Chipper Ties Brett's RBI Mark; Honor Probably Short-Lived

The Atlanta Braves had an extra innings collapse on Wednesday night (July 18) losing to the San Francisco Giants 9-4 in 11 frames, but star third baseman Chipper Jones managed to make a little baseball history in defeat.

In the bottom of the 11^th inning Chipper took a pitch deep from Giants relief pitcher Brad Penny for a solo home run and his 1,596 RBI of his career. The RBI ties Kansas City Royals legend and Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett for the most RBI all time by a third baseman.

Leading your position all time in a huge statistical category such as Runs Batted In is a major deal in baseball and something that only a small handful of players can say they’ve accomplished. Jones adds his name alongside such true greats as Yogi Berra (catcher), Cap Anson (first base), Nap Lajoie (second base), Alex Rodriguez (shortstop) and Hank Aaron (outfielder).

This is one of those moments this season and throughout Chipper Jones’ lengthy career that just makes you take notice of his career achievements and realize that he’s clearly one of the all time greats like those previously mentioned legends that he joined Wednesday night.

Barring missed time due to injury, and his knee is currently aching pretty badly which will likely result in him missing today’s game against the Giants, Jones should break Brett’s record to be solely alone in most RBI by a third bagger in the National Pastime’s history within the next week.

George Brett

However, I shall mention that Jones should cherish this honor while he has the chance, because it will likely be a short lived one. New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, who is currently baseball’s all time leader in RBI by a shortstop, only needs to play 131 more games at third base to automatically become the all time baseball leader in RBI by a third baseman. When Rodriguez switches from shortstop to third base (likely sometime next season) then Honus Wagner, who last played baseball in 1917 and last breathed air on this planet in 1955 will regain his crown as RBI leader among shortstops. It’s simply amazing to me that a guy who’s been dead for 57 years can break a record … God, I love this game.

Jones’ solo shot on Wednesday night was his eighth homer of the season. Chipper is batting .313 on the season and has 35 RBI. 

Click HERE to see Jones tie Brett's mark. 

Chipper Embarks on Final All Star Game as Baseball's Future Harper, Trout Debut

Tomorrow night’s Major League Baseball All Star Game will truly feature a changing of the guard moment when phenom rookies Mike Trout (20 years old) of the Los Angeles Angels and Bryce Harper (19 years old) of the Washington Nationals take the field in the first All Star Game as Atlanta Braves future hall of fame third baseman Chipper Jones takes his All Star bow in his eighth appearance.

Phenoms Bryce Harper, left, and Mike Trout to make All Star debuts

I’ve  thoroughly enjoyed watching Chipper Jones career ever since his rookie season in 1995 (the very first year I became a baseball fanatic) and I hope to do the same with both Trout and Harper, both who appear to be the real deal. Though, tonight’s All Star Game kind of has that out with the old, in with the new feel to it and I can’t wait to watch Harper (who I’ve only seen play once) and Mike Trout (who I haven’t seen play yet) in action there’s no doubt that for me tonight is about Chipper Jones (of course because that is who this blog is dedicated too).

Chipper's last All Star Game workout

When I went to St. Louis in May to say my in person farewell to my baseball hero I thought I might shed a tear upon seeing Jones play up close for the last time, but I didn’t. My emotions may not be kept that in check later this evening when he takes to the baseline with his fellow National League All Stars for player introductions at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Oh I can picture his ovation now from the fans as he tips his cap. Despite the NL being the visitor, it wouldn’t surprise me if Chipper got an even bigger ovation than the Royals own Billy Butler.

While being at the All Star Game with his children and getting that ovation from the fans would be a great moment I just hope that National League manager Tony La Russa finds a way to put Jones into the ballgame. Chipper has to at least take one final All Star at-bat in his final appearance. I know that it might be hard though to find the playing time for Jones as the National League squad as an incredible four third baseman with San Francisco Giants Pablo Sandoval starting at the hot corner and New York Met and St. Louis Cardinal David Freese on the bench with Jones. Wright is having the best season among all third baseman in the NL and deserves to play. Freese is likely a favorite of La Russa’s as he was the World Series MVP on the La Russa managed Cardinals last year, which might get him playing time over Jones.

If La Russa can’t find a way to get Chipper into the game than it truly will be a crime perpetrated against baseball fans everywhere. 

I’ll be watching tonight’s All Star Game with great anticipation of Chipper stepping out onto the field at Kauffman Stadium, which by the way is the only field in baseball that Jones has never played at in his career. Maybe he’ll have a truly magical moment like Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. did in his final All Star game back in 2001 when he hit a home run and won the game’s MVP award? Either way I’m sure it’ll be a moment that neither Chipper nor myself will ever forget.

