| Chipper Jones | |
|---|---|
 Jones with the Atlanta Braves in 2009 | |
| Atlanta Braves – No. 10 | |
| Third baseman | |
| Born: (1972-04-24)April 24, 1972 (age 53) DeLand, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 11, 1993, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 2012, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .303 |
| Hits | 2,726 |
| Home runs | 468 |
| Runs batted in | 1,623 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| As player: As coach:
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2018 |
| Vote | 97.2% (first ballot) |
Larry Wayne "Chipper"Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former professionalbaseballthird baseman who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theAtlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with thefirst overall pick in the1990 MLB draft. He was also a member of their1995 World Series championship team that beat theCleveland Indians. An eight-timeAll-Star, Jones won the 1999National League (NL)Most Valuable Player Award and the 1999 and 2000 NLSilver Slugger Award for third basemen. He was the MLBbatting champion in 2008 afterhitting .364.
Jones ended his career in 2012 with a .303 career batting average, 468home runs, and 1,623runs batted in (RBIs) and holds the Braves team record for careeron-base percentage (.402); Jones ranks third on the Braves career home run list. Jones is the onlyswitch hitter in MLB history with a career batting average above .300 and more than 300 home runs. He ranks second behindEddie Murray for career RBIs for switch hitters and is third behindMickey Mantle andLance Berkman inslugging percentage.[1] He was the 18th player in MLB history to accumulate 5,000at bats and finish with at least a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, and .500 slugging percentage—and the only switch hitter to reach all of these milestones.[2]
On June 28, 2013, the Braves retired Jones'number 10 and inducted him into the team's Hall of Fame.[3][4] In2018, he was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.[5] Jones served as anESPNcolor analyst in 2020. He returned to the Braves as an assistant hitting consultant in 2021.
Chipper Jones was born Larry Wayne Jones Jr. inDeLand, Florida, on April 24, 1972, and grew up inPierson, Florida.[6] His father, Larry Wayne Jones Sr., was a teacher and coach at T. DeWitt Taylor High School in Pierson. Chipper Jones later attended the same high school and played baseball there.[7] His mother is Lynne Jones.[8] Jones received the nickname "Chipper" from his father and other family members, who saw the younger Larry as a "chip off the old block."[9] He showed an early love for baseball predominantly because of his father's position as coach, and began to play onLittle League teams at age seven.[7]
Jones began his high school baseball career at Taylor High School, where he pitched a one-hitter as a freshman. He went toThe Bolles School as a sophomore, where he was a two-way player in football. In baseball, he had a 6–3win–loss record with 87strikeouts and a 1.89earned run average (ERA) as a pitcher, with a .391batting average and sevenhome runs, earning him First Team All-State honors. In 1989, Jones won First Team All-State honors in both football and baseball, and won a state championship in baseball. He was also selected as the tournament'smost valuable player, and had an 11–1 pitching record, 0.81 ERA, and 107 strikeouts in 84innings pitched. In his senior year, the Bulldogs were the state-runner up while Jones compiled a 7–3 record with a 1.00 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 79 innings on the mound, while hitting .488 with 14stolen bases.[10]
Jones won the Gatorade Florida Baseball Player of the Year,[11] Regional Baseball Player of the Year, and the runner-up National Player of the Year. He was inducted into theFlorida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2012.[10] Jones accepted a scholarship offer to playcollege baseball at theUniversity of Miami.[12]
TheAtlanta Braves selected Jones as thefirst pick overall in the1990 Major League Baseball draft and signed him to a contract with a $275,000signing bonus.[13] Atlanta expressed a desire to select pitcherTodd Van Poppel as the first pick, but Van Poppel explicitly stated that he would not sign with the Braves.[14] Atlanta then selected Jones, who played shortstop at the time.[15]
In 1991, Jones played with theMacon Braves, Atlanta'sclass-Aminor league affiliate. His average was .326, with 24doubles, 11triples, 15 home runs, 40 steals, 69walks, and 79 strikeouts in 473at bats; however, he made 56errors at the shortstop position.[16] Jones moved up to theDurham Bulls, the Braves'class A-advanced minor league team, in 1992. Jones's average was .277 after 70 games; he was then moved todouble-AGreenville Braves where he cut his error total from 56 in the previous season to 32.[16]
