Chipper's Career, Braves Season End in Controversy

It’s been two days since the Atlanta Braves season and Chipper Jones’ career came to an end during a controversial loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the first ever Major League Baseball Wild Card playoff game.

The game included a controversial infield fly rule by third base umpire Sam Holbrook on a ball hit a good way into left field 225 feet from home plate. The bad call maybe killed a Braves late rally and might have or might not have cost the Braves a comeback win. We will never know and that’s a damn shame.

The bigger controversy, in my opinion, from the game is that the bad call proved that the new wild card playoff game is bogus. It’s not fair that a bad call could completely ruin an entire season for a team that finished the season a whopping six games ahead of the second wild card. If Major League Baseball is going to continue to insist on two wild card teams in each league than it needs to modify the system to be a best of three series. Not that this would do any good for the Braves or Chipper Jones’ run at a final World Series ring now, but it could help out a team from being screwed in the future like the Braves were this season.

Unfortunately Chipper Jones didn’t look so hot in his final career game going 1 for 5, with his only hit at least coming in his final career at-bat, even if it was a weak infield single that received the benefit of the throw pulling Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig off of the base. Jones also committed a big error that played a huge role in the Redbirds beating the Braves.

Friday night’s game is absolutely no way for a baseball legend to end his career, but those are the breaks sometimes in sports. When we look back at Chipper Jones’ career we won’t remember this game. Nope, we’ll remember all of the good times and great play from the future hall of famer.

So, this farewell season for Chipper Jones is over and so is his career, but this isn’t exactly how I wanted to wrap up my Chipper Jones tribute blog, so this won’t be my last post. I can’t tell you exactly how many more posts there will be, but there are still some things that I want to do before I completely wrap it up. Stay tuned for more.

Stay Tuned ...

Tonight's National League Wild Card winner take all playoff game in which the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-3 in a very controversial game was a lot to fathom in such a short period of time. Tonight's game was the most disappointing baseball game I've ever seen, for multiple reasons and certainly one of the most emotional games I've ever seen, again for multiple reasons.

I know those who've been following my Chipper Jones final season blog will probably expect something almost immediately from this blog with the final chapter of Jones' legendary career being written, but I'm going to take some time to think about this game and get all of thoughts together and in line before I write this piece.

Hopefully I'll have some clear thoughts and something for y'all by tomorrow night!

I will say, though, tonight that I understand the below phrase more tonight than ever before in my life ...

Braves/Cardinals Wild Card Game Most Nerve Racking I've Ever Seen

I have never been more nervous about a baseball game than I am about today’s National League Wild Card playoff game between the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, which begins at 4 p.m. on TBS.  

There are many things leading to the nervousness, the first of which is that it’s a win or go home game. The Braves were clearly a better team than the Cardinals this season finishing a whopping six games ahead of them in the wild card standings. The Cardinals, by the way, are tied with the American League Central Division champion Detroit Tigers for the worst record this season of the 10 MLB playoff teams. The Braves 94-68 record would have been good enough to win half of the divisions in baseball. So, the Braves are the better team, but in a one game win or go home playoff anything can happen, which means I will be on the edge of my seat for the entire game. I, also, have a very bad hunch about this game, but maybe that’s because I’m a pessimist. The Cardinals do have a knack for winning it all when they’re the worst of the playoff teams and have done so twice in the last six seasons.

In my opinion, the second wild card was a bad move on the part of Major League Baseball. I’m not just saying this now that it could potentially screw over the Braves; I’ve said it from the very day it was instituted before this season. I know it will lead to more excitement for most fans, but if you’re a fan of one of the four teams playing in the two games it must be a horrible experience. It’s not actually really the second wild card that bothers me so much, but the fact that it’s only one game. If it was a best of three series it wouldn’t be some bothersome, because it would be fair. A one game playoff in this situation doesn’t seem fair; especially to a team like the Braves that was six games ahead of the Cardinals.

The second reason I’m very nervous is that if the Braves lose to the Cardinals today it will be the last time I will ever see Chipper Jones play the game of baseball and it’s frankly not something I’m ready to happen under this circumstance. I know that Chipper’s career will come to an end sometime this month, but I would rather it be under more fair circumstances than a one game playoff against a frankly lesser team.

The third and final reason why today’s game is making me so nervous is that this is the best team the Braves have had in over five years. This team is frankly capable of going the distance, in my opinion, but their biggest threat may actually be today’s game because of the unusual and new circumstances. Not only is it the last opportunity that the Braves will have to win a World Series with Chipper in the lineup, but who knows what will happen to the team next season. The Braves look like they should be contenders for years to come, but I think a big key for the team in free agent center fielder Michael Bourn could be leaving for a bigger contract in the offseason. Chipper Jones has definitely been the heart and soul of this Braves team this season and honestly should garner at least slight NL MVP consideration, but Michael Bourn has been the best and most important piece on this team, at least as far as the offense goes.

Luckily it appears I will be getting off of work a few hours early today to see the game at 4 p.m., but it’s going to be the most nerve-racking baseball game I’ve ever seen. Hopefully the Braves can bust things open early so I can relax and actually enjoy the game.

Chipper Bookends Career with Pinch Hit Singles

It’s been a long, great season for Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves in Chipper’s Farewell Tour of Major League Baseball. Jones has done a lot of great things this season, received a lot of great gifts from teams all around the league and received great ovations from fans all around the league.

