the universe had to conspire for the Braves to take a position player over a flaky pitcher #1 overall
JS
September 28th, 2012
3:40 pm
Terrific article, and wonderful tribute to our terrific Chipper Jones.
Banned Poster
September 28th, 2012
3:56 pm
The thing with Van Poppel was that he only wanted two things, 1) A guaranteed Major League contract with lots of $$ and 2) to play for a guaranteed winner or his hometown team, the Texas Rangers (who had his hero Nolan Ryan). The guaranteed contract meant he would be playing Major League baseball in 1991 at some point and that the team couldn’t keep him the minors very long. His arrogance derailed his career and no one would be able to help him.
BravesWin
September 28th, 2012
5:08 pm
Onions and Orchids…I remember Chipper in the mid-2000’s whining about his dissatisfaction with choosing baseball as a career, how nobody appreciated him in Atlanta, how he might prefer being a Dodger, etc. He seemed to play at a 70% level, and you had to wonder what kind of numbers he could put up if he went all-out. Having said that, that perceived 70% was pretty darn good. Stayed clean, helped his teammates learn the ropes, was a catalyst for many a win and a loyal Brave to the end. HOF-bound, and deservedly so. Hate to see him go, and I hope he will return in management. Godspeed, Chipper!
Sonny Clusters
September 28th, 2012
6:04 pm
That’s it. Clusters out.
OldTimer
September 28th, 2012
6:14 pm
The Atl Braves have one ring. It’s because of Dave Justice and Tom Glavine.
Every one else was a bit player.
That’s what I saw.
LongtimeBravesfan
September 28th, 2012
6:43 pm
Mark, I’m sure you remember when Chipper, in what I think was to be his rookie year, messed up his knee and missed a year. No telling what his numbers might have been with that extra year.
I’ve always been a big Chipper fan–even stood by him during the Hooter’s mess–but I wonder about putting him only behind Aaron in the everyday players for the Braves. Different time, different expectations, and I don’t have his numbers in front of me, but if I were putting together an all time Braves team, I might put Eddie Mathews at third.
What do you think?
Go Jackets
September 28th, 2012
9:53 pm
God Bless TVP….I was there……damn that scrub.Thanks for the memories Chippster!
heartofdarkness
September 29th, 2012
12:43 am
Hard to imagine the Braves organization was once an outfit to be shunned, like Irsay Sr.’s Colts [Elway], and Alex Spanos’ Chargers [E. Manning]. Even harder to imagine, but after the Van Poppel flyer, the Braves may owe Scott Boras one.
B
September 29th, 2012
7:20 am
Don’t forget, at that point in time, the Braves were losers. Will Clark was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the time and he ripped the Braves for wanting to have fun instead of playing the game like he did.
Also, what if Todd Van Poppel had signed with the Braves? He might have had a better career under Mazonne.
Gator
September 29th, 2012
7:57 am
Great player but my wife refuses to forget the Hooters girl.
Ken
September 29th, 2012
8:14 am
I remember seeing Chipper play here in “A” ball in the early 90’s, pre-knee problems. I had no idea who he was or what he would become, but the thing that stood out was how fast he was. Seemed like everybody else was playing in sand.
Skram30082
September 29th, 2012
9:51 am
On the way out of Turner Field last night, my wife & I saw a guy wearing a number 10 Braves jersey with the name “Von Poppel” in it. That was really funny and ironic.
Over the years I’ve wondered if Von Poppel has thought about his youthful arrogance and what might’ve been.
Mike
September 29th, 2012
10:31 am
Lawrence, one not need to look past Michael Vick to find a more overrated Atlanta professional athlete.
Just Saying..
September 29th, 2012
10:37 am
Don’t remember those columns, Mark, but I well remember my feeling that, as you say, our primo spot had turned into a Plan B draft.
And beginning with his rookie year, every Chipper highlight caused me to think of Van Poppel, and why this life is such an adventure. Throttling back both elation and discouragement makes for a better journey, and a good way to lead a baseball team through each season, as Bobby showed us summer upon summer.
And Chipper drove the point home ..hehehe.. often.
And Todd? No one followed a washout’s career more closely than I. Or with more humility.
garcia
September 29th, 2012
1:16 pm
@Jamaaliver – I agree, Aaron was more Milwaukee than he was Atlanta. I’d say Chipper is THE greatest player in Atlanta history, narrowly edging out Nique.
I do not agree. Hank Aaron is all about Atlanta. He lives in Atlanta and has been heavily involved in the community since his retirement. A case can be made for his home town of Mobile, but a player of his magnitude is always linked to his sports town.
The greatest Atlanta sports figure is Hank Aaron. Chipper Jones,Dominique Wilkens, Pete Maravich, Tommy Nobis, Tom Glavine and Tom Smoltz all deserve to be mentioned, but Hank Aaron is number one.
