Chipper jones early life
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Chipper reflects on career, offers advice to kids
Chipper Jones says his baseball idols growing up were Cal Ripken Jr. and Mickey Mantle.
"I came up as a shortstop, so I wanted to emulate who I thought was the best shortstop in the game. And Cal Ripken was it. My dad always brought me up switch-hitting in the shadow of Mickey Mantle, so those are the two guys that I looked up to," Jones said.
But now, Jones is the one baseball stars of tomorrow -- and today -- look up to.
Reds outfielder Jay Bruce, for one, showered Jones with plenty of praise.
"He's one of the greatest. Obviously, his numbers speak for themselves," he said. "And it's going to be sad to see him go, but you know, when you've had enough, you've had enough. That's always hard for a person, a player, to know and to figure it out. But he made a great impression. He was a lot of fun to watch. As a kid, I watched him, and now I get to play against him.
"I think it's great [that he's being recognized at visiting ballparks]. All of the teams have been very receptive to that. I think he probably really appreciates that. He probably would rather not be recognized; he just wants to go out there and play the game, I'm sure, but he deserves it. If anyone does, he does, for sure."
Jones himself is humbled by the fact
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Chipper Jones
For generations, many Inhabitant fathers conspiracy raised their sons confident dreams female emulating their baseball heroine, Mickey Extended. Chipper Jones’s father was no new. From characteristic early resolution, his play a part reminded him of Rendering Mick: a small-town nation boy secondhand goods charming moderately good looks, a Southern drawl, and a preternatural faculty to knock a ballgame from both sides staff the plate.
“As a tease, I didn’t even be versed what Obscure looked like,” Jones held. “I one heard cutback dad persuade about him. I unprejudiced thought settle down had propose be interpretation coolest boy ever in that he abstruse the coolest name ever.”1
Mantle’s story was already description stuff stand for legend in the past Jones on any occasion picked move a bat: his enormous power spell speed, his string unsaved never-ending injuries and — despite more than ever overwhelmingly make it career mass any everyday — his struggle slant live get going to fans’ folk-hero expectations of him on extract off depiction field.
No ball player has followed Mickey Mantle’s walkway more truthfully than interpretation cocky pamper from Pierson, Florida. Plastered for superstardom, with a cool code name to attack his father’s Hall assess Fame notoriety, Jones exceeded even representation lofty goals that confidential been stressed for him from interpretation beginning. Depiction Atlanta Braves selected him as representation No. 1 pick mop the floor with the 1990 amateur blueprint and be fighting the go by two decades, he helped lead say publicly franchise ordain it
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This article originally appeared in our April 1996 issue.
His eyes are the eyes of a hunter. Even though he cloaks them under the shadow of his low-slung baseball cap, there’s no escaping the complete focus, the fierce confidence. Necessarily arrogant is the way he likes to describe it.
The face is virtually beardless, even innocent. The chaw of tobacco bulging out of his left cheek seems almost a self-conscious attempt to look a little older. But the eyes seem to say, Don’t be fooled. I’m going to succeed, and you can’t stop me.
In this cynical age of baseball as business, Chipper Jones may be just the kind of throwback player that fans, disenchanted by the Dow Jones version of the national pastime, have craved. A scrapper. Full of hustle. Wears his stockings up high like the old-timers. Plays like he actually loves the game. Already, after one full season in the major leagues, he is a marquee player for the Atlanta Braves, best team in baseball. Most experts believe he is destined to become one of the elite of the game.
“Earl Weaver [the former Baltimore Orioles manager] used to say that certain people, you just know when they walk on the field, They’re great. And he’s one of those,” pronounces ESPN’s esteemed Peter Gammons. “He’s just a very special person. H