Chipper Jones

Explore about the Famous Baseball Player Chipper Jones, who was born in United States on April 24, 1972. Analyze Chipper Jones’s net worth, age, bio, birthday, dating, height-weight, wiki. Investigate who is Chipper Jones dating now? Look into this article to know how old is Chipper Jones?

Chipper Jones Biography

Former MLB third baseman who played his entire 19-year career with the Atlanta Braves, hitting 468 career home runs while winning the 1999 National League MVP award and the 2008 NL batting title. He helped lead the Braves to a World Series Championship in 1995.

He got his nickname from his family, who saw him as a chip off the old block, referring to his father.

He was named to 8 National League All-Star teams from 1996 to 2012.

He was born Larry Wayne Jones Jr. He has five sons, one with his first wife, Karin Fulford, and three with his second wife, Sharon Logonov. Following their divorce, he married model Taylor Higgins, who gave birth to his fifth son, Cutler, in January 2017.

Star pitcher Tom Glavine was named MVP of the 1995 World Series, where Jones and the Braves defeated the Cleveland Indians in 6 games.

Chipper Jones was born in DeLand, Florida, on April 24, 1972. His father, Larry Wayne Jones, Sr., was a teacher and coach at T. DeWitt Taylor High School in Pierson, the same high school Jones would later attend and play baseball. His mother is Lynne Jones. Jones received the nickname “Chipper” from his father and other family members, who saw the younger Larry as a “chip off the old block.” He showed an early love for baseball predominantly because of his father’s position as coach, and began to play Little League teams at age 7.

Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and current analyst. Jones was the Atlanta Braves’ number one overall pick in the 1990 MLB draft and their primary third baseman from 1995 to 2012 (with the exception of 2002–2003 when he primarily played left field). He was also a member of their 1995 World Series championship that beat the Cleveland Indians. An eight-time All-Star, Jones won the 1999 National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Award and the 1999 and 2000 NL Silver Slugger Award for third basemen. He was the MLB batting champion in 2008 after hitting .364.

The Atlanta Braves selected Jones as the first pick overall in the 1990 Major League Baseball draft and signed him to a contract with a $275,000 signing bonus. Atlanta expressed a desire to select pitcher Todd Van Poppel as the first pick; however, Van Poppel explicitly stated that he would not sign with the Braves. Atlanta then selected Jones, who played shortstop at the time.

In 1991, Jones played with the Macon Braves, Atlanta’s class-A minor league affiliate. His average was .326 following 473 at bats, with 24 doubles, 11 triples, 15 home runs, 40 steals, 69 walks, and 79 strikeouts; however, he received criticism after making 56 errors at the shortstop position.

Jones met his first wife, Karin Fulford, while he was playing with the Braves class A affiliate in Macon, Georgia. The couple married in 1992 and divorced in 2000, after it was revealed that Jones had an 18-month extramarital affair with a Hooters waitress that produced a son, Matthew, born in 1998.

Jones moved up to the Durham Bulls, the Braves’ class A-advanced minor league team, in 1992. Jones’s average was .277 after 70 games; he was then moved to double-A Greenville Braves where he cut his error total from 56 in the previous season to only 32.

Chipper Jones debuted on September 11, 1993, as the youngest player in the league. In 1994, he was expected to compete for the starting left field job after veteran Ron Gant broke his leg during an offseason dirt bike accident. However, Jones suffered an ACL tear in his left knee in spring training. As a result, he spent the entire strike shortened 1994 season on the disabled list.

In 1995, Jones led all major league rookies in RBIs (86), games played (145), games started (123), plate appearances (602), at bats (524), and runs scored (87). That year, he finished second in the Baseball Writers’ Rookie of the Year balloting behind Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo. In addition to achieving a level of personal success, Jones participated in the 1995 World Series, in which the Braves won in six games over the Cleveland Indians. He also participated in the 1996 World Series, in which the Braves lost to the New York Yankees in six games.