One last note. Chipper Jones must be a first time ballot HOF’er. His numbers stand for themselves. However, his accomplishments are further enhanced because he played “clean.” There has never been any indication nor suggestion that Chipper used PED’s. In his era, that is a shining example of character. There is no doubt that he would have reached 500/3000 if he would have done what most of the league did behind closed doors.
Well done, Chipper. I wish you a happy and healthy life.
DARNELL
September 29th, 2012
1:28 pm
WHAT MAKE ME MAD IS THAT THE REAL BEST ATHLETE ATL EVER HAD GOT SENT TO JALE FOR FILLING A FEW DOG BUT THAT CHIPPER JONES IS LOVED FOR KILLING ALL THEM DEER.
THAT IS NOT RIGHT! ATL FULL OF HATER!
MitchC
September 29th, 2012
2:01 pm
Mark, my friend, you should stick to writing facts and niot soothsaying. As we well know, you predicted the Braves to finish in third place two years ago, and they ended up in the playoffs.
As for Chipper: He is the true Mr Brave, through thick and thin. The one guy who stayed his whole career in spite of money, and standings. Murph was traded for nothing. Glavine left,. came back, and was cut. Smoltz finished with someone else Knucksie had to pitch a last token game to finish with us. Not even Hank retired a Brave.
Here is a guy, who was a great player, and a Brave from beginning to end. That is so rare nowadays, except for Jeter, and Rivera. Injuries prevented him from hitting 590 homers, but other than that, he has all the numbers.
Even with the injuries, he deserves to be a first ballot HOF er. I will be sorry to see him go.
MitchC
September 29th, 2012
2:02 pm
I mesnt to say injuries kep[t him from 500 homers, not 590, sorry typos lol
Yellow Jacket
September 29th, 2012
3:41 pm
D L Lawrence is a “MORON”, This guy is a first ballet Hall of Famer, or should be anyway. Over rated, you sir would not know over rated if he smacked you a good one. What an dufus!! your comment only shows us that MORONs, can read and type on the computer.
I’ll take another over rated 3rd basemen just like Chipper, pencil him in every day for the next 15 years!!
Chipper is the man!!
Hooters luvs Chipper
September 29th, 2012
5:03 pm
Chipper=adulterer and home wrecker.
Coach B
September 29th, 2012
6:04 pm
Watching Chipper’s Career end feels like I am attending a funeral before anyone’s died, it is bitter sweet.
Chipper is one of the greatest players over the last three decades, yet he proved time and time again to be so unselfish. Lowered his salarly several times to help the team out, moved positions, etc. Those who rip him on here are either stupid, jealous or idiots, probably all of the above.
Maddux was so great and was my favorate player but when the Braves decided to not resign him, I was glad to let him go. His play could no longer justify his financial demands. If only more players were so selfless, so team oriented. Chipper you will always be remembered in memories and loved in our hearts.
CPR
September 29th, 2012
9:48 pm
It’s amazing to see as many unappreciative Atlanta folks posting and debating the greatness of Chipper Jones…..this isn’t even a conversation.
You got a guy on here yapping about him being the most overrated player of all time,
An Old Timer basically calling him a bit player,
And some sour wives moralizing who can’t get over the fact he got down with a Hooters waitress who also made a decision to hook up with a married man. Double standard anyone?
Stats don’t lie people. The only thing left to do besides appreciate the past 15 or so years is to get Murphy in Cooperstown. It’s probably not gonna happen, but it’s a great thing to dream about.
sldasdf
September 30th, 2012
12:33 am
Braves need to get back to drafting position players in the 1st round. We’ve got a glut of pitching already and our recent additions have a pretty low ceiling. Go Braves btw.
Packer Ed
September 30th, 2012
8:16 am
I got to watch two of the greatest third basemen in the National League (acutally major leagues), Eddie Mathews and Chipper Jones.
Folks, it just don’t get any better ever!
The Braves have had some of the greatest major league baseball players ever. Think of all the stars that wore the Brave uniform.
Gus
October 1st, 2012
4:55 pm
I give great credit to Jones for working hard to improve as a player. He was a liability defensively in his early years but he worked hard to become an above-average third baseman; six knee surgeries notwithstanding. He also worked hard on his hitting, constantly tweaking and adjusting his swing and stance. He had an incredible streak of 100 RBI seasons. He was a steadying force in the Braves lineup. I don’t think people really appreciated how consistently good he was, year in, year out. I am glad that he is going out on his own terms and not tarnishing his legacy by playing until he becomes a shadow of his former self. It would be fitting if the Braves win the WS in his last season, the same way his first full season culminated.
Lonnie
October 2nd, 2012
5:50 am
Mark, the A’s we’re great then but as history shows Atlanta was the best team at developing pitchers and we truly were blessed to get Chipper!!!! Dumb move by Van Poppel!
ADW
October 3rd, 2012
4:31 pm
As i recall, Todd Van Poppell didn’t want to sign with Atlanta because he wanted to go to a “contender”. Little did he know that the after that time the Braves would be a contender for a generation. Let’s all thank Todd for saying no.