Not Feeling Chipper

And so, most likely and mercifully, ends the Hall of Fame career of Chipper Jones. After nearly 10,000 plate appearances, every one of them for the Atlanta Braves, Jones finishes among the all-time leaders in homers among switch hitters (3rd -- Mantle and Murray), third basemen (4th, if you count ARod) and Braves (2nd -- Hank Aaron). His .306/.405/.536 lifetime slash stats with more walks than strikeouts and 147 steals at a 77% rate, an MVP award and a World Series ring should grease his skids into Cooperstown.

In his late 30s, Chipper continued to hit like George Foreman, posting a .364 average at age 36 with 24 home runs in just 439 at bats. His bane was more injuries than a loss of skills, but when the two conspired together this year (.265/.381/.426 -- he could still walk to first), it appeared he would limp off the stage with his beloved manager.

An ACL tear has put the kibosh on that plan and seems to have started the clock on his mandatory five-year wait for enshrinement. It is just the latest in a string of injuries that have put him on the shelf for 241 games since 2004.

Jones was an average corner man over his 16-years of service, according to both scouts and stats. Largely because of his raking, he ranks 30th all time in Wins Above Replacement Player (WARP) among position players, just ahead of Ken Griffey, Jr. That's pretty rarefied air, and a giant legacy for the franchise. But one thing Braves fans won't be Jonesing for is Chipper's return this year. The ravages of age had already relegated him to a part-time player and forced the team to have adept backups at the ready. Omar Infante made the All-Star team filling in when Larry wasn't chipper and former third baseman Troy Glaus is on the roster, though it's doubtful he is sufficiently mobile at this point to cover third in a beer league.

So Atlanta, the closest thing to a hometown team for the Jacksonville native, will have to fend off the two-time defending league champs this season without one of their all-time best players and the only remaining on-field remnant of their glory days. It makes a pretty small difference -- if any. Still, it would have been nice to see him go out on his own terms.

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