Kuzul

Over the season, I’ve had to hear the media lament over key injuries. Surprisingly, when the unlucky injury-bugged teams are mentioned, the Atlanta Braves are normally overlooked.

For most baseball fans, they would look at you as if you were crazy if you mentioned that Braves have battled through several key injuries.  The Braves are believed to be lucky when it comes to the injury bug, with the exception of Chipper Jones.

I can’t blame them, since little has been mentioned about the Braves’ injuries. So far, they’ve lost Chipper Jones and Kris Medlen to season-ending injuries.  Jair Jurrjens, Eric O’Flaherty, and Matt Diaz have spent over a combined five months on the DL.  Those are pretty big losses for a team that relies heavily on pitching and situational hitting. 

Don’t forget that the Braves have lost production from players playing through injuries as well.  Jason Heyward and Troy Glaus are the best examples in this regard.  Key support players, such as David Ross and Takahashi Saito, have had to take time to heal as well.

This loss of quality pitching and offensive production is a pretty big challenge for any team. How well a team deals with these challenges is normally what separates great teams from good teams.

The 2010 Braves have faced these types of challenges better than anyone else in the NL.  That’s why they’ve been sitting in first place for the past two-and-a-half months.  It’s also why I feel we’ve yet to see the Atlanta Braves play their best baseball. 

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If Cooperstown is meant to be a place for players that demonstrate a certain standard and integrity, and in doing so serve as role models to others, Chipper Jones has my vote.

There has been some discussion about whether Chipper is Hall of Fame material or not, in light of the recent injury to his ACL and the potentially career-ending surgery that will be required. Among third basemen, he’s the all-time leader in slugging percentage and OPS and is third in home runs.

His stats among switch hitters boost his status even more—third all time in home runs and RBI with a nearly identical batting average against rightys and lefties. 

But is this reason enough? Should hitters be measured relative to all other hitters rather than a particular subset? While Chipper has consistently produced impressive stats at the plate throughout his career, he is rarely a league leader or even among the top 10 percent in significant batting categories.

Still, there is value in his contributions as a switch hitter—to be able to produce consistently from both sides of the plate is a pretty commendable feat in and of itself, not to mention the fact that it forces opposing teams to rethink their strategies when bringing in rightys versus lefties from the bullpen.

And, given his permanence with the Braves organization throughout his entire 15 year career, he has played an important leadership role, acting as the face of the franchise and a pillar of consistency through the team’s identity changes over the years. 

Not to mention the fact that on numerous occasions, Chipper agreed to smaller contracts with the Braves when he had more lucrative opportunities.  as a free agent so that he could stay with the team, and resources could be used to build it up with other prospects. 

A player’s value stretches beyond the output produced in measurable stats; there is a reason we hold Ken Griffey, Jr., Derek Jeter, and Chipper Jones to a certain esteem as compared to other players with similar or better stats.

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Is Chipper Jones bound for Cooperstown?

Don’t answer just yet—think for a moment. No knee-jerk reactions because he did this or didn’t do that.

He is on the DL now, and his season is apparently over. Many think his career is over as well.

Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones has had a fantastic 17 year career (thus far) with the Atlanta Braves. He is one of the now nearly extinct players to have done all their time in the same place.

It was clearly more frequent before Curt Flood raised the curtain on the quasi-slavery that the owners held over the players.

That 17-year tenure is exceptional, but obviously that alone doesn’t make one Hall of Fame worthy. Just ask Bernie Williams.

I personally love Jones and think he should be a first ballot walk-in. In fact, I rated him the second best Switch Hitter in the history of baseball.  But, I want to remain objective in this article and allow you to decide for yourselves after being shown the facts.

Let us examine his statistics

Only Mickey Mantle, Lance Berkman, and Roy Cullenbine (who?) have a higher career OBP (.405) among switch-hitters than Jones.

Frankie Frisch is the only switch-hitter in the history of MLB to have a higher career BA than Jones at .306. Another year like this one, and he will be forced, like Mickey Mantle, to watch his career average slip below the .300 mark.

He comes in third on the all-time HR list for switch-hitters, trailing only Mantle and fellow Hall of Famer Eddie Murray at 436, 37th among all players.

He trails Murray and Mantle in career RBI at 1491, 52nd on the all-time list.