Following a successful season, Jones played with theTriple-ARichmond Braves, where he played 139 games before being called to Atlanta for his major league debut.[16][17] During his time in the Braves' minor league system, Jones was involved in a bench-clearing brawl with future Major League starsManny Ramirez andJim Thome. Thome and Jones would eventually go on to develop a good friendship over the years.[18] He also changed his position from shortstop tothird base, following the guidance of the Braves organization.[7]
Jones made his major league debut on September 11, 1993, as the youngest player in the league.[19] In 1994, he was expected to compete for the starting left field job after veteranRon Gant broke his leg during an offseasondirt bike accident.[20][21] However, Jones suffered ananterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee inspring training. As a result, he spent the entirestrike shortened 1994 season on thedisabled list.[22]
In 1995, Jones led all major leaguerookies inruns batted in (RBIs; 86),games played (145),games started (123),plate appearances (602), at bats (524), andruns scored (87). That year, he finished second in theNational League Rookie of the Year Award balloting behindLos Angeles Dodgers pitcherHideo Nomo.[23] In addition to achieving a level of personal success, Jones played in the1995 World Series, in which the Braves won in six games over theCleveland Indians. He also played in the1996 World Series, in which the Braves lost to theNew York Yankees in six games.[24]
Jones recorded the last official hit atAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium before its closure and demolition in 1997,[25] as well as the first hit inTurner Field history.[26] In 1998, Jones came in ninth in the voting for theNational League Most Valuable Player Award,[27] as he scored 123 runs and had 96 walks, both fourth best in the league).[28]
In 1999, Jones won theNational League MVP award after becoming the first player ever to hit over .300 (.319) while slugging 40 or more home runs (45; 3rd in the NL) anddoubles (41), drawing 100 or more walks (126; 3rd in the league), notching 100 or more RBI (110) and runs scored (116), and stealing 20 or more bases (25).[29] Ironically, Jones was not selected for the MLB All-Star game that year.[30] He was also walked intentionally 18 times; 2nd in the league, and his .633slugging percentage was 4th best in the NL. A major factor in his selection as MVP was his performance against the Braves'chief competitors, theNew York Mets. The Braves led the National League East by only one game as they entered a three-game September series against the Mets, the team that was right on their heels. Atlanta swept the series atTurner Field, though, largely thanks to Jones, who hit four home runs and drove in seven of the 13 runs that the Braves scored. For the season, he hit .319 with a .510 on-base percentage, a 1.000 slugging percentage, and seven home runs against the Mets. On September 30, 1999, after a game against the Mets, Jones drew the ire of Mets fans by saying, "Now, all the Mets fans can go home and put theirYankees' stuff on,” believing his team has eliminated the Mets from playoff contention. Looking back at that moment, Jones has stated “it all went downhill after that,” referring to the Mets making the postseason despite the odds and having to face them in the 1999 NLCS.[31] In the playoffs, Jones led the Braves to theWorld Series against theNew York Yankees, in which the Braves were swept.[32]
Jones signed a six-year, $90 million contract with the Braves in 2000.[33] Jones batted .330 in 2001, 5th best in the league, and led the league with a .349 road batting average. On his 29th birthday, he hit two home runs.[34] On defense, however, hisrange factor of 2.14 placed him last among qualified major league third basemen.[17]
In 2001, a season of flux for theBraves who had won the NL East every year since their1995 World Series victory, Jones was involved in a public "lingering feud" with former teammateJohn Rocker. Rocker referred to Jones on the radio by saying "Chip's white trash" and "as two-faced as they came". By late June, the two claimed they had made peace.[35]
Before the start of the 2002 season, Jones announced his willingness to move fromthird base to left field, to make room for the incomingVinny Castilla. Jones proved adequate in left field, but following two more early playoff exits in 2002 and 2003, ahamstring pull in the early 2004 season and the struggles of third basemanMark DeRosa, he moved back to his regular position of third base.
