The Atlanta Braves announced earlier today that they have hired former third baseman and All-Star Chipper Jones to become a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations. He will be with the Braves at Spring Training in Lake Buena Vista, Florida where he will provide instruction. Throughout the season he will be helping players with their hitting at both the Major League and Minor League levels. Jones will also help out with scouting, especially leading up to the June draft.
Chipper Jones Career In A Braves Uniform
Jones is arguably one of the most beloved players that has ever played for the Braves' organization. He made his debut in 1993 with the Braves and played with them for his entire career before retiring in 2012. He was an All-Star eight times, was the National League MVP in 1999, and won the National League batting title in 2008 when he had a career-best batting average of .364. By the end of his career, Jones had an overall batting average of .303 from his 19 years of playing in the majors. This includes 468 home runs and 1,623 RBIs. If anyone is qualified to help players with their hitting it is Chipper Jones.
Looking Towards The Future
Chipper Jones has been an avid supporter of the moves the Braves’ front office has made over the past years, actively showing his support through his Twitter account. The idea of having Jones back with the Braves has been an idea tossed around through the Braves’ fan base since he announced his retirement. Obviously, this is a great move for the organization as a whole, Jones and his career “after baseball,” and the fans.
“After a few years of decompressing, I came to the undeniable conclusion that I want to be around the game again and, more particularly, around the Atlanta Braves,” Jones said. “Because of what we are in the process of building for this city and our fan base, I am extremely excited to be dipping my toe back into the water that is Braves baseball. I look forward to working with our players, as my passion for the art of hitting is something I hold near and dear to my heart. My hope is that I can be an ‘extra set of eyes’ on our players and help supplement an already strong baseball operations department and coaching staff. I am honored to be back working with the Braves.”
General Manager John Coppolella had nothing short of high praise for Jones stating, “He brings a wealth of experience – from being a number one overall draft pick, to having a highly-successful career as a World Series champion, a league MVP and a batting champion, to coming back from major injuries. Chipper spent his entire Hall-of-Fame caliber career in a Braves uniform and we look forward to his input with our staff and with our hitters.”