In hits, he doesn’t fair quite as well, ranking 8th among switch-hitters with 2,490.

For you Sabermetic junkies, his WAR of 8o puts him behind only Mickey Mantle among switch-hitters, 36th overall. His career OPS+ of 142 is only eighth among active players.

How about awards?

He was MVP in 1999 when he batted .319 with 45 HR, 110 RBI, and 116 runs scored. He also won two Silver Slugger Awards.

In 2008, he won the National League batting title with an average of .364 and had the highest OBP in the league at .470

He was named to six All-Star teams.  In 20 post-season series, he has an average of .288/.411/.459 with 13 HR and 47 RBI.

I was actually surprised that he didn’t win more awards than he did, or lead the league in any more categories.

If you apply the yardstick of yesteryear to his numbers, he doesn’t quite make the grade. Don’t cuss me, just keep reading.

The number 500 used to be a barometer of which, if surpassed, would land you in the Hall of Fame. Of course, that no longer holds water. It didn’t mean you had to have 500, but anybody that did was enshrined. His 436 HR is anemic compared to others.

Another number is 1500 RBI. Again, he pulls in a little short.

Total hits required to get in used to be 3000. If you got 3000, they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) keep you out. Nobody that hit safely 3000 times (and was eligible) was left out. He is well short of that mystic number as well.

In summary, has he done enough to land himself in the Hall of Fame? Forget the fact that he is a switch-hitter—I don’t believe they award extra points for that.

He never lead the league in HR, RBI, hits, runs, or anything other than BA, OPS, and OPS+.

The Baseball Writers Association of America needs some criterion developed for admittance. Whether they like a player or not, whether a player snubbed them their entire career or not should have no consequence on their fitness to be admitted into the Hall of Fame.

It is not a place for Altar Boys or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir unless they can play excellent baseball. What goes on outside the white lines should have NO bearing whatsoever on a players report when being evaluated for the Hall of Fame.

So, again I ask you—is Chipper Jones going to be enshrined in Cooperstown?

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While most 38 year old third basemen with 17 MLB seasons under their belts would probably call it a career after tearing their ACL with fifty games left in the season, Chipper Jones is going to rehab his injury with spring training in mind. How Jones’ body reacts will remain to be seen, but this comeback is a must.

Jones is the career active National League home run leader with 436, he has two years left on his contract and averages 31 homers a year, putting him at 498 if he hits his average for the remaining years of the contract. He is the active leader in hits with 2490, runs scored with 1505, 1491 RBI, and 4365 total bases. He is second in doubles with 493.

While Jones will no doubt be entering the Hall of Fame one day, he will be putting himself in the elite of the elite class of first ballot Hall of Famer if he comes back and hits his career average in the categories listed above. He is on the cusp of some mind blowing numbers, and all this in the National League where finishing off his career as a designated hitter is not an option.

It’s common knowledge how competitive athletes are and how important numbers are in baseball. This is why I feel that Chipper Jones is making the right decision in trying to come back.

Please keep in mind that this is being written by a Phillies’ fan who just happens to truly enjoy a classy ball player from any team.

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The Atlanta Braves heard some really bad news yesterday when they learned that 3B Chipper Jones will miss the remainder of the season because of a torn ligament in his left knee. Jones hurt the knee fielding a ground ball in Tuesday night’s game against the Houston Astros.

I actually watched the injury when it happened, and it looked ugly on TV. Jones backhanded a ball down the third base line and attempted to make a Derek Jeter-like throw to first.

Jones pulled off the play with perfection but landed awkwardly on his feet. It looked like his leg straightened out and he hyperextended his knee. Jones went down immediately.

Unfortunately for the Braves and their fans, Jones went down and went down for the count. Jones tore his ACL and will require surgery on that knee. At the age of 38, Jones may now be facing the end of his career.

Jones talked about retirement earlier in the season, and you have to wonder if at his age he wants to go through rehab that might take six months. My guess is that Jones will take the offseason to figure things out, see how the rehab is going, and also see what type of team the Braves will field in 2011.

If Jones does indeed retire, he will go down as one of the greatest switch-hitters of all time and will be a sure-fire Hall of Famer. He won the NL MVP award in 1999, and if it hadn’t been for a myriad of injuries, Jones could have ended his career with 3,000 hits and 500 HRs.