In 2002, he batted .327, again 5th best in the NL.[36] Jones was third in the league with a .435on-base percentage. On August 16, 2004, he hit the 300th home run of his career in a 5–4 victory over the San Diego Padres. Following the 2005 season, Jones reworked his contract with the Braves—freeing up money for the Braves to pursue elitefree agents, while virtually ensuring he would end his career in Atlanta. The revamped deal gave the Braves $15 million over the course of the next three years, as well as $6 million to use in 2006. The new deal also converted two final team option years to guaranteed contracts.
Jones was selected to play in the inaugural2006 World Baseball Classic (along with Braves teammatesJeff Francoeur andBrian McCann). He hit a home run in his first at bat of the Classic against Mexico off of Atlanta Braves teammateÓscar Villarreal, who was with the team from 2006 to 2007. Jones went 6-for-17 with a double and two home runs in the tournament.[37]
The 2006 season was one of numerous milestones for Jones. On June 10, he became the Atlanta Braves' all-time RBI leader when he drove in his 1,144th run against theHouston Astros atMinute Maid Park, passing former outfielderDale Murphy and placing Jones third on the franchise's all-time list (including Braves teams based in Boston and Milwaukee), behindHank Aaron (2,202) andEddie Mathews (1,388).
On July 15, 2006, Jones recorded his 1,902nd career hit, to become the Atlanta Braves' all-time hits leader, passing Dale Murphy. The next day he hit a home run to extend hisextra-base hitting streak to 14 games, matching the Major League record set byPittsburgh'sPaul Waner in 1927.[38] A month later, on August 14, Jones had his first career three-home-run game. Jones homered in his final three at bats in the Braves' 10–4 win over theWashington Nationals, finishing the night 4-for-5 with five RBIs.[39] Despite successes at the plate, injuries dogged Jones throughout the season and for the first time in his career, the Braves failed to qualify for postseason play.
Jones performed well both offensively and defensively during the 2007 season.[40] On June 16, he hit asingle in the second inning against theCleveland Indians for his 2,000th career hit.[41] On July 5, Jones tied and passed Braves legend Dale Murphy for first on the all-time Atlanta Braves home run list when he hit his 371st and 372nd home runs against theLos Angeles Dodgers atDodger Stadium.[42] This game was also the first time he hit homers from both sides of the plate since 2000.[42] The next day, he had his 400th career double in the ninth inning againstSan Diego Padres pitcherKevin Cameron, who had previously only allowed one extra-base hit all year.[43][44] On July 29, Jones matched a career-high with 5 RBIs as the Braves shut out theArizona Diamondbacks 14–0.[45] He accomplished the feat again on August 23 against theCincinnati Reds.[46] In the fifth inning of an August 9 game atShea Stadium, Jones hit a towering three-run homer to right field off Mets starterJohn Maine. It would later be measured at 470 feet (140 m).[47]
Jones finished the season first in the NL in times reached base on an error (14) and in OPS (1.029), second in batting average (.337), and third in OBP (.425) and SLG (.604). He was also sixth in MVP voting, his highest finish since winning the award in 1999.[48]
While the Braves enjoyed some early successes, injuries to the pitching staff spoiled the ample contributions from Atlanta's potent offense. While the Braves posted a winning record, they finished third in the National League East, and sat out the postseason.[49]
He opened the Chipper Jones's 10th Inning Baseball Academy inSuwanee, Georgia, in late 2007.
Jones began the 2008 season where he left off in 2007, hitting over .400 in April while slugging 7 home runs, including the first ever homer atNationals Park during the inaugural game at the stadium on Opening Day.[50] He also had back-to-back games in which he hit two home runs. Despite these accomplishments, he ultimately lost the NL Player of the Month award in April toChase Utley. On June 13, Jones was hitting .414 with 15 home runs, but his average dropped to .393 by June 22.
