Missed a career-high 53 games last year with assorted ailments, most notably mysterious foot problems. When he was in the lineup, he was the same old Chipper, hitting .296/.412/.556 (career .303/.401/.538) to rebound from the worst season of his career. Walks more than he strikes out, no longer runs well (for the first time in his career hit no triples) but is a smart baserunner (5 of 6 in SB attempts last year). Defensively, was okay, nothing great, but not the disaster certain people who won’t accept that their defensive ratings system is flawed would have you think.
If he can even play 100 games, Chipper is going to move into first place on the Atlanta list in numerous categories this season. Dale Murphy is the Atlanta leader in most hitting categories (as opposed to the franchise leader, which is usually Hank Aaron, of course). Chipper is second to Dale in most things, and closing. To tie, he needs:
2 runs
90 hits
181 total bases
32 RBI
89 singles
1 extra-base hit
7 times on base
He also needs 40 homers, but that’s unlikely, since he’s only hit more than 40 once in his career. And since he’s just 30 ahead of Andruw, it’s not impossible that he’ll be passed on the way. Chipper’s already the Atlanta leader in doubles and walks.
To some extent, I still can’t believe the Braves managed to survive Chipper missing so many games in the last two seasons. I really really wish Chipper will be healthy for the entire season to show people he can still produce MVP type numbers.
Chipper and Anruw are the offense, everyone else just has to get on base for these guys.
Chipper is one of the most under-appreciated players in the league. People love to hate him, but his numbers are spectacular.
To second JC’s post its instructive to look at his career. When you get done you say ‘WOW! what a player.’ Here’s hoping that my favorite player has a healthy 2006.
We need a poll or something to vote on again.
It seems like the Braves must be set until Spring Training. Are there any Free Agents left (Besides Erubiel Durazo) that interest anyone on this board?
Probably not.
In the spare-part-could-be-more department, what about Craig Wilson? The Pirates seem to have given up on him, but he can hit and wear a glove to three or four positions on the field. He might be too similar to Diaz, though.
Well Dave here are some guys that if we can get on the cheap may not be too bad to pick up, I think.
Alan Embree (a minor league deal, see if he still has anything left)
Felix Diaz (as a relief pitcher, start in AAA)
Shigetoshi Hasegawa (same as Embree)
Jayson Stark voted for Murphy to be in the HOF. He’s not going to get in this time, but it’s nice to see a writer like Stark put him on his ballot.
Interesting voting from the ESPN people. Everyone voted for the Goose & 9/10 for Rice.
I’m curious to see how voters will perhaps re-evaluate the top players from that late’70s-to-early ’90s era. So many of them up for HoF were obviously the best players for a good chunk of that time (Morris, Murph, Dawson), but few hit those “magic numbers” that tickle the voters.
It wouldn’t break my heart if Gossage and/or Rice got in, actually.
The one who strikes me most interesting, however, is Albert Belle. I fully understand his chances are slim right now, that he’s impossible to like, he got busted for cheating & he did his damage in a crazily explosive era, but his numbers…yikes.
His career was essentially 10 years, in which he averaged 37 HR/120 RBI per year, not to mention 295/369/564. Lordy.
Yeah, but Stark voted for Murph last year, too, and that hasn’t helped too much.
Special poll for Smitty:
Is Marcus Vick the stupidest person alive?
a)Yes
b)No
Bonus: How many more times will he be arrested before he turns 30?
a)1
b)2
c)3
d)4 or more
Woe betide anyone who drafts this guy. He really needs help. Pulling a gun on kids at McDonalds? WTF?
All I can say about Chipper Jones is that we are incredibly fortunate to have this guy. I’m already sad thinking about his retirement, which hopefully won’t be for awhile.
Bonus SAT question for Smitty.
