Chipper Jones will be a shoe-in for the Major League Hall of Fame.
photo by Tim Evearitt
Just three years removed from retirement, Chipper Jones is not quite ready to reintroduce himself to the daily grind of a long baseball season. But the highly respected former third baseman will assist the Braves' rebuilding effort this year while serving in an advisory role as a special assistant to the baseball operations department
Though Jones has remained in contact with Atlanta's coaches and front-office members over the past few years, he will now do so in an official capacity.
He plans to spend some time with the Braves during Spring Training in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., and he will then spend the remainder of the season periodically assisting the Braves with endeavors at both the Major League and Minor League levels.
Jones has stood as one of the most beloved players in Braves history dating back to when he was taken with the first overall selection in the 1990 Draft. He made his Major League debut in 1993 and served as a rookie third baseman for the 1995 Braves club that provided Atlanta its only World Series title.
When Jones retired at the end of the 2012 season, he stood with Stan Musial, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig as the only players in Major League history to record at least 2,500 hits, 1,500 walks, 1,500 runs, 500 doubles, 450 home runs and 1,500 RBIs while hitting .300 with a .400 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage.
Jones' entrance to Baseball's Hall of Fame could come as early as 2018.
Over the course of the 19 seasons he spent with the Braves, Jones batted .303 with 468 home runs and a .930 OPS. He ranks first in Atlanta history (dating back to 1966) in games played, hits, runs, doubles, home runs, walks, on-base percentage, RBIs and extra-base hits.
--- Source: MLB.com
Commentary: Do not expect anyone with the Braves to speak (even off the record) about the possibility that Jones could be the next Braves manager, but stop and consider a few facts and you will understand why this is a plausible theory.
1. It is no secret that the 2016 team is not going to be a contender in the National League East - no for the Wild Care either. Thus, tickets are not selling very well for the final season at Turner Field.
2. What would reinvigorate the fan base and get the Braves Nation exited again as the team prepares to move into a new facility? Dismiss Fredi Gonzalez at the end of the season and announce that Chipper Jones will be the new manager. Watch interest soar and tickets sales sky rocket.
3. Although Jones will not have managing experience at any professional level, he will be around players beginning with Spring Training and continuing throughout the 2016 season assisting at both the Major and Minor League levels.
4. Chipper will not be breaking new ground since promoting managers without managing experience has become common place. Fifteen managers hired since the end of the 2010 season had no --or virtually no - previous Major League experience, although some had Minor League experience.
Only time will tell if this possibility becomes a reality. It is more likely, I suppose, that Chipper may some day become a manager, but not in 2017
Chipper Jones waving good-bye to fans at Turner Field in his final at bat at the end of the 2012 season.
photo by Tim Evearitt