When Braves legend Chipper Jones defied the odds to excel in the high-pressure atmosphere of New York
In a January 2018 interview with ESPN senior writer Jerry Crasnick, Atlanta Braves legend Chipper Jones's teammate Mark Teixeira opened up about the HOFer defying the odds to excel in the high-pressure atmosphere of Queens.
The rivalry between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves in the National League (NL) East Division has been going strong for years. The competition between the two sides was especially intense in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Speaking about Jones' performance in New York, Mark Teixeira noted that the louder the Mets fans booed Chipper, the better he performed when playing at Shea Stadium, the Mets' home ballpark from 1964 to 2008.
"I'm not sure how planned all that was, but once it started happening, I think he actually enjoyed it," said Teixeira. "He enjoyed being the guy who said dumb things in New York to make New York people not like him. You kind of become who the public thinks you are.
"In New York, he was that [Mets] killer and the country boy who didn't belong in the city. He was like, 'Yeah, that's cool. I like that. When we go to New York, I'm going to p**s people off.'"
Teixeira played for the Braves for only one season from 2007-08 after being traded by the Texas Rangers.
Chipper Jones named his son Shea after Shea Stadium
Former Atlanta Braves star and Hall of Famer Chipper Jones married Sharon Logonov in 2000. It was his second marriage. The pair share three children, Larry Wayne III (Trey), Tristen and Shea.
Chipper chose to name one of his sons, Shea, to pay an ode to himself for how well he hit at Shea Stadium against the New York Mets. A power move, indeed.
Chipper Jones and Sharon Logonov got divorced in 2012, ending their 12-year marriage.