Marcus Vick is to Michael Vick as:
A. Jeremy Giambi is to Jason Giambi
B. Ozzie Canseco is to Jose Canseco
C. Jason Giambi is to Jeremy Giambi
D. Michael Jackson is to Janet Jackson
E. Ashlee Simpson is to Jessica Simpson
F. Billy Carter is to Jimmy Carter.
From wiki:
Erin Andrews is to My Business
Did anyone see this?:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-dodgers-furcalsurgery&prov=ap&type=lgns
Maybe the Braves are lucky they didn’t resign him if he’s having trouble with his knees.
What are bb-ref heights and weights supposed to be for? When the player debuted or the average (listed ht and wt) for his career?
Bc there is NO way Chipper is only 185
Probably just their first listed weights. They’re almost always inaccurate for a player’s prime, and if you go back far enough encyclopedia heights/weights are ridiculous. Guys who were Marcus Giles’ height will be listed at six feet.
Well, it’s not like Michael Vick is some saint either. Does Ron Mexico mean anything to anybody?
My friend tried to get a Ron Mexico jersey, but *unfortunately* that name was black-listed. Now she’s lobbying for calling Marcus Vick “Don Mexico.”
NMS, those stats are always wrong. The heights are sometimes off and the weights are often wrong. For example, Marcus Giles is listed at 5’8″ and 180 lbs., but he’s actually 5’7″ and 165 lbs. Just go by your eyes.
I’ve seen “New Mexico” used. Anyway, the answer is “D”, “Janet Jackson is to Michael Jackson”. Ron Mexico is Michael V’s booby-at-the-Super-Bowl. (It’s not perfect because Janet is younger than Michael J. and Michael V. didn’t gain fifty pounds after his disgrace.)
By the way, speaking of something totally different, Ilya Kovalchuk is on FIRE right now. He’s unconscious, in the zone, en fuego, out of control, and you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him. Every crappy ESPN cliche totally applies to him right now.
He’s like a cross between Michael Vick and Jeff Francouer. Man, if I were a hockey fan, I would be a total Ilya Kovalchuk nut.
Hockey is on the short list of sports I can’t stand to watch for more than 10 or so minutes at a time. Also on the list: golf, wrestling, boxing, and NBA basketball. Everything else is good. And I include poker in that category 😉
I have a theory about hockey: it’s so tough to play that there are only two or three guys who are really good at it at any one time. So the quality of play is permanently low.
Or maybe it’s just soccer on ice. I hate soccer.
I share your hatred of soccer, Mac.
And Marcus is actually only 5’6”, jenny.
Kovalchuk is a great offensive player and these new rules were made for guys like him.
NHL hockey is a sport that must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. I had the same ambivalent feelings growing up in Georgia & trying (not too hard) to follow the Flames on WTCG. I just didn’t get it.
But after I was fortunate to score some really good seats to a playoff game between the Penguins & the Devils in 1991, I was convinced–plus, Mario Lemieux blew me away. He was incredible. Been a major (Devils) fan ever since. Next to the Dogs & the Braves, the Devils are my favorite team (and the only NYC-area team I really care about).
If you follow the game, you’ll realize that it’s a sport where desire & teamwork can trump sheer talent. It happens all the time.
I could have sworn he said he was 5’7″, but I can believe 5’6″. I could almost believe 5’5″.
I’m not a huge soccer fan, but it’s bearable. Not enough scoring, IMO, but I did go see Chelsea vs. AC Milan at the Meadowlands this summer, which was kind of cool, and my brother is absolutely obsessed with Premier League soccer, so I have to suppress my boredom.
If all you watch is American soccer, though, you’re missing a lot. European soccer is infinitely better. We play like Little Leaguers compared to them.
One of the things that pisses me off about soccer–other than the mind-numbing boredom of about 99% of every game–is the degree of celebration after a goal. They make football celebrations look sportsmanlike by comparison.
I wish Bear Bryant had just FIVE MINUTES in a room with all those candy-assed European soccer players. He’d beat the hot-dogging right out of them.
Just saw that Furcal is due to have knee surgery. Maybe trading him wasn’t so bad after all.
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060109&content_id=1293221&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb&partnered=rss_mlb
Well, if it’s “candy-assed” soccer players you don’t like, Netflix a DVD called “The Hard Men of Soccer,” hosted by famed enforcer Vinnie Jones.