Jones finished the season 1st in the NL in times reached base on an error (14) and in OPS (1.029), 2nd in batting average (.337), and 3rd in OBP (.425) and SLG (.604). He was also sixth in MVP voting, his highest finish since winning the award in 1999.

In 1999, Jones won the National League MVP award after becoming the first player ever to hit over .300 (.319) while slugging 40 or more home runs (45; 3rd in the NL) and doubles (41), drawing 100 or more walks (126; 3rd in the league), notching 100 or more RBI (110) and runs scored (116), and stealing 20 or more bases (25). Ironically, Jones was not selected for the MLB All-Star game that year. He was also walked intentionally 18 times; 2nd in the league, and his .633 slugging percentage was 4th best in the NL. A major factor in his selection as MVP was his performance against the Braves’ chief competitors, the New York Mets. The Braves led the National League East by only one game as they entered a three-game September series against the Mets, the team that was right on their heels. Atlanta swept the series at Turner Field, though, largely thanks to Jones, who hit four home runs and drove in seven of the thirteen runs that the Braves scored. For the season, he hit .319 with a .510 on-base percentage, a 1.000 slugging percentage, and seven home runs against the Mets. During the 1999 NLCS, Jones drew the ire of Mets fans by saying, “Now, all the Mets fans can go home and put their Yankees’ stuff on.” In the playoffs, Jones led the Braves to the World Series against the New York Yankees, in which the Braves were swept.

Jones signed a six-year, $90 million deal in 2000. Jones batted .330 in 2001, 5th best in the league, and led the league with a .349 road batting average. On his 29th birthday, he hit two home runs. On defense, however, his range factor of 2.14 placed him last among the regular major league third basemen who qualified for the fielding ranking.

In 2001, a season of flux for the Braves who had won consecutive division titles since their 1995 World Series victory, Jones was involved in a public “lingering feud” with former teammate John Rocker. Rocker referred to Jones on the radio by saying “Chip’s white trash” and “as two-faced as they came.” By late June, the two claimed the feud had been put to bed.

Before the start of the 2002 season, Jones announced his willingness to move from third base to left field, to make room for the incoming Vinny Castilla. Jones proved adequate in left field, but following two more early playoff exits in 2002 and 2003, a hamstring pull in the early 2004 season and then 3rd baseman Mark DeRosa’s struggles, he moved back to his regular position of third base.

In 2002, he batted .327, again 5th best in the NL. Jones was 3rd in the league with a .435 on-base percentage. On August 16, 2004, he hit the 300th home run of his career in a 5–4 victory over the San Diego Padres. Following the 2005 season, Jones reworked his contract with the Braves—freeing up money for the Braves to pursue elite free agents, while virtually assuring he would end his career in Atlanta. The revamped deal gave the Braves $15 million over the course of the next three years, as well as $6 million to use in 2006. The new deal also converted two final team option years to guaranteed contracts.

On July 15, 2006, Jones recorded his 1,902nd career hit, to become the Atlanta Braves’ all-time hits leader, passing Hank Aaron. The next day he hit a home run to extend his extra-base hitting streak to 14 games, matching the Major League record set by Pittsburgh’s Paul Waner in 1927. A month later, on August 14, Jones had his first career three home run game. Jones homered in his final three at bats in the Braves’ 10–4 win over the Washington Nationals, finishing the night 4-for-5 with 5 RBI. ESPN named Chipper Jones the Burger King ‘King of the Night’ for this performance.

The 2006 season was one of numerous milestones for Jones. On June 10, he became the Atlanta Braves’ all-time RBI leader when he drove in his 1,144th run against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park, passing former outfielder Dale Murphy and placing Jones third on the franchise’s all-time list (including Braves teams based in Boston and Milwaukee), behind Hank Aaron (2,202) and Eddie Mathews (1,388).

Jones was selected to play in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic (along with Braves teammates Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann). He hit a home run in his first at bat of the Classic against Mexico off of Atlanta Braves teammate Óscar Villarreal, who was with the team from 2006 to 2007. Jones went 6–17 with a double and two home runs in the tournament.

