Chipper Jones

[FreeDrinkMafia]

Should the Braves retire "Crazy Train"?

[Joscott]

The following will contain as much fan boy rant as possible:

You do not force a player like Chipper Jones out of the organization without giving him a chance to come back. Here's a guy that won the batting title two years ago and although he was having a down year, he was beginning to swing the bat a lot better before his injury. Age has caught up with him, but moving to a light bat forced him to transition his swing and he was finally coming around.

Switch hitters are also very hard to come by the caliber of Jones and not too many other teams have the luxury of having someone that is as good from both sides of the plate. Easily the best switch hitter of his time and I think only 2nd to Mantle. He's a first ballot hall of famer because of the numbers he put up on both sides and I don't see how anyone could argue that.

So with all that being said, are the Atlanta Braves a better team with Jones not playing next year? Maybe, with the emergence of Infielders like Prado, Infante and the upcoming Freeman, the bases could be easily covered and some money could go to extending Infante and finding a starting outfielder with base running speed or the power hitter this team has needed. But, if Jones can rehab and feels fresh in spring training, I'm all for him coming back and moving Infante or Prado to LF. The problem is that a wait and see act until Spring doesn't leave a lot of financial wiggle room this off season to get a much needed OF.

Ideally I'd like to see Chipper retire and become a part of the Braves staff. TP needs to be relieved of his duty and be replaced by a guy who will teach guys how to swing, not change their stance every couple of months.

Crazy Train should never be another Braves walk up music ever and 10 should be retired.

[FreeDrinkMafia]

I meant the song mr. cataclimcatic. How could the Braves retire HIM?

[FreeDrinkMafia]

btw Chipper is a STR8 BOSS

[Kevin Greene]

Who?

[Zaximus]

Chipper leaves when Chipper is ready. He's earned that. The Braves are a class organization and will not force him out at all. One of the few guys that stuck with his team his whole career and I respect him for it. He can still swing and bat like nasty, but his body is just taking a beating.

I wish he could get to 500 home runs though. He's a HoFer anyway but that would definitely get him in, and I know he didn't use roids either.