Welcome to the Team, Mr. Jones

A few months ago during my fantasy baseball league draft I was down to my very last pick and had two players I wanted to draft. One of them was Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez and the other was Atlanta Braves legend Chipper Jones.

Being a lifelong Braves and Chipper Jones fan I really wanted to select Chipper to have on my team (I know how nerdy that sounds), but at the time he was injured and it honestly wasn’t looking like he’d play very much in his final season and like everybody else that plays fantasy baseball I want to win my league. So, I drafted Ramirez. I don’t remember exactly how long Ramirez actually remained on my team, but I don’t think he ever played a single game for me as he was a part of a trade that I can’t even remember at this point.

Somebody else took Chipper Jones, either late in the draft or as a free agent (I can’t remember), and I knew that I had missed my chance.

I contemplated attempting to trade for Chipper a few times during the early part of the season, but never actually went through with it because I knew it wouldn’t be beneficial to my team (which at the time was one of the best in the league) and would just be a move based on my fandom. It’s never a good idea to play favorites in fantasy baseball, because you’ll probably lose every time. I’m always amazed by just how many players play the game that way though.

Now my team is barely hanging on to a playoff spot midway through the fantasy season and Chipper Jones is in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak.

So, I figured I might try to attempt to trade for Chipper, despite knowing I probably couldn’t work anything out that wouldn’t hurt my team.

However, much to my surprise when looking up which of my competitors had Chipper I realized that he was listed as a free agent. Somehow whichever manager in the league had him before managed to drop him without me noticing. I have no clue how long Chipper has been available, but late Tuesday night there he was ripe for the picking. I just needed to find a spot for him.

Luckily it wasn’t really hard to find a possible roster move. I had picked up New York Yankees pitcher Hiroki Kuroda earlier in the week for just a spot start and really had no intention of keeping him on my roster anyway. So, I cut Kuroda and picked up Jones.

Hopefully Jones will benefit my fantasy team and won’t be dead weight (I hate saying that about Chip, but if he doesn’t perform or play much that’d essentially be what he is). Right now in the middle of an 11-game hitting streak and coming off of a five-for-five game on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs he’s just what my team could use. I just wish I had noticed he was available before his five hit, four RBI game.

I know it’s just fantasy baseball and it’s not really ‘real’, but it’ll be an honor having Chipper Jones on my team for the second half of the season. Hopefully he’ll help lead my squad to a much-needed fantasy baseball championship, because it’s certainly been awhile.   

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.

Chipper Needs Your Final Vote

Well, Chipper Jones unfortunately wasn’t voted in as the starting third baseman of the National League All Star team by the fans … and neither were deserving third baseman David Wright of the New York Mets and David Freese of the St. Louis Cardinals.

In a disgusting surprise, fans of the San Francisco Giants stuffed the ballot boxes in the final days of All Star voting to vote their fan-favorite Pablo Sandoval into the starting position. Sandoval’s inclusion into the game by the fans likely makes him this year’s worst All Star choice for the National League. He’s nowhere near as deserving as Jones, for lifetime achievement reasons, or Wright and Freese, for on-field reasons. This is why fan voting for the Major League Baseball All Star game is asinine. It’s just a popularity contest.

Sandoval’s inclusion in the All Star game meant that at least one truly deserving third bagger would have to miss out on the game. Unfortunately, Chipper didn’t make the NL all star squad as a reserve either. Wright was given the reserve spot by the player’s vote.

However, National League manager Tony La Russa has given fans one more opportunity to place Chipper Jones into the All Star game by including him among the five nominees for the Final Vote. Jones will be joined in the Final Vote by four other truly deserving candidates: Freese, Chipper’s Braves teammate outfielder Michael Bourn, Washington Nationals rookie phenom outfielder Bryce Harper and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill.

As a future hall of famer and likely one of the five greatest third baseman to ever play the game of baseball, Chipper greatly deserves the honor of being named to the All Star game and this will likely be his last opportunity for him to make it (it’s highly unlikely that he would be added as an injury replacement).

Fellow Final Vote nominee Bryce Harper said himself that Chipper deserved the All Star nod to MLB.com: “He should have already been in the All-Star Game, no matter what. He's an All-Star, and he's been an All-Star for 20 years. I think Chip should have been there and, like I said, if I had a vote, Chip's going.”

Click HERE to see what Chipper had to say about being included in the Final Vote.

Voting for the Final Vote is open now and will continue through 3 p.m. on Thursday. You can vote for Chipper by clicking HERE.