By Adam Cancryn
Chipper Jones' stellar career will soon come to an end. And Mets fans couldn't be happier.
Of Major League Baseball's entire population, there is just a tiny subset of players who are, or were, downright terrifying.
There are no particular statistics or accomplishments that bind these athletes together, and membership among the most frightening is wildly subjective. It abides by only one clear definition: All of these players had some attribute that induced gut-wrenching, trembling, cold-sweat fear in the opposing team's fans.
Some in this club are also a part of the best the game has to offer. Albert Pujols' eery serenity, Barry Bonds' menacing stare and Frank Thomas' sheer size made them each scary hitters in addition to fundamentally great hitters. Meanwhile, others merely possessed an aura of intimidation unrelated to their talent level. Former Atlanta Braves outfielder Ryan Klesko swung with the reckless violence of a caveman, while Gary Sheffield's bat twitch foreshadowed a homicidal swing, even if during his twilight years it rarely met the ball square.
And Chipper Jones, well, Chipper didn't have any of that. He was a rangy switch-hitter with a soft stride and a sugary swing. A southern boy named Larry who somehow acquired an even gentler nickname. Yet ask any New York Mets fan, and they'll tell you that Larry "Chipper" Jones is Terrifying Hitter No. 1.
There's good reason for this, even if it's not as readily apparent as Jones' fellow fearsome club members. For all 18 years of his Major League career, Jones was the one that drove the crucial dagger into the heart of the Mets' season.
The terror began in 1995, with Chipper in his first full season and the Braves enjoying what would become 10 consecutive years of dominance over the Mets. Facing each other in the first game of the season-opening series, the two battled to a 2-2 tie going into the ninth inning. There, Jones stepped to the plate. He took two balls from pitcher Josias Manzanillo, and then deposited the third into the seats. Atlanta would win, 3-2.
The next day, Jones would hit another home run in a Braves loss, then hit two more over the next 11 games against the division rivals. For the season, the rookie hit four homers, slugged .580 and hit .280 versus New York.
Over the next seven years, he would never hit lower than .350 against the Mets.
In those intervening seasons, Jones' crimes against New York run too long to list. There is one, however, that solidified his spot as the the Mets' nightmare.
After the Braves (aided by Chipper's seven total bases) swept the Mets out of playoff contention in late 1998, the two teams met again in a similar situation in September '99. New York stood just a half-game behind Atlanta, with three head-to-head games to make up the difference.
In the first, Jones hit two solo home runs. The Braves won, 2-1. The next day, he hit another one. The day after that, another went sailing over the wall. Atlanta swept the series, and sent the Mets into a spiral. They would recover, but only long enough to lose in the playoffs, to the Braves of course. Chipper hit just .263, but in recognition of his Met-killer reputation, walked nine times (four intentional), and reached base in 51.7% of his at bats.
This continued into the new millenium. Even as Jones aged, he came up big against New York so often it became a fatalistic rite for each Mets team. They would demonstrate some flash of potential, then march right into the buzzsaw that was Chipper and the Braves. Even at age 39, in what was Jones' worst full season, he managed to hit four home runs and knock in 16 versus the Mets.
Chipper will be 40 years old during this year, his last. He has no rightful heir (yet), and so New York can finally emerge from his oppressive reign.
"When I heard the news, I said, 'Thank God,'" former Mets general manager Jim Duquette told The Wall Street Journal.
He was quick to add that Jones' impending retirement is also sad, given his distinguished career, and fans of any team will certainly agree. The future Hall of Famer has hit 454 home runs, batted .304 and won an MVP and a batting title during a career that, even more impressively, he spent conflict-free with the same team. Chipper is an icon in the NL East, the face of the Braves' divisional dynasty and of an MLB generation.
Yet those accomplishments were built on the backs of 18 Mets teams, teams that repeatedly watched their hopes washed away by Jones' .318 average, 48 home runs and 154 RBI. Teams that watched 47 of his 258 hits against New York either tie the game or give his squad the lead.
So the Mets and their fans will bid Chipper a special goodbye at the end of this season. A respectful farewell, they'll say, and don't ever come back.