Despite the end of the regular season today, Chipper’s career isn’t over yet. He has at least one more game on Friday afternoon when the Braves take on the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild card game for the right to meet the Washington Nationals in one of the two National League Division Series.

Chipper didn’t start in his final regular season game with the Braves opting to rest him before Friday’s wild card game, but the veteran third baseman did receive a pinch hit at-bat against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jones led off the top of the sixth inning with a pinch hit appearance off of Pirates starting pitcher A.J. Burnett and thankfully got a base hit in his final regular season plate appearance by lacing a single through the right side of the infield.

The pinch hit single for Jones was a fitting end to his [regular season] career as it came 19 years and 19 days after his first career hit, which uniquely happened to be a pinch hit single off of Reds’ pitcher Kevin Wickander. After his hit, Jones scored what would be the final run of his illustrious career on a single by catcher J.C. Boscan.

Jones received a standing ovation from the Pirates crowd at PNC Park before his pinch hit appearance and as a salute to the fans tossed his batting gloves into the crowd after scoring the run. The Braves would end the season with their 94^th win beating the Pirates 4-0.

In addition to the game being the final one of Jones’ career it was also the final game for starting pitcher Ben Sheets who announced he would retire yesterday. Sheets was a big boost for the Braves this summer coming out of retirement to win a few big games for the ballclub after being out of the game for almost two seasons. Sheets went out on top striking out two batters in his only inning of work, including the final batter he faces potential MVP Andrew McCutchen.

The pinch hit single for his first career and final career at-bat is a perfect way to bookend Chipper’s career, but an even better way to end his career would be to bookend his career with World Series championships. Jones and the Braves won the World Series in his rookie season of 1995. The Braves need 12 more wins to send Chipper out on top with another championship. The battle begins against the Cardinals on Friday at 4 p.m. on TBS. 

You can see Chipper's final career hit: HERE

Chipper, Braves Clinch Posteseason Berth

I know this is about four days too late, but congratulations to Chipper Jones and the 2012 Atlanta Braves on clinching a postseason berth in entertaining fashion with a walkoff, game-winning home run by second year first baseman Freddie Freeman against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.

You can see the walkoff homer: HERE

The thrilling victory for the Braves ensures that Chipper will play in at least one playoff game in his final season as the Braves will most likely be the first of two wild cards in the National League. Despite being a whopping six and a half games ahead of the second NL wild card team St. Louis Cardinals with just four games remaining in the regular season the Braves will be forced to play the Cardinals in a one game playoff next Friday to determine which team will go on to the Division Series.

I wasn’t a fan of Major League Baseball adding a second wild card team to each league prior to the season and now I’m really aggravated by it as the Braves could easily get screwed by the new format. It’s actually the one game playoff format that bothers me more than the addition of the second wild card. If you’re going to have a second wild card than the two wild cards should meet in a best of three series. Anything can happen in a one game playoff and the Braves will be facing a red hot Cardinals team that has won nine of its last 12 games. Being the much better team this season the Braves really don’t deserve the chance to have their run end in this fashion.

I fully understand at this point that Chipper Jones’ career is either going to end with a loss or with a World Series champion celebration and I’m perfectly fine and content with either, but if the Braves do in fact lose to the Cardinals in this new system I will be pissed off. Chipper and the Braves at least deserve a shot against either the Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds or San Francisco Giants as the fourth best team in the National League.

Congratulations to Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves, once again, on their trip to the playoffs. Chipper Jones began his career with a World Series victory in his rookie season of 1995. It sure would be nice to bookend his career with World Series rings.

You can watching the clinched playoff berth celebration: HERE

Cute story time …

I knew that the Braves had the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth on Tuesday, so even though the Braves weren’t on television here locally in Arkansas I was following the late innings of the game on MLB’s Gameday. I was attempting to pay attention to the game on Gameday while my girlfriend, Aprille, and I were watching the new NBC/Matthew Perry sitcom “Go On” on television. The Braves trailed by a run going into the bottom of the ninth inning with Chipper leading things off for the Braves. Chipper quickly led off the inning with a double and then moved to third base on a wild pitch by the Marlins reliever. When Freddie Freeman took the pitcher deep to straightaway center field and the flashing home run sign flashed on the top of the Gameday screen I leapt off of my couch and onto the living room floor and yelled something to the effect of “Yes!” My girlfriend, who had zero clue that I was paying attention to the game online while we were watching the show, looked at me like I was crazy or had lost my mind. She must’ve been thinking to herself, “Damn, he must really love Matthew Perry.”  

Chipper Joins Hall of Fame Foursome in Legendary Club

There’s little doubt in the minds of anyone who follows the sport of baseball that Chipper Jones is a living legend, but if you didn’t believe it before than you’ll be forced to believe it now. On Wednesday night Jones put himself in a selective group that only includes the legendary Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams and Stan Musial, who are among the 10 greatest hitters to ever play the game of baseball.

By drawing a walk in the fourth inning of the Braves game on Wednesday (September 12) against the Milwaukee Brewers, the 1,500^th of his career, Chipper joined that timeless foursome as the only players in baseball history to have 2,500 hits, 1,500 walks, 450 home runs, 1,500 RBI, 500 doubles, .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage.

These numbers ensure that Jones will one day join Ruth, Gehrig, Williams and Musial in another club … the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Chipper Jones’ career has come down to its last three weeks, not counting a potential playoff run by the Braves. Tonight’s milestone might be the last of the many he’s compiled this season and throughout his career.