Atlanta Braves’ Chipper Jones Shows His Greatness…Again
Chipper Jones is criticized frequently about his inability to stay healthy, while remaining one of the highest paid players on the Atlanta Braves’ team. Some fans feel like he is “washed up,” so the message boards read. He is really a polarizing figure. People either love him or hate him. Regardless of your feelings for him, last night he put on a show against the Houston Astros. It was a joy watching someone who is truly one of the greatest players of this generation play.
He was activated from the disabled list yesterday. He told Fredi Gonzalez and Frank Wren that he did not need a minor league rehab assignment. He convinced them that he was ready, so they let their star join the team. The Braves needed him too. They had scored 10 runs in their first four games, while losing each of those games. Fredi let him hit in the 6th spot of the batting order, a place where he has not hit many times in his career.
Chipper responded by getting a hit in his first two at bats of the game and of 2012. The big blow came on a two-run home run in the third inning, after the Astros had scored a run against Tommy Hanson.
What was amazing is that you could see the demeanor of the team change after that hit. As he walked to the dugout and looked into the faces of his teammates, all he could do was laugh. He knew what they knew: no one else on that team could do what he just did. Yes, there is a lot of power on the team, but none of them could skip a rehab assignment and get hits in their first two at bats, culminating with a two-run home run.
His words (you can find them here) gives credence to the influence he has with the team:
“I’m not going to say that I was the spark,” Jones said. “Obviously the two-run homer was a big lift, but I’d much rather be a calming influence. Have them look down there, see me, and know that I’m going to put up some good at-bats and hopefully make the play if it’s hit to me. If they feed off that, great. But my nickname is not Sparky.”
Hanson disagrees with him:
“He’s there and he’s talking to us, too,” Hanson said. “He’s trying to keep us in the game. There’s a lot of stuff you can learn from him. Even me as a pitcher, the stuff he says before the inning and in the dugout, he’s huge for everybody here.”
The smile he shared made me appreciate (again) how great he truly is. I said this a few weeks ago when he announced his retirement, and I’ll say it again, enjoy this while you can. He truly is a special player.
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1st ballot HOFer ALL DA WAY, BOI!
anyone who thinks Chipper isn’t a HOFer or that hes hurting our club now should be drug out into the street and made to root for ‘bama, lol.
lol dude you can see his bulge i guess you are a big fan hehe for serius i am a big fan too and chipper is great sure he’s not what he used to be but hes still our best player except maybe when mack is hitting well or if heywood starts playing like he did in the minors but still chipper is top 3 or 4 i hope you guys dont try to make me root for bama hehe
lol scotty my main man, you gotta be for bama. They’ve “won” 2 of the last 3 national tittles (I still say its horsebleep they got to play LSU again but whatever). It don’t matter, theyre winners, that’s why why my man Chad loves them.