He hit his 400th career home run on June 5 offRicky Nolasco of theFlorida Marlins, and he was named NL Player of the Week for the week of June 2–8.[51] He was picked to start in the2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, receiving the most votes by fans, managers, and other players of any NL third basemen.[52] Jones won his first batting title at age 36, the oldest switch-hitter to win a batting title.[53] Jones hit .364 during 2008, one point off the all-time switch-hitter high for a season of .365, set byMickey Mantle in 1957.
In 2008, Jones tied an MLB record for most consecutive 20+ home run seasons to start a career (14).[54]
In December 2008, Jones accepted an invitation to play for theUSA team in the2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC). He played alongside teammateBrian McCann. Jones was scratched from an elimination game in the tournament after straining his rightoblique muscle in a WBC game.[55] The announcement came an hour before the game was to be played against teamNetherlands. As reported byCBC News on March 13, 2009, Jones criticized Toronto and the play schedule of theWBC.[56]
On March 31, 2009, Jones agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract extension with the Braves; the deal includes an option that could become worth up to $61 million over four seasons.[57] On May 28, against the Giants andCy Young winnerTim Lincecum, Jones struck out four times in one game for the first time in his career.
In 2009, he was ranked number 10 on theSporting News list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball. A panel of 100 baseball people, many of them members of theBaseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards, were polled to compile the list.[58]
In 2009, Jones led all major league third basemen in errors, with 22, and had the lowest fielding percentage of any starting major league third baseman (.930).[59]
Jones got off to a poor start in 2010 and met with Braves management in June to discuss possible retirement at the end of the season, but his performance improved as the season progressed. Jones's season came to an end after he was injured in a game against the Houston Astros on August 10; injury reports indicated that he had torn the ACL in his left knee, which would require surgery. In an August 13 press conference, he stated that he would not retire, and that "I don't want the fans' final image of me to be one of me hurt on the field".[60]
During the off-season, Atlanta general managerFrank Wren said that Jones would likely be ready for Opening Day, tellingThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution that "I think he's progressed very well. He had a setback earlier in the winter when he was away for a week—I think he was actually on a hunting trip—and he was not doing the [leg] lifts. But as soon as he got back on his weights, he was fine. Right now, talking to the trainers, he should not have any restrictions coming into spring training."[61]
Jones completed his rehab and took part in spring training. He was in the Braves' opening day lineup against the Nationals, getting the first hit and scoring the first run of the 2011 MLB season.[62] On April 8, Jones hit his 2,500th base hit in the Braves' home opener versus thePhiladelphia Phillies.[63] His former managerBobby Cox was in attendance. On April 13, he recorded his 1,500th RBI, with a solo home run offRandy Choate of the Florida Marlins. On April 26, Jones recorded his 500th double against the San Diego Padres. He also tied Mickey Mantle for second-most RBIs all-time by a switch hitter; Jones passed Mantle for sole possession of second place all-time the next day after a three-RBI stand-up triple, helping the Braves beat theSan Diego Padres 7–0.[64]
Jones suffered from a tornmeniscus in his right knee for much of the first half of the 2011 season and receivedCortisone shots in an attempt to manage the pain. When this became ineffective, he elected to undergoarthroscopic surgery and was placed on the disabled list on July 9.[65] He returned to the lineup on July 25.[66]
On August 12, Jones hit a three-run homer against theChicago Cubs for his 1,000th extra base hit.[67] On August 19, Jones confirmed that he would return for the 2012 season, the final year on his contract, thus ending ongoing speculation about his possible retirement.[68] On August 31, Jones hit his 450th career home run offJohn Lannan of theWashington Nationals.[69]