Unless the Braves make a move on the waiver wire, look for them to use Brooks Conrad and Omar Infante at third.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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With the news breaking on Thursday that Chipper Jones was done for the 2010 season and, potentially, his career with a torn ACL, the Braves found themselves without some sense of certainty at the hot corner for the first time in nearly sixteen years.

Mark Twain once said: “A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away.  He must have time to modify his shape.”

But, you know what?

The Braves don’t have any men that are really square enough to fit into the hole left behind by the veteran switch-hitter…no one’s had to be shaped into that mold with the stature of the 38-year-old Jones.

And they don’t have the time to allow one of their round pegs to modify their shape.

So, the question for the Braves right now is simple: Who is going to be thrust into the square hole at third base?

On the waiver wire, names like Chone Figgins, Edwin Encarnacion, and Jose Lopez would all have to pass through all of the American League and the majority of the National League before the Braves would have an opportunity to claim them (and, even then, trade partners would likely have pretty high demands since they would know the Braves’ desperation).

And since the options down on the farm don’t exactly scream “excitement,” (Brandon Hicks, though an amazing talent in the field, lacks the bat to play regularly in the Majors; Wes Timmons is a 30-year-old career Minor Leaguer with a .964 FLD% in 104 games at third in AAA; Freddie Freeman is an amazing option if Troy Glaus moves to third…but Glaus’ running is painful to watch, so I’d imagine that his defense at the hot corner would induce a similar effect; Joe Thurston has posted a .255/.303/.376 line at AAA with the majority of his time coming at 2B) we’ll focus on the three big names currently on the big league roster 

Brooks Conrad, despite his occasional defensive brilliance and title of “Captain Clutch,” is best utilized as a bench player (at least for the time being) and has struggled when given starting opportunities in 2010 (as would be expected from a guy that has a mindset of “hack, hack, hack”).

So I think we can eliminate him from the list of contenders right off the bat (although he will, in my opinion, be a valuable asset off the bench to fill in at 2B and 3B down the stretch in the scenario I will reveal momentarily).

So, that leaves Omar Infante and the soon-to-be activated Martin Prado as the two candidates for the hot corner (with the other playing second base…so we’ll run with this theory).

Prado has shown great improvement with the glove at second base with increased playing time, but UZR likes Prado as a third baseman (3.2) more than as a second baseman (-10.1)…that’s not to say that UZR is the be-all, end-all of all types of defensive profiling–it’s just going to be our base for comparison here.

And while UZR doesn’t love Omar Infante at second (-2.5), the way things would swing with Prado at third (where Omar is at 1.0), the Braves would be at their best defensively.

And by phrasing that last paragraph in the way I did…I’ll go ahead and cut to the chase and say that I think that Martin Prado should be the Atlanta Braves’ third baseman when he returns from the disabled list sometime at the beginning of next week.

So, that brings us to our next question concerning this new-ish (since Chipper has been on-and-off the DL for years now) issue: How does the line-up set-up now?

After all, the Braves just lost the guy that’s been batting third in the line-up since 2005 (the year after JD Drew left Atlanta) and no one, obviously, has much experience being “that guy.”

In that spot, you, ideally, want a guy that’s going to be hitting for a fairly high average with a ton of doubles and a ton of hard line drives to move guys first-to-third for the four- and five guys.

With the choices at hand, you have to like Jason Heyward and Martin Prado…Heyward for the ability to hit balls hard all over the field and Prado for his average and gap power.

With those two guys/thoughts in mind, this is the line-up I’d put on the field if I were a grumpy old man with a No. 6 on my back (joke):

Since four-through-eight here is largely unchanged, I’ll offer a fairly brief explanation of why I chose the 1-2-3 punch that I listed for the Braves.

By sliding Prado into the three-hole, even though Jason Heyward will likely have that spot in 2011, you give a nice doubles-hitter two very nice OBP guys in front of him and a pretty strong home run threat directly behind him. 

While the presence of Chipper Jones in the middle of the line-up was nice, this line-up loses virtually nothing in terms of offense (Chipper’s line for ’10 will go down in the books at .265/.381/.426) besides a name.

