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 Named to All Star team, has 'Dream Game' on Same Day

On the same day that Atlanta Braves slugger Chipper Jones was named to his eighth career All Star team he also had a game for the ages that he himself referred to as a “dream game.”

Earlier in the day Jones had been named to the National League All Star squad as an injury replacement for Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, who was voted into the NL’s starting lineup by the fans.

Jones had initially been left off of the National League’s All Star roster, but was included by National League manager Tony La Russa in the Final Five voting with fellow teammate Michael Bourn, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese, Washington Nationals young phenol outfielder Bryce Harper and Arizona Diamondbacks hot second baseman Aaron Hill.

Jones’ selection to the NL squad as an injury replacement, means that neither he nor his fans will have to wait until Thursday to see whether or not he’s an All Star and means that Bourn, Freese, Harper and Hill has less competition to make the squad. Freese is the current Final Five vote leader with a little less than two days remaining to vote.

Jones told the press that he always looks forward to the All Star experience and especially looks forward to sharing the moment with his children in his final year in baseball. Hopefully Chipper will see some game action, at least as a pinch hitter. It might be hard for him to get much playing time with three third basemen on the team (four if Freese wins the Final Vote) with San Francisco Giants Pablo Sandoval and New York Mets third baseman David Wright also being on the squad. It’d be a nice honor if NL manager Tony La Russa named Jones as the team’s starting designated hitter, but I realize that is probably not going to happen.

In Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs Chipper has what he called a “dream game” recording his third career five-hit game, with three singles and two doubles while driving in five runs. Jones’ five-for-five night at the plate upped his batting average to .313 on the season. Chris Volstad was the starting pitcher for the Cubs and is now 0-7 on the season after getting roughed up by Jones and the Braves in a 10-3 game.

Chipper’s last five-hit game came off of the Houston Astros and starting pitcher Dave Milicki in 2002. His first career five-hit game was in 2001 off of the Arizona Diamondbacks and starting pitcher Armando Reynoso.  

Click HERE to see the standing ovation that Chipper received on his career day.

Click HERE to check out the box score from his five-for-five outing.

Only 2 Days Remaining to Vote Chipper into All Star Game

There are only two days remaining to vote for the Major League Baseball All Star game starting lineups and Atlanta Braves future hall of fame third baseman Chipper Jones is fourth in the voting among National League third baseman. 

Now, I know that Jones has been injured twice during the season thus far and hasn’t played in as many games as most of the third baggers in the league. And, I also know that Jones is not nearly having as great of a season as New York Mets third baseman David Wright or even St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese, and I usually scoff at fans who vote for their favorites over the best players in the league. 

However, I can’t help but think that Chipper Jones deserves the starting nod at third base for the All Star game this year in his final year in the sport. I remember all the way back to 2001 when Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. was voted to start the All Star game for the American League and how great of a moment that was for not only him, but for fans all across the country.

Chipper Jones deserves that moment and all true legends of baseball really deserve that moment. I have a feeling that Chipper would want to be the last person to take the honor away from David Wright, but I also know that he’d feel extremely honored by the fans if they banded together and voted him into the midsummer classic. 

I’ve done my part and voted for Chipper the maximum 25 times. Now it’s your turn to go to MLB.com and do the same.  

Chipper's Homer Leads Braves to Sweep Brewers

If the first two weeks of the baseball season are any indicator for Chipper Jones in his final season then he might miss about a quarter of the season’s games, but he’s damn sure going to rake when he’s in the lineup.

The Braves played their ninth game of the season on Sunday, a 7-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers (who they swept) at Turner Field, but it marked just Jones’ third game of the season. 

Jones went 1-for-3 in the game with a pivotal three-run blast off of Brewers starter Chris Narveson in the third inning. Jones also drew two walks in the game. 

Chipper Jones is congratulated at home plate by Martin Prado after homering in the third inning.

Click HERE to see Chipper’s homer

The Braves are on a five game winning streak after starting the season on an atrocious four game losing streak. Atlanta is 3-0 with Jones in the lineup and only 2-4 without him.

As some of you may notice, Jones hit the home run not while wearing his usual (and sure to be retired) number 10 jersey, but a jersey sporting the number 42. The number 42 is retired across the sport, but brought out once a year on Jackie Robinson Day to salute the legendary Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier on April 15, 1947. We all know that Chipper doesn’t have too many more homers left in him, so it’s nice to see hit one while wearing such an iconic number.

I don't know this for sure, but I'd be willing to bet that this is Chipper's only career home run in a different jersey number than number 10. 

Jones is now hitting .417 on the season with two home runs and five RBI.  

Jones Misses Final Home Opener with Knee Swelling

Chipper Jones had to be scratched from the Atlanta Braves lineup for the Braves home opener on Friday night due to swelling in his recently surgically-repaired left knee. The knee had to be drained during Friday’s game and was said to have shown great improvement and flexibility almost immediately. Despite this, Jones would also miss the second game of the series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. 

According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Jones had “45cc drained from his knee, the equivalent of about 1.5 ounces, and also received a pain-killing injection.”

Despite the fact that the Braves opened up the season 0-4 without Jones in the lineup against the Mets and Astros, the Braves didn’t struggle too much without him on Friday and Saturday as they beat the Brew Crew on both days. Jones hopes to be back in the Bravos lineup for the series finale on Sunday afternoon.

The biggest concern going forward would have to be whether or not this will happen frequently during the season and even possibly if further knee problems would force Chipper to cut his farewell season short. Jones is certainly going to need plenty of rest for his knee and possibly other injuries during the season (I hope to God he’s in the lineup for the Braves series opener in St. Louis against the Cardinals on Friday, May 11 because I have tickets). Braves fans might see usual starting leftfielder Martin Prado and recent acquisition from the Cincinnati Reds Juan Francisco in the lineup at third as much as they see Jones this 

season.

The biggest disappointment about this entire situation is that missing Friday’s home opener means that Chipper has missed the final home opener of his career. He previously missed the final opening day of his career the week before. I don’t know if this is something that he really thinks or cares about, but I know us fans certainly do.

Jones is currently batting .444 with four hits, a home run and two RBI this season in two games. Hopefully we’ll see him back in the lineup later this afternoon when the Braves face Chris Narveson and the Brewers.