Chipper Jones: Atlanta's Larkin, Gwynn, etc.

Chipper Jones has made a name for himself playing a game his is good at. He is arguably the best switch-hitter of all-time and one hell of a deer hunter (not that as anything to do with baseball, but i digress). He has hit more long balls (426) than any switch hitter not named Micky Mantle or Eddie Murray. He has a career .307 batting average. Put together those two figures and Jones is the only switch hitter to have acquired more than 400 homers and higher than .300 career average. He was the MVP in 1999, a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and was a part of the 1995 World Series winning Braves. However, the 6-time all-star means more than the stats show.

Maybe the most surprising move of the 2002 campaign in the MLB included Chip being moved to left-field. He had been playing third base for the Braves since he broke into the League (although he was a Shortstop in the minors). Many people may think, "if it were the best move for the team, the Braves made the right decisions. The move, however, goes deeper than trading in the big third-baseman's glove for the outfield one. It was a matter of pride for Chipper. He decided that the Braves was more important than himself. To use the old cliché, he cared more about the name on the front than the name on the back. Chipper moving from a position he had played since his rookie year in 2005 to a run-of-the-mill left field where he had never played. Chipper showed great humility in this situation. Also, Chipper is one of the better influences in the entire league. His move to left field is a little bit of proof of this. Although he had never played for any team other than the Braves, Chipper was not guaranteed member of the 2002 campaign. There was mucho talk about him being moved by the Braves. However, the Braves felt he was such an important member of the clubhouse, instead of trading Chipper, the Braves asked him to move to left field. Chipper was a key to the Braves 11 straight division championships (1995-2005). He has made his name with the Braves, and really, has made the Braves back into a name. He is (less arguably) the greatest Brave of all-time. And this all comes after tearing his ACL in 1994's Spring Training...add perseverance to the list of qualities. He may not have the glorified number of homers like Ken Griffey Jr. or the continuous production of as that of Albert Pujols, but no player has meant more since he came into the league in 1993 in the recent times of free agency and trades to their respective organization than Chipper Jones has meant to the Braves.

In Conclusion: Chipper Jones deserves the praise that future Hall of Fame players such as Ken Griffey Jr. or Greg Maddux have gotten over the years. He may not have the greatest resumè or any player to have played, but he has Hall of Fame numbers and is a Hall of Fame character. So when Chipper is inducted into the Hall, I hope he gets the publicity that the others have gotten who have not been the leader, teammate, or character as Chipper Jones. I hope Chipper has a great 2010 and nabs himself a couple of deer during hunting season.