Jones on verge of going to HOF
ATLANTA — When Chipper Jones took stock of all of the familiar names he’s on the cusp of joining, he wondered if it might be time to expand the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“We need to see if we can erect our own room in Cooperstown,” Jones quipped, flashing that dry sense of humor he was known for during his playing days.
All signs point to Jones becoming the latest member of those great Atlanta Braves teams of the 1990s and early 2000s to enter the Hall when the inductees are revealed on Wednesday.
Th e Braves’ Big Three — pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and
John Smoltz
— already have taken their place in Cooperstown, along with Atlanta’s longtime manager, Bobby Cox, and the architect of 14 consecutive division titles, general manager John Schuerholz.
A third baseman who played his entire 19-year career in Atlanta, Jones appears certain of election based on a tracking of ballots that show his support running at more than 98 percent, well above the 75 percent threshold.
His credentials include a .303 career average, 468 home runs, nine seasons with at least 100 RBI, eight All-Star Game appearances, a .401 on-base average, the 1999 NL MVP award and a batting title at age 36.
Jones always had a real appreciation for the history of the game and all the greats who came before him, which would make getting into the Hall even more poignant.
His father idolized Mickey Mantle, so he pushed young Chipper to become a switch-hitter.
Jones wound up batting above .300 from both sides of the plate — an accomplishment that eluded even the Mick.
“I didn’t play the game for money,” Jones told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I never saw a pay stub my entire time in professional baseball. I didn’t care. I didn’t have to be the highest-paid player. Trust me, I was more than happy with what I got.”
Indeed, while he made about $177 million during his career, Jones never really came close to becoming a free agent. He wasn’t interested in seeing what he could bring on the open market. He was content to remain with the Braves, always cognizant of how good he had it.
Jones broke into the lineup in 1995, helping win a fourth consecutive division title and what would be Atlanta’s only World Series championship during this run. There were 10 more division titles in the unprecedented streak, which finally ended in 2006. Jones would play on two more playoff teams, then retired after the 2012 season, giving him 13 postseason appearances in all.
Only twice in his career did the Braves have a losing record.
“Man, it was a good marriage,” Jones said. “I was a big Dodgers fan growing up, but I never really thought about wanting to put on a Dodgers uniform. I never thought about playing in the big city lights of New York or wonder what it would be like to be a Yankee. I was a Brave.”