Chipper Jones

Larry Wayne Jones Junior better known as Chipper, was the first round draft choice of the Atlanta Braves back in the 1990 draft (he was the number one overall draft choice).

Chipper was not the Braves first choice, Braves management wanted to draft pitcher Todd Van Poppel but Van Poppel said if the Braves pick him, he wouldn't play for them. Jones would spent the first three years of his career in the minor leagues before he was called up by the Braves in 1993. The following year, Jones was suppose to compete with outfielder Ron Gant for a starting position, but both Gant and Jones suffered injuries. Jones tore an ACL that kept him out the reminder of the year. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1763562/bio

But Jones made the following year count, by coming in second in National League Rookie of the Year balloting behind Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers,and in1995 by helping lead his team to their first World Series title since 1957 When they were the Milwaukee Braves.

Although Jones is considered one of the best players in the game, his career has been plagued by injuries especially the latter part of his career. In his hey day, Jones was considered one of the most dangerous players with a bat.

Jones had eight concesutive years of having 100 RBI's or more, a career batting average of .300 and his hit over 400 homeruns in his career. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=3006

He is especially dominate against his National East foes, the New York Mets. In Shea Stadium, in his career, he has hit 17 homeruns; Jones even named one of his sons Shea after the old Mets stadium. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1871546

The veteran Jones is the last player linked to the 1995 World Series team.

Throughout the rest of the 1990’s, Chipper Jones established himself as one of the best hitters in the game, and almost without rival the best switch-hitter in the game. Between 1996 and 2003, Jones batted under .300 only once (he batted .295 in 1997, and clubbed over 21 home runs and 100 RBIs). In 1999, Jones won the National League Most Valuable Player Award for batting .319, with 45 homers and 110 RBIs. Jones continues to be a dominant and feared hitter today, and currently trails only Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray on the all-time home run list for switch-hitters. More then likely, Chipper will be a unanimous Hall of Fame selection once he retires. There were rumors last year that since 2010 will be Bobby Cox’s last year with the Braves, that this would be Chipper’s last year too, but recent reports have indicated that Jones will continue to play, so the Baseball Hall of Fame might have to wait awhile longer before this Brave decides to hit his last homerun.