It’ll be sad if this is indeed the end of Chipper Jones‘ career, and the hole he (potentially) leaves behind pertaining to leadership and “plate presence” will be tough to replace.

But, even though the Braves are in the thick of a playoff race and will be forced to do some “on the job training” with whoever takes over the third base job, this team is equipped to move up, up, and away into the future.

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Here is a potential opportunity for Cubs GM Jim Hendry to take advantage of a first-place team by tempting them with an injury-prone and overpaid third baseman who may interest a team like the Braves, who are trying to win a World Series in manager Bobby Cox’ last season.

We all know that Hendry needs payroll flexibility and while Ramirez has had an awful season, his track record, assuming he’s healthy, could actually interest another team.

Chipper Jones is out for the season with a torn ACL, and if the Cubs place Ramirez on waivers, the Braves could have him if they take on his remaining salary — no players in return are necessary.

So who would play third base for the Cubs next season if this happens?

Who cares?

The team is not going to be a contender anyway so they might as well either promote Josh Vitters to join likely new manager Ryne Sandberg or they could sign someone like Adrian Beltre with the money they would be saving by moving the bloated contract of Ramirez. 

Ramirez has a $14.6 million player option that he is certain to pick up after the season, given his .228/.286/.423 slash this season. He will also be owed a $2 million buyout for 2012 and a one million assignment bonus if traded.

Will the Braves be stupid enough to do this?

Maybe not, but it’s worth a try since teams often do desperate things in a pennant race, especially when they are trying to win in Bobby Cox’ last season as a manager.

Perhaps being in the playoff hunt will rejuvenate Ramirez, who knows? Sure, it’s somewhat far-fetched, but with salaries owed to guys like Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano for a long time, Hendry needs to consider almost anything that will bring salary relief.

Meanwhile, the Braves could use Eric Hinske, the former Cub, at third, along with Martin Prado and Omar Infante. If they choose to go outside the organization for help at the hot corner, Chone Figgens and Brandon Inge could be available.

But the Cubs need to at least do their due diligence and kick the tires on the possibility of moving Ramirez.

Hendry’s desire to win, to impress new owner Tom Ricketts, along with his irrational belief that his team is close to being a contender next season, will unfortunately prevent this from happening. That is yet another reason Hendry should have been fired already.

A new GM having Ricketts’ blessing to rebuild the club would be much more willing to make a bold move like this.

It may be a moot point given Atlanta’s reputation as sharp talent evaluators, but again, why not at least give this a try?

Oh yes, I forgot, Hendry is good friends with Ramirez. Never mind.

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In the Atlanta Braves recent win over the Houston Astros, longtime third baseman Chipper Jones tore his left ACL and will need season-ending surgery to repair it.

Right off the bat, this leaves the Braves (and Jones) with many questions. While the long term question facing Jones may be about retirement (which I go into more detail about here), the short term focus for Atlanta is on finding a capable replacement for Chipper.

With the trade deadline already passed, I’m not sure that the Braves would be able to make a deal for anyone better than the players currently on their bench, and they would be wise to simply look within the organization.

Omar Infante/Brooks Conrad

The obvious solution to Chipper’s injury is to replace him with some combination of Infante and Conrad. For the next week, this would be primarily Conrad (as Infante has been filling in for the injured Martin Prado). In the long run, the two would share time, while Infante would also continue to back up other positions for Atlanta.

The drawback to this solution is that the Braves lose some of the talent off of their bench, which may be the best in the league. Infante is an All-Star utility player who is invaluable to the Braves, and nobody else on the Braves roster would be able to back up so many positions.

Conrad has also been a huge boost to the bench, hitting multiple grand slams and giving the bench a power bat that it has lacked in recent years.

Wes Timmons

Half of you might be saying, “Who?” right now.

Surprisingly, Timmons has been in the organization longer than most of the guys currently on the Atlanta roster. Now in his ninth professional season (all within Atlanta’s minor league system), Timmons has proved himself a capable hitter and on-base machine in AAA.

Thus far in 2010, Timmons has compiled a .289/.397/.402 line in Gwinnett. Although he has little power (the same can be said about Infante), Wes has a great career minor league on-base percentage (.382), something that can’t be said about Conrad or Infante.

