Chipper Jones walks the thin line between confidence and arrogance. He always has.
Many of his teammates didn't know what to think when, as a rookie in 1995, he told reporters after a series sweep by Houston that the veteran players needed to step forward. "We're not doing the little things to win," Jones said. "This has got to stop."
The braves won 11 of there next 14 games and rode the momentum all the way to a World Series championship. "I took a little bit of flak," he said, "but I'm out here to win not to make friends."
He's never been bashful. Jones pitched a championship game in high school with a fracture in his throwing hand from a fight with a teammate the day before.
But Jones's toughest fight was with himself after he tore the ACL in his left knee in spring training in 1994. He was 22 years old, and all of a sudden it didn't matter that he was the organization's Triple-A Player of the Year, or that he was hitting .361 and penciled in to be the Braves' left fielder on Opening Day.
"It was very depressing," he said. But with encouragement he began pumping iron three hours a day.
All he's done since is finish second in the '95 balloting for Rookie of the Year, bat .309 with 30 home runs and 110 RBIs in '96, and hit .295 with 21 home runs, 111 ribs, and 100 runs in the '97 season while playing mostly third base.
Chipper Jones was born in DeLand, Florida on April 24, 1972. His full name is Larry Wayne Jones Junior. His hobbies include hunting and fishing.
Chipper attended The Bolles School. Where he led the baseball team to the Florida State Championship. In 1990, Chipper was named the Florida High School Player of the Year.
He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves as the first pick in the entire draft. His first assignment was with the Gulf Coast Braves where he played 44 games in 1990.
In 1991, Chipper played for the Macon Braves. He led the league with 71 double plays while playing shortstop. The next year Chipper split time with the Durham Bulls and the Greenville Braves.
In 1993, Chipper found himself in Richmond playing triple A ball with the Richmond Braves. He was the Braves AAA Player of the Year and was named the #2 Prospect in the International League by Baseball America. 1993 also brought Chipper's pro debut. He went 2 for 3.
But 1994 was not a good year for Chipper because he spent the year on the disabled list with a knee injury. His first full major league season was 1995. He should have been a consensus Rookie of the Year but Hideo Nomo beat him out for the League award. He did however win The Sporting News Rookie of the Year.
1996 brought an even more improved Chipper, who was now playing third base. He was named to the All Star Team and started after Matt Williams was hurt . His 96 season numbers were amazing.
>Click Here To See Even More Of Chipper Jones
> Back To My Main Page Of Chipper Jones
