Comments on: Chipper Jones is feeling his age

By: frug

frug — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:28:26 +0000

Even as a Braves fan I think I would have to put Brett above him. It’s close, but Brett’s glove gives him the advantage.

By: 78mu

78mu — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:15:10 +0000

Would Jones have been as good if he had gone by Larry Wayne instead of Chipper? Is a hall of famer just as good if he has the name of the owner of the hardware store down the street?

2012 might be the last year for two of the best 3rd basemen if Rolen and Jones call it quits. We were lucky to see them playing in their prime at the same time.

By: 78mu

78mu — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:06:47 +0000

If Jones does not make get 85% in his first year it will be evidence that are too many voters are just not working hard enough to figure out who a real HoFer is.

By: anonyfan

anonyfan — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:48:41 +0000

I agree, done deal for Chipper, although there are those who still disagree. They perplex me.

By: foreverchipper10

foreverchipper10 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:36:38 +0000

I don’t know where I will be in a few years but I can tell you this. When he is enshrined at Cooperstown I will be there wearing my #10 jersey.

By: Roger Moore

Roger Moore — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:06:58 +0000

The stats may be similar, but that’s to Jones’s favor because he was a 3B rather than a 1B. Of course he wasn’t as good a fielder at his position as Bagwell was, which gives up some of the edge, but it speaks well to his HOF chances.

By: aceshigh11

aceshigh11 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:48:13 +0000

Very true…the way he describes the sensation of being slowed by age (bat speed, running speed) is actually pretty poetic, at least for an athlete.

By: stex52

stex52 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:42:48 +0000

“Next five years”. Type slower, dammit!

By: stex52

stex52 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:41:34 +0000

No disagreements with what you said, but actually I was just referring to the rush of superlative players coming up for consideration over the last five years. Steroids or no, I think it will be easy for some very good players to get lost in the shuffle.

By: mox19380

mox19380 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:40:26 +0000

I’ve never heard that perspective from an agin player. Pitches seem faster, throws seem longer, base paths seem longer. Gotta be rough on a former 5-tool player. I’m a phillie guy but always had a ton of respect for Chipper

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:31:33 +0000

Right, and of course none of those writers ever turned off the highway themselves.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:30:23 +0000

Nicely put. Thumbs up.

By: xmatt0926x

xmatt0926x — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:05:03 +0000

I don’t think Chippper will get thrown into the Bagwell/assumed roider lot of players (assuming that was what you meant) in the coming years. Everyone’s doubts about Bagwell came from him becoming a muscle head during the roid years. I may be wrong, but I don’t recall Chipper ever really getting too big muscle wise. He got bigger of course as he aged as most do but he never turned into a ripped monster like some of those guys did. I think the Hall will welcome having someone like Chipper who doesn’t have the question marks around him. In the next 10 years there may not be too many supposedly clean players to elect. As far as I’m concerned a guy like Bagwell should be taken at his word that he was just a gym rat unless there is proof otherwise or at least much stronger circumstantial evidence.

By: jckid21

jckid21 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:47:33 +0000

Too many late nights tipping cows has that effect.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:43:19 +0000

As depressing as it may be, I still appreciate him offering this kind of perspective about the game. We don’t hear this kind of truth often enough.

By: stex52

stex52 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:32:28 +0000

“may be just”. Type slower, dammit!

By: stex52

stex52 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:30:14 +0000

A truly great player. I always compared him to Bagwell in my mind, and the stats are very similar. Surely deserves to be in the HOF, but he may just another one in the big pileup that develops over the next few years.

By: dw3dw

dw3dw — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:17:37 +0000

I will be curious to see how many baseball writers who have cited the “character clause” as a reason for disallowing “steriods cheaters” will overlook Chipper’s fairly sordid youth–adultery, child out of wedlock, etc. Chipper is clearly a HOFer but if you are going to insist on absolutes then I suppose some writers will ding him for his unsavory early years. Too bad.

By: natstowngreg

natstowngreg — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:59:22 +0000

From a Nats fan’s perspective, ditto. Except for the man crush part.

By: El Bravo

El Bravo — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:41:40 +0000

I heart Chipper. STILL the prettiest swing in baseball.

By: Jonny 5

Jonny 5 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:41:30 +0000

No matter how many times Chipper Jones has given “it” to the Phillies dry. I still can’t help but like the guy. I respect him, because my team has feared him for half of my baseball watching days. I respect him because he was always better than he thought he was. I, a Phills fan have a man crush on Chipper Jones.

And I’m not the only one.

http://www.brotherlyglove.com/2011/05/13/the-phillie-killers-3b-chipper-jones/

By: thefalcon123

thefalcon123 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:39:00 +0000

Crusty, beaten down old Chipper Jones still had the second highest wOBA of any NL 3rd baseman last year.

Third basemen with better careers than Chipper Jones:
Mike Schmidt
Eddie Mathews
……….yep, Chipper would probably fit here.

By: cur68

cur68 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:10:03 +0000

I kinda hope Larry hangs up the cleats after this season. He’s been in baseball for as long as I can remember and I’ll miss him, but he’s close to done. I’d like him to go out still productive and relatively healthy so when he walks off for the last time, he can do it without hobbling painfully like Dawson or Gibson. Good luck, Larry.

By: crisisjunky

crisisjunky — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:02:42 +0000

a little father to first now Chip, but a lot closer to Cooperstown.

By: cranbery

cranbery — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:57:38 +0000

An older Chipper is worth so many younger players. He is still #1 in my Book!