When Braves legend Chipper Jones' memoir chronicled highs and lows of an illustrious career
Five years after his retirement from the MLB, Atlanta Braves legend Chipper Jones wrote a book called "Ballplayer" in collaboration with author Carroll Rogers Walton. It was published in April 2017.
"Ballplayer" is a memoir that provides an intimate and revealing look into Chipper Jones' life both on and off the baseball field. In an April 2017 interview with ESPN's Mark Simon, Jone got candid about his book and the reason behind highlighting the career setback over wins.
Here's how the conversation rolled:
Mark: You had so much success in your career, but you started your book with a story of failure: an error in the 2012 NL wild-card game against the Cardinals. Why did you begin with that?
Jones: I think baseball has such a way of humbling you. You can go 20-for-20, and before you know it, you’re going to go through an 0-for-30. It has that way of knocking you back down to earth. My whole last year was such a Hollywood script, so many things went right. I thought it was extremely appropriate to open it up with what baseball does to you.
"You talk about a game where you fail 70 percent of the time, and they consider you for the Hall of Fame. It just seemed like a good hook. I felt like people need to see the other side. People open the book expecting to see or hear about the home runs and victories. To hook them with something that is probably one of the more disappointing plays of my career, I thought it was a cool way to start.
Jones was selected by the Atlanta Braves as the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft. After spending a few seasons in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut on September 11, 1993, at the age of 21.
Chipper Jones played a key role in the success of the Atlanta Braves during the 1990s and 2000s. He helped them to numerous postseason appearances and was a significant contributor to their World Series win in 1995.
Jones was named an All-Star eight times and won the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 1999. He was known for his clutch performances in high-pressure situations and exceptional defensive skills at third base.
On Jul. 29, 2018, Jones was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, solidifying his legacy as one of the game's all-time greats.
Chipper Jones won his second World Series ring with Braves in 2021
In February 2021, Chipper Jones joined the Atlanta Braves as a hitting consultant on a part-time basis.
In an interesting turn of events, the Braves beat the Houston Astros 7-0 at Minute Maid Park to clinch the World Series title in 2021, their first since 1995. It was Jones' second World Series championship ring.