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Chip Jones Biography & Facts

Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB draft. He was also a member of their 1995 World Series championship team that beat the Cleveland Indians. An eight-time All-Star, Jones won the 1999 National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Award and the 1999 and 2000 NL Silver Slugger Award for third basemen. He was the MLB batting champion in 2008 after hitting .364. Jones ended his career in 2012 with a .303 career batting average, 468 home runs, and 1,623 runs batted in (RBIs) and holds the Braves team record for career on-base percentage (.402); Jones ranks third on the Braves career home run list. Among switch hitters, Jones ranks second behind Eddie Murray for career RBIs, and he is the only switch hitter in MLB history with a career batting average of at least .300 and 400 or more home runs. He was the 18th player in MLB history to accumulate 5,000 at bats and finish with at least a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, and .500 slugging percentage—and the only switch hitter to reach all of these milestones. On June 28, 2013, the Braves retired Jones' number 10 and inducted him into the team's Hall of Fame. On July 29, 2018, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Jones served as an ESPN color analyst in 2020. He returned to the Braves as an assistant hitting consultant in 2021. Early life Chipper Jones was born in DeLand, Florida, on April 24, 1972. His father, Larry Wayne Jones Sr., was a teacher and coach at T. DeWitt Taylor High School in Pierson. Chipper Jones later attended the same high school and played baseball there. His mother is Lynne Jones. Jones received the nickname "Chipper" from his father and other family members, who saw the younger Larry as a "chip off the old block." He showed an early love for baseball predominantly because of his father's position as coach, and began to play on Little League teams at age seven. High school Jones began his high school baseball career at Taylor High School, where he pitched a one-hitter as a freshman. He went to The Bolles School as a sophomore, where he was a two-way player in football. In baseball, he had a 6–3 win–loss record with 87 strikeouts and a 1.89 earned run average (ERA) as a pitcher, with a .391 batting average and seven home runs, earning him First Team All-State honors. In 1989, Jones won First Team All-State honors in both football and baseball, and won a state championship in baseball. He was also selected as the tournament's most valuable player, and had an 11–1 pitching record, 0.81 ERA, and 107 strikeouts in 84 innings pitched. In his senior year, the Bulldogs were the state-runner up while Jones compiled a 7–3 record with a 1.00 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 79 innings on the mound, while hitting .488 with 14 stolen bases. Jones won the Gatorade Circle of Champions Florida Baseball Player of the Year, Regional Baseball Player of the Year, was the Runner-up National Player of the Year, and was inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2012. Jones accepted a scholarship offer to play college baseball at the University of Miami. Professional career Draft The Atlanta Braves selected Jones as the first pick overall in the 1990 Major League Baseball draft and signed him to a contract with a $275,000 signing bonus. Atlanta expressed a desire to select pitcher Todd Van Poppel as the first pick; however, Van Poppel explicitly stated that he would not sign with the Braves. Atlanta then selected Jones, who played shortstop at the time. Minor leagues (1991–1993) In 1991, Jones played with the Macon Braves, Atlanta's class-A minor league affiliate. His average was .326, with 24 doubles, 11 triples, 15 home runs, 40 steals, 69 walks, and 79 strikeouts in 473 at bats; however, he made 56 errors at the shortstop position. Jones moved up to the Durham Bulls, the Braves' class A-advanced minor league team, in 1992. Jones's average was .277 after 70 games; he was then moved to double-A Greenville Braves where he cut his error total from 56 in the previous season to 32. Following a successful season, Jones played with the Triple-A Richmond Braves, where he played 139 games before being called to Atlanta for his major league debut. During his time in the Braves' minor league system, Jones was involved in a bench-clearing brawl with future Major League stars Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome. Thome and Jones would eventually go on to develop a good friendship over the years. He also changed his position from shortstop to third base, following the guidance of the Braves organization. Major league career (1993–2012) 1993–1998 Jones made his major league debut on September 11, 1993, as the youngest player in the league. In 1994, he was expected to compete for the starting left field job after veteran Ron Gant broke his leg during an offseason dirt bike accident. However, Jones suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee in spring training. As a result, he spent the entire strike shortened 1994 season on the disabled list. In 1995, Jones led all major league rookies in runs batted in (RBIs; 86), games played (145), games started (123), plate appearances (602), at bats (524), and runs scored (87). That year, he finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year Award balloting behind Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo. In addition to achieving a level of personal success, Jones played in the 1995 World Series, in which the Braves won in six games over the Cleveland Indians. He also played in the 1996 World Series, in which the Braves lost to the New York Yankees in six games. Jones recorded the last official hit at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium before its closure and demolition in 1997, as well as the first hit in Turner Field history. In 1998, Jones came in ninth in the voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award, as he scored 123 runs and had 96 walks (both fourth best in the league). 1999: MVP season In 1999, Jones won the National League MVP award after becoming the first player ever to hit over .300 (.319) while slugging 40 or more home runs (45; 3rd in the NL) and doubles (41), drawing 100 or more walks (126; 3rd in the league), notching 100 or more RBI (110) and runs scored (116), and stealing 20 or more bases (25). Ironically, Jones was not selected for the MLB All-Star game that year. He was also walked intentionally 18 times; 2nd in the league, and his .633 slugging percentage was 4th best in the NL. A major factor in his selection as MVP was his performance against the Braves' chief competitors, the New York Mets. The Braves led the National League East by only one game as they entered a three-game September series against the Mets, the team that was right.... 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