On March 22, 2012, the Braves announced that Jones would retire following the 2012 season, after 19 major league seasons with the team.[70][71] Following the announcement, a fan tribute song called "The Chipper Jones Song" was featured in a number of sports blogs.[72]
Jones opened the 2012 season on the disabled list, following surgery on March 26, to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.[73] He was activated from the disabled list and was in the lineup on April 10, as the Braves faced theHouston Astros; he went 2-for-4 with a single and a two-run home run, helping the Braves to their first win of the season.[74]
On April 24, Jones was in the lineup against theLos Angeles Dodgers on his 40th birthday. He hit a solo home run in Atlanta's 4–3 win, ending up with a career record of .429 (21-for-49) with five home runs on his birthday.[75] The next day, in the final regular-season at-bat atDodger Stadium of his career, Jones knocked in the winning run in the top of the ninth inning.[76] On May 2, Jones capped off a wild extra-inning contest with the Philadelphia Phillies by hitting a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th inning. He referred to the game-winning home run as one of the best individual moments of his career, as it finished a 15–13 Braves win that saw the team rally from two deficits of five runs or more.[77]
During a May 18 game atTampa Bay, Jones was hit by a ground ball and suffered a severe contusion to his left leg. On May 25, he was placed on the DL after it became clear that the injury would require more time to heal.[78][79][80] Jones returned to the Braves' lineup on June 10.[81]
Jones hit his 460th home run offTrevor Cahill of theArizona Diamondbacks on June 27, putting him in 33rd place all time amongMLB hitters.[82] Jones also reached 33rd incareer MLB doubles, passingLou Gehrig during the same series with Arizona on June 29.[83]
On July 3, Jones was named to theNL All-Star team as a replacement for the injuredMatt Kemp.[84] That same day, he had his third career five-hit game, his first since 2002.[85] He made it known that he wished the National League would win the All-Star game in his pregame address to his NL teammates:
We got an opportunity to [continue the NL winning streak]. And I am not going out losing my last one...
— Chipper Jones[86]
During the All-Star game (the only time in his 19-year career that he played in Kansas City), Jones hit a single into right field in his only at bat during the game, and the National League won 8–0.[87] At the All-Star Game break after July 8, Jones was hitting .318 with 6 home runs and 33 RBIs.
On August 16, Jones hit two home runs and collected his 2,700th hit.[88] On September 12, Jones recorded his 1,500th walk in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, becoming the first switch hitter in MLB history to obtain at least 2,500 hits, 1,500 RBIs, 1,500 runs and 1,500 walks.[89][90][91] Jones also joinedStan Musial,Babe Ruth,Ted Williams, andLou Gehrig as the only players in major league history to record at least 2,500 hits, 1,500 walks, 1,500 runs, 500 doubles, 450 home runs, and 1,500 RBIs while hitting .300 with a .400 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage.[92]
Jones ended his career hitting over .300 from each side of home plate. Among switch-hitters with at least 5,000 career at-bats, the only other player to do so isFrankie Frisch. He andMickey Mantle are the only two switch-hitters in MLB history to have an on-base percentage of .400, slugging percentage of .500, and 400 homers in their careers. Jones also has the most RBIs of any player who was primarily a third baseman.[93]
The final game of his career was the2012 NL Wild Card Game (dubbed the "infield fly rule game" following a controversial call by umpireSam Holbrook),[94] in which the Braves lost 6–3. In his final at-bat, Jones hit a broken-bat single for an infield base hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.[95]
