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. 

Chipper Knocks Out Phillies with Ninth Career Walkoff Blast

Old number 10 never ceases to amaze Braves fans. Exactly four months to the day that Chipper Jones hit a game-winning walkoff homer against the Philadelphia Phillies to win 15-13 on May 2^nd he had a little more walkoff magic.

Braves starting pitcher Paul Maholm got roughed up early by the Phillies lineup and exited the game in the third inning down 7-1. However, the Braves started a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning that culminated with Chipper blasting a fastball from Phillies All Star closer Jonathan Papelbon into the seats at Turner Field for a dramatic 8-7 win.

Jones’ game-winning blast was a much-needed boost for the Braves who have now won only five of their last 15 games and are trying to remain clinging on to one of the two National League wild card spots. The last couple of weeks the Braves have looked eerily similar to the hot team last year that saw a 9.5 game wild card lead blown during the final month of the season to a hard-charging St. Louis Cardinals squad that would go on to win the World Series.

With one month to play in this season, the final month of Chipper Jones’ career, the Braves hold a 3.5 game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates for the crucial second wild card spot.

Hopefully Chipper’s late inning heroics will get the Braves back on the right track and send them to the playoffs. The Braves will likely have to settle for a wild card position, because the Washington Nationals have a 6.5 game lead in the National League East Division with the final month left to play.

The homer, which was Jones’ 14^th of the season, was the ninth walkoff home run hit during his illustrious and future hall of fame career. 

You can see Chipper’s dinger right HERE

Despite Chipper Retiring, Braves Future Still Looks Bright

This entire baseball season as an Atlanta Braves fan has been dedicated to the farewell tour of future hall of fame third baseman and Braves legend Chipper Jones, who is going to be sorely missed following his retirement.

However, while watching Sunday night’s game between the Braves and the San Francisco Giants, which Chipper did not start in, but did receive a pinch hit farewell appearance late in the game I was struck by the realization that even though Chipper is going to be missed that the Braves still have a very, very bright future.

This realization came to me late in the game when the Braves young sluggers right fielder Jason Heyward and first baseman Freddie Freeman connected on back-to-back home runs off of Giants reliever Clay Hensley.

As long as the Braves can keep all of their young talent together for years to come (including perennial all star catcher Brian McCann and their very talented pitching staff) this Braves team shouldn’t miss a beat heading into the future without Chipper Jones (as hard as that may be to fathom). I’m very grateful that these young guys like Heyward and Freeman have now had a few seasons under Jones’ tutelage to teach them the right way to play the game: the Chipper Jones way.

I honestly can’t think of too many teams with a young duo as talented as or more talented than the Braves have with Heyward and Freeman. The Angels with Mike Trout (possibly just the third player to ever win rookie of the year and MVP in the same season this year) and Mark Trumbo are the only other team that I can think of.

I’ve had a blast watching Chipper play the game ever since I became a fan of his, the Braves and baseball in general in Jones’ rookie season of 1995. I look forward to developing this kind of relationship with Heyward and Freeman going into the future. If these two kids play up to their potential we might be watching two more future hall of famers in the making.  

Chipper Hits Two Homers on Own Bobblehead Night

I apologize for this blog entry being so old.

Last Thursday night was Chipper Jones Bobblehead Night at Turner Field in Atlanta when the Atlanta Braves took on the San Diego Padres.

33,157 fans showed up at the Ted to celebrate Jones’ career and receive the nice souvenir, but they got a little extra treat that they probably weren’t expecting.

The 40-year old future hall of fame third baseman had his 40^th career multi-homer game and his first of the 2012 season, his final year in Major League Baseball. The two blasts by Jones led the Braves to a 6-0 win over the Padres behind a stellar complete game shutout by starting pitcher Kris Medlen, the first complete game shutout of his career.

Jones received a curtain call and standing ovation from the crowd of Bravos fans for his exploits during the game. After the game he told the media: ''If we have to make some silly bobblehead things to get people in the stands, so be it. Keep doing it. We get motivated to play every night, but there are certain nights when it's special, whether certain family members are in the seats, or it's your birthday, or it's bobblehead night.'' (From Yahoo Sports)

If a Chipper Jones bobblehead is what gets butts into the seats at Turner Field (a place that’s often seen lackluster attendance) and drives Chipper to hitting multiple homers every game that the Braves franchise should produce CJ bobbleheads every night of the season.

Chipper Jones’ season stats as of tonight (August 22) are a .311 average with 13 homers and 54 RBI. Jones has an outside chance of hitting 20 homers this season for the 15^th time in his career. He hasn’t had a 20-homer season since 2008 when he hit 22 homers and also won the National League batting title.