Full Name : Larry Wayne Jones Jr.
Born : April 24, 1972
Hometown : DeLand, Florida
Height : 6' 4
Weight : 210 lbs
Bats : Switch
Throws : Right
Major League Baseball debut : September 11, 1993 for the Atlanta Braves
Family : wife, Sharon; children, Larry Wayne III (Trey), Tristen, Shea
Primary Position : Third baseman
Well there have been many successful third basemen in Major League Baseball history, very few have played at the skill level of Chipper Jones. Born April 24, 1972, in Deland, Florida, Jones was fortunate enough to play baseball year-round as a youngster. His capabilities as an athlete did not go unnoticed; Jones was selected as the first overall pick in the 1990 amateur draft by the Atlanta Braves. The Atlanta organization was excited to have in on board their ship, but things didn't go according to plan right away.
After making a few appearances in the 1993 season, Jones was sidelined for the whole next year after suffering from an ACL tear in his left knee. The impact of Atlanta's highly-touted prospect would unfortunately have to be halted, and the organization was fearful that he would not be able to return in healthy condition.
Chipper felt that he was ready to come back in the 1995 season, and there is no question that he proved all of the doubters wrong. That year, he ended up leading all major league rookies with 86 RBI. This was in addition to the 23 homers that he belted, showing off his power stroke at the plate. Chipper became a legitimate rookie of the year candidate, but fell short when he finished in second place in the balloting to the Dodgers' Hideo Nomo.
Chipper became the everyday third baseman for the Atlanta Braves, and fans soon learned why he was a number one draft pick. In each season from 1996-2003, Jones drove in 100+ RBI's and hit at least 20 homers, giving the Braves organization something to be excited about. He went on to win one of his most notable honors in 1999 when he was named the National League Most Valuable Player. During that season Jones demonstrated that he was capable of succeeding in several aspects of the game, as he pounded an outstanding 45 homers, drove in 110 RBI's, and swiped 25 stolen bases. He also struck out only 94 times, showing that he was able to work the count and get on base. Well he played a prominent role in leading the Atlanta Braves to the World Series that season, they would unfortunately go on to get swept by the New York Yankees.
The Atlanta organization grew very appreciative of Jones' presence in the clubhouse, and they had every reason to feel this way. Aside from his MVP season in 1999, Jones has been selected to the National League All Star Team during five separate seasons (1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001) and has won the National League Silver Slugger Award twice in his career (1999, 2000). Even more astonishing is the fact that Jones has finished in the top ten in Most Valuable Player voting on five separate occasions. Chipper has one World Series ring with the Atlanta Braves (1995), and there is no doubt that he was a key to the Braves' undisputed success throughout the 1990's.
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