In February 2013, theAtlanta Braves announced that they would induct Jones into theBraves Hall of Fame and retire his number, 10.[3] Jones's Braves Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place on June 28 during a luncheon at theAtlanta Marriott Marquis and featured speeches from former Braves players, includingHank Aaron.[96] Jones's number retirement ceremony also took place on June 28 prior to the Braves' game against theArizona Diamondbacks.[97] Jones, who approached the podium as his formerwalk-up song ("Crazy Train" byOzzy Osbourne) played in the background, was joined onstage by former Braves ownerTed Turner, Braves presidentJohn Schuerholz, former Braves playerDale Murphy, then-current Braves playerDan Uggla, and former Braves managerBobby Cox, as well as his parents and children. During his speech, Jones also recognized former Braves teammatesMartín Prado,Randall Delgado, andEric Hinske, who were all traded to or signed by the Diamondbacks during that offseason. His number 10 is the 11th number retired by the Braves franchise.[96] Jones's number 10 jersey was also retired by theDurham Bulls on August 20.[98]
During a2014 winter storm, Jones rescued former teammateFreddie Freeman.[99] Freeman was stuck in a traffic jam for hours. Jones came to the rescue on his ATV, and pulled Freeman out of the jam. At the start of the new year in 2016, the Atlanta Braves announced a "Chipper Rescues Freddie" bobblehead night for the upcoming season to honor the rescue.[100]
Jones returned to the Braves as an adviser for the 2016 season.[101]
Jones was announced as one of the four (alongsideJim Thome,Vladimir Guerrero, andTrevor Hoffman) inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame on January 24, 2018.[102] He was the second first-overall draft pick to be elected to the Hall of Fame, afterKen Griffey Jr.[103]
On March 1, 2020, Jones was hired by ESPN to be acolor analyst onWednesday Night Baseball broadcasts.[104] Jones left ESPN in the off-season afterJon Sciambi, his primary broadcast partner, joined theMarquee Sports Network as the play-by-play announcer for itsChicago Cubs telecasts.[105]
In February 2021, the Braves hired Jones as a part-time hitting consultant.[105] For his role with the team, Jones received his second World Series championship ring when the Braves won the2021 World Series.[106]
The2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was dedicated to Jones,Andres Gallaraga andAndruw Jones on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. All three threw out the ceremonial first pitches to conclude the player introduction ceremonies.
Jones met his first wife, Karin Fulford,[107] while he was playing with the Braves class A affiliate inMacon, Georgia. The couple married in 1992 and divorced in 2000,[108] after it was revealed that Jones had an 18-month extramarital affair with aHooters waitress that produced a son born in 1998.[109][110][111]
Jones married second wife Sharon Logonov in March 2000 inPierson, Florida. They have three sons.[112][113] As of June 14, 2012, Jones and his wife Sharon had separated.[114] Their divorce was finalized in November of the same year.[115]
Soon after his divorce from Logonov, Jones began dating formerPlayboy model Taylor Higgins.[116] Jones and Higgins were married on June 14, 2015.[117] On June 21, 2016, Jones and Higgins announced via Twitter that they were expecting a baby in January 2017.[118] Their first son was born on January 11, 2017 in Atlanta.[119] Their second son was born on August 9, 2018.[120]
Jones enjoys deer hunting.[121] Jones was a co-owner ofOutdoor Channel's hunting showBuck Commander with friends and pro athletesAdam LaRoche,Ryan Langerhans, Tom Martin, andWillie Robertson. Currently, he is co-owner and co-host of the television showMajor League Bowhunter airing on theSportsman Channel, with longtime friend Matt Duff.[122]
In 2008, Jones released a charity wine called "ChipperChardonnay", with a portion of the proceeds supporting the Miracle League, an organization serving children with disabilities and The Rally Foundation, a charity dedicated to raising funds for childhood cancer research.[123][124][125]
| Award / Honor | Time(s) | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| NLAll-Star | 8 | 1996,[126]1997,[127]1998,[128]2000,[129]2001,[130]2008,[131]2011,[132]2012[133] |
| NLPlayer of the Week | 4 | April 13–19, 1998,[134] July 29 – August 4, 2002,[135] June 26 – July 2, 2006,[136] June 2–8, 2008[137] |
| NLSilver Slugger Award (3B) | 2 | 1999,[138] 2000[138] |
| NLBatting Champion | 1 | 2008[139] |
| NLMost Valuable Player | 1 | 1999[29] |
| NLSporting News Rookie of the Year Award (3B) | 1 | 1995[140] |
| World Series champion | 1 | 1995[141] |
| First overall draft pick | 1 | 1990[142] |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Raúl Mondesí | Players Choice NL Most Outstanding Rookie 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Topps Rookie All-Star Third Baseman 1995 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
