Atlanta Braves legend Chipper Jones has served as a hitting consultant for the team in recent years, and it seems that it has been one of the most frustrating times of his distinguished career in MLB.
The Braves franchise has many legendary figures that have worn the team’s uniforms. But few are as beloved as Larry Wayne Jones, AKA Chipper Jones. The eight-time All-Star is one of the greatest winners the team has ever seen. And Atlanta only has three losing seasons over his 19-year run with the team.
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The 2018 Baseball Hall-of-Famer ended his career in 2012 and transitioned to a broadcast role with the organization. However, three years ago he was given the opportunity to have a more in-depth role when he was hired as a hitting consultant.
The move was understandable since Jones is in the top three all-time in many hitting categories for the team, including hits and home runs. However, it seems that the decision to take on the new role has led to one of the most frustrating periods of Chipper Jones’ career in baseball.
Chipper Jones stats (Career): .303 AVG, .401 OBP, .529 SLG, .930 OBP, 468 HR, 1,623 RBI, 1,619 R
Atlanta Braves great Chipper Jones rants on hitting styles of current players
“I’m old school man, and it’s not going away. Working with the Braves for the last couple of years has been very frustrating,” Jones said recently on the “Casa de Klub” podcast. “Can’t stand giving away outs. I can’t stand strikeouts. Can’t deal with a guy on third, less than two outs, and hitting a ground ball to shortstop or second base.
“I can’t stand every once in a while not laying down a bunt for your best hitters. A hundred RBIs? So what. This is truly a ‘chicks dig the long ball’ kind of era.”
It truly is a very different time in the sport compared to when Jones wore an Atlanta Braves uniform. Strikeouts are at an all-time high and batting averages are far lower. Players hitting over .300 are more of an anomaly instead of the norm. And hitting home runs has become a huge focus of offensive strategies throughout the league.
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