The news announced via the Atlanta Braves Twitter account Thursday morning made us a little sad even though we've seen it coming since at least 2010: Chipper Jones is retiring following this season. He held an emotional press conference later on in the day, which every single one of his teammates attended.
The future Hall of Fame third baseman, who has spent his entire career with the Braves, has nothing to be ashamed of. Besides maybe that fling with the Hooters waitress. We all make mistakes. Otherwise, he owns a career .304 batting average with 454 home runs, the 1999 National League MVP Award, two Silver Sluggers, seven All-Star selections, and a World Series ring from 1995. He earned the NL batting title in 2008, a year in which he also owned the highest on-base percentage in baseball at .470. Not bad.
However, injuries have piled up over the past eight years, as the soon-to-be 40-year-old hasn't missed fewer than 25 games in a season since 2004. In fact, he was contemplating retirement in 2009 when he said, "If I back up this year with the same kind of year next year, I don’t want to play the game. The game is not fun to me when I’m not playing up to my standards."
Also, he expressed interest in wanting to experience being a full-time dad before it's too late. The man has priorities.
Anyway, don't be too upset Braves fans. I'm sure as one of the best switch-hitting third baseman of all time, he will be offered a position with the team after he hangs it up so you'll see his adorable face at the ballpark likely until he kicks the bucket. He'll be like the Tommy Lasorda of Atlanta... or the Don Zimmer of Atlanta. You get the drift.
/single tear
[Atlanta Braves]
4 comments:
He's more like the Brett Favre of Atlanta... if Brett Favre didn't retire 3 times and play for two other teams after leaving Green Bay.
You take that back.
:)
MatyDub:
chipper is the man, and who doesn't like Hooters?
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