Or don’t. Being both a soccer fan, and a college football fan, I understand why I’m a rarity. The two sports are so completely different in focus, tactics, conditioning, and atmosphere that the overlap is necessarily limited.
I like Vinnie Jones in Guy Ritchie’s movies Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.
But I’m using the term “candy-assed” to refer to anyone classless enough to celebrate for a full minute after a goal. It has nothing to do with whether or not they could beat me up: for example, Alex Rodriguez is a textbook candy ass, even though I’m quite sure he could beat the snot out of me.
I would guess the reason for the excessive celebrations is that goals in soccer are scored about as often as Halley’s comet is visible from Earth.
To me, soccer is more interesting as a cultural attraction than an athletic event. I guess I’m way too American in that I’d rather see a free safety light up a reciever on a crossing pattern than watch a guy ever-so-skillfully bend a kick around a wall of guys holding their nuts.
Saw one live men’s soccer game in my life: Brazil vs. Nigeria in the 1996 Olympics at Sanford Stadium in Athens. Amazing game with Nigeria overcoming a 3-1 deficit to win in overtime. The Brazilians at the game were in tears.
But I think I’m gonna leave that sport on a high note. I’m not sure I’m gonna run to another game any time soon. I kinda liken it to seeing James Brown at the Apollo or The Beatles at the Cavern: It can’t get any better than that, so why bother?
for starters, its soccer only to you guys. The sport is called football!! and for a good reason 🙂
And to each their own pleasures, but football is much more interesting than the american equivalent, and got more nuances to it than just lighting someone up with a hit. American “football” is jsut a gladiator sport.
And the celebrations..its the equivalent of a touchdown celebration. Noone complains about that!
While we’re off subject enough to be talking about gladiator sports, I’ll put a word in for Aussie rules football, which really is a perfect high-contact sport.
When I watched Aussie football, it is a joke that how many protection gears American football players wear during games.
Talk about an anomaly….I can’t stand college football OR Nascar, and I’m from the south! I don’t like pro or college basketball, golf, soccer, hockey. I have an absurd passion for baseball (major and minor leagues), and I can tolerate pro football (American). If the Falcons don’t make the playoffs, which they didn’t, the time between the end of football and spring training is absolutely dead time to me. It’s torture, I tell you!
To help me through this time, I’m heading over to Rome on February 6th for their hot stove league meeting at the stadium. Marcus Giles and Jarod Saltalamacchia will both be there, as will Frank Wren, Dayton Moore, and the 2006 coaching staff of the Rome Braves. 25 bucks a ticket, but I’ve gotta have something!
Ilya is a great player, but he’s an ASSHOLE.
Growing up in Florida, I never learned to ice skate. It is not that I don’t understand on some level that NHL players are great athletes, I just have no appreciation fo what they are doing out there or the degree of difficulty of same. That, and the fact that half the goals scored seem to be off some kind of fluke, e.g. deflecting off another player’s skate, make hockey unwatchable for me. And soccer is just as bad.
Jenny,
Question one:
B-Maurice Clarett is the dumbest person ever. Vick is second
Question Two:
G-Roger Clinton to Bill CLinton
It is not ‘soccer’ only to us. The term orginated in the UK, not the US. We are also not the only ones to not call it ‘football’… Italians call it calcio. Also, you are posting on a Baseball site, where most everyone would call it soccer. Calling soccer, football, in america or football, soccer, in england doesn’t really make sense.
That said, comparing the game of Soccer to Football is really, short sighted. The games are very different, taking very different skills to be great.
As for hockey, let me echo the statement of.. if you don’t like hockey and have never been to a game then you owe it to yourself to go. Hockey easily is a game that is most different in person than on tv. Also someone mentioned ‘fluke’ goals.. there are fluke goals, but I would hardly call them common. Hockey is hugely fun at the game.
I get my prescription of nuance from baseball, my violence from football & hockey, my cultural amusement (and occasional sleep) from soccer.