He opened the Chipper Jones’s 10th Inning Baseball Academy in Suwanee, Georgia, in late 2007.

Jones performed well both offensively and defensively during the 2007 season. On June 16, he hit a single in the second inning against the Cleveland Indians for his 2,000th career hit. On July 5, Jones tied and passed Braves legend Dale Murphy for first on the all-time Atlanta Braves home run list when he hit his 371st and 372nd home runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. This game was also the first time he hit homers from both sides of the plate since 2000. The next day, he had his 400th career double in the ninth inning against San Diego Padres pitcher Kevin Cameron, who had previously only allowed one extra-base hit all year. On July 29, Jones matched a career-high with 5 RBIs as the Braves shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks 14–0. He accomplished the feat again on August 23 against the Cincinnati Reds. In the fifth inning of an August 9 game at Shea Stadium, Jones hit a towering three-run homer to right field off Mets starter John Maine. It would later be measured at 470 feet (140 m).

In 2008, Jones released a charity wine called “Chipper Chardonnay”, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the Miracle League, an organization serving children with disabilities.

In 2008, Jones tied an MLB record for most consecutive 20+ home run seasons to start a career (14).

Jones began the 2008 season where he left off in 2007, hitting over .400 in April while slugging 7 home runs. He also had back-to-back games in which he hit two home runs. Despite these accomplishments, he ultimately lost the NL Player of the Month award in April to Chase Utley. On June 13, Jones was hitting .414 with 15 home runs, but his average dropped to .393 by June 22.

In 2009, Jones led all major league third basemen in errors, with 22, and had the lowest fielding percentage of any starting major league third baseman (.930).

In 2009, he was ranked #10 on the Sporting News’ list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball. A panel of 100 baseball people, many of them members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards, were polled to compile at the list.

On March 31, 2009, Jones agreed to a three-year $42 million contract extension with the Braves; the deal includes an option that could become worth up to $61 million over four seasons. On May 28, against the Giants and Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, Jones struck out four times in one game for the first time in his career.

In December 2008, Jones accepted an invitation to play for the USA team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He played alongside teammate Brian McCann. Jones was scratched from an elimination game in the 2009 World Baseball Classic after straining his right oblique muscle, while playing for team USA. The announcement came an hour before the game was to be played against team Netherlands. As reported by CBC News on March 13, 2009, Jones criticized Toronto and the play schedule of the World Baseball Classic.

In December 2008, Jones accepted an invitation to play for the USA team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He played alongside teammate Brian McCann. Jones was scratched from an elimination game in the 2009 World Baseball Classic after straining his right oblique muscle, while playing for team USA. The announcement came an hour before the game was to be played against team Netherlands. As reported by CBC News on March 13, 2009, Jones criticized Toronto and the play schedule of the World Baseball Classic.

On August 12, 2011, Jones hit a three-run homer against the Chicago Cubs for his 1000th extra base hit. On August 19, 2011, Jones confirmed that he would return for the 2012 season, the final year on his contract, thus ending ongoing speculation about his possible retirement. On August 31, 2011, Jones hit his 450th career home run off John Lannan of the Washington Nationals.

Jones suffered from a torn meniscus in his right knee for much of the first half of the 2011 season, and received Cortisone shots in an attempt to manage the pain. When this became ineffective, he elected to undergo arthroscopic surgery and was placed on the disabled list on July 9, 2011. He returned to the lineup on July 25.

On April 8, 2011, Jones hit his 2,500th base hit in the Braves’ home opener versus the Philadelphia Phillies. His former manager Bobby Cox was in attendance. On April 13, 2011, he recorded his 1,500th RBI, against the Florida Marlins, with a solo home run off Randy Choate. On April 26, 2011, Chipper recorded his 500th double against the San Diego Padres. He also tied Mickey Mantle for second most RBIs all time by a switch hitter; Jones passed Mantle for sole possession of second place all-time on April 27, 2011 (with 1,512 RBI) after a 3-run stand up triple, helping the Braves beat the San Diego Padres 7–0.

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