Over the past two seasons in AAA, Timmons has proved he deserves a shot at the major league level, and the injury to Chipper might finally give him a chance.

Glaus to Third, Freeman to First

I’ll admit, this idea may be somewhat of a stretch. But first baseman Troy Glaus has spent the majority of his career playing third base, and he might be able to switch back to third and allow the Braves to call up Freddie Freeman.

While many could (and will) make the case that Freeman deserves to be starting over Glaus, it would appear that Bobby Cox will continue to be loyal to Glaus, and this may be the only way to get the Braves top hitting prospect to the majors.

In 2010, Freeman has a .305/.367/.506 line in AAA (and he is only 20 right now) and was ranked 20th in Baseball America’s mid-season prospect list.

What Will Happen

If I had to guess, I would say the Braves will simply let Infante and Conrad split time at third base for the remainder of the season, which probably will be the best for the Braves.

I’m hoping that Wes Timmons will get called up to Atlanta, although the Braves will likely just keep Diory Hernandez on the roster after Martin Prado returns from his injury.

While I like the third option because it gets Freeman to the majors (and the Braves could use a power bat at this point) I don’t really like the thought of putting Glaus at third base. Ideally, Glaus would be benched and Freeman could start at first, but that doesn’t seem to be an option that Braves management wants to pursue.

While nobody will be able to replace the leadership that Chipper had in the clubhouse, Infante and Conrad are capable backups (heck, Infante was an All-Star and Chipper wasn’t) and the Braves would be wise to use this opportunity to give them more playing time.

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Atlanta Braves fans everywhere are in a sudden state of shock.

Chipper Jones, the face of the Atlanta Braves franchise and the last link to “The team of the 90’s,” will miss the rest of the 2010 season and has possibly played his last game as an Atlanta Brave.

When people think about the Atlanta Braves, the first name that comes to mind is Chipper Jones and the second name that comes to mind is Bobby Cox. It now seems like the Atlanta Braves will be without both at the conclusion of the 2010 season.

Jones hinted at the possibility of retirement in June. Since then, he batted .307 with seven home runs and fans became optimistic that Chipper would be returning for one more season.

That optimism has disappeared and been replaced by the realization that one of the best Braves to ever live, a first-ballot hall of famer, may never step up the plate again.

Chipper Jones will always be remembered as one of the best players to ever play the game. He ranks third in home runs by a switch hitter, right behind hall of famers Eddie Murray and Mickey Mantle.

Chipper’s .306 career batting average is higher than some of the best players in history (Pete Rose, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron…) Chipper is a five-time All Star, the 1999 NL MVP, a batting champion, and a world champion.

To say that Chipper Jones belongs in Cooperstown is an understatement.

Chipper’s accomplishments and records go on forever, but Chipper Jones is more than a line of stats or a name in the record books.

Chipper is a leader. He is a role model. He is a presence. When “Crazy Train” starts playing at Turner Field, we all stand and cheer and when Chipper Jones speaks, we all sit down and listen.

The most likely replacements for Chipper at third base will be clutch Brooks Conrad and the All Star Omar Infante. Plus, don’t be surprised if the Braves call up minor league slugger, Freddie Freeman to share time with Troy Glaus at first base and give Eric Hinske some time at third.

The Braves will still be able to contend with the three utility men playing third, but there is just no replacing the legendary Chipper Jones.

If indeed Chipper does call it quits, next season will be the Braves’ first season without their beloved third baseman in 17 years.

This is more than losing a team leader. This is the loss of the last link of one of the greatest dynasties in the history of baseball and it could not have happened more suddenly.

Braves fans everywhere are wishing that this incredible play never happened.

Although this injury will undoubtedly be a huge blow for the Atlanta Braves and their chances for the postseason, it will also motivate the team even more.

The rest of the season is not only for Bobby Cox, but now the Braves will be encouraged to win for the skipper and for the Chipper.

This article is also featured on Sports Haze.

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This is what Baseball is all about! This season is shaping up to have some phenomenal finishes.

With only 1 division in baseball having more that a 3 game lead atop the division this is sure to be one historic finish. 

The Wild Card spots are all but decided with only 1 game separating teams in the NL and only 4 in the AL.

With divisional races this close, and this much drama coming down to the end, it is guaranteed to be one hell of a finish!

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