Of Major League Baseball's entire population, there is just a tiny subset of players who are, or were, downright terrifying.
There are no particular statistics or accomplishments that bind these athletes together, and membership among the most frightening is wildly subjective. It abides by only one clear definition: All of these players had some attribute that induced gut-wrenching, trembling, cold-sweat fear in the opposing team's fans.
Some in this club are also a part of the best the game has to offer. Albert Pujols' eery serenity, Barry Bonds' menacing stare and Frank Thomas' sheer size made them each scary hitters in addition to fundamentally great hitters. Meanwhile, others merely possessed an aura of intimidation unrelated to their talent level. Former Atlanta Braves outfielder Ryan Klesko swung with the reckless violence of a caveman, while Gary Sheffield's bat twitch foreshadowed a homicidal swing, even if during his twilight years it rarely met the ball square.
And Chipper Jones, well, Chipper didn't have any of that. He was a rangy switch-hitter with a soft stride and a sugary swing. A southern boy named Larry who somehow acquired an even gentler nickname. Yet ask any New York Mets fan, and they'll tell you that Larry "Chipper" Jones is Terrifying Hitter No. 1.
There's good reason for this, even if it's not as readily apparent as Jones' fellow fearsome club members. For all 18 years of his Major League career, Jones was the one that drove the crucial dagger into the heart of the Mets' season.
The terror began in 1995, with Chipper in his first full season and the Braves enjoying what would become 10 consecutive years of dominance over the Mets. Facing each other in the first game of the season-opening series, the two battled to a 2-2 tie going into the ninth inning. There, Jones stepped to the plate. He took two balls from pitcher Josias Manzanillo, and then deposited the third into the seats. Atlanta would win, 3-2.
The next day, Jones would hit another home run in a Braves loss, then hit two more over the next 11 games against the division rivals. For the season, the rookie hit four homers, slugged .580 and hit .280 versus New York.
Over the next seven years, he would never hit lower than .350 against the Mets.
In those intervening seasons, Jones' crimes against New York run too long to list. There is one, however, that solidified his spot as the the Mets' nightmare.
After the Braves (aided by Chipper's seven total bases) swept the Mets out of playoff contention in late 1998, the two teams met again in a similar situation in September '99. New York stood just a half-game behind Atlanta, with three head-to-head games to make up the difference.
In the first, Jones hit two solo home runs. The Braves won, 2-1. The next day, he hit another one. The day after that, another went sailing over the wall. Atlanta swept the series, and sent the Mets into a spiral. They would recover, but only long enough to lose in the playoffs, to the Braves of course. Chipper hit just .263, but in recognition of his Met-killer reputation, walked nine times (four intentional), and reached base in 51.7% of his at bats.
This continued into the new millenium. Even as Jones aged, he came up big against New York so often it became a fatalistic rite for each Mets team. They would demonstrate some flash of potential, then march right into the buzzsaw that was Chipper and the Braves. Even at age 39, in what was Jones' worst full season, he managed to hit four home runs and knock in 16 versus the Mets.
Chipper will be 40 years old during this year, his last. He has no rightful heir (yet), and so New York can finally emerge from his oppressive reign.
"When I heard the news, I said, 'Thank God,'" former Mets general manager Jim Duquette told The Wall Street Journal.
He was quick to add that Jones' impending retirement is also sad, given his distinguished career, and fans of any team will certainly agree. The future Hall of Famer has hit 454 home runs, batted .304 and won an MVP and a batting title during a career that, even more impressively, he spent conflict-free with the same team. Chipper is an icon in the NL East, the face of the Braves' divisional dynasty and of an MLB generation.
Yet those accomplishments were built on the backs of 18 Mets teams, teams that repeatedly watched their hopes washed away by Jones' .318 average, 48 home runs and 154 RBI. Teams that watched 47 of his 258 hits against New York either tie the game or give his squad the lead.
So the Mets and their fans will bid Chipper a special goodbye at the end of this season. A respectful farewell, they'll say, and don't ever come back.
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