Friday, July 21, 2006
Chipper's July reviving Braves
07/20/2006
ST. LOUIS -- With every swing of his bat, Chipper Jones is creating memories of the dominant July that he enjoyed seven years ago. It was a torrid month that propelled him through an amazing second half and toward his 1999 National League Most Valuable Player Award.
Seven years later, Jones has once again put the Braves' offense on his back. He has begun the second half on a pace that has some believing he could be in line for his second MVP award.
"In 1999, he had an incredible month and single-handedly beat the Mets like six times," Jones' longtime teammate John Smoltz said. "This is ridiculous. This is a streak that could ultimately put him in the same category again this year."
Smoltz references Jones' September that season, when the third baseman hit .298 with 11 homers -- including four in three days against the Met -- a .430 on-base percentage and a .690 slugging percentage. Because a lot of that production ended the Mets' NL East title hopes -- they won the Wild Card, instead -- many simply remember that month when thinking about his MVP campaign.
But although impressive, that September is far from being the greatest month of Jones' career. In July of that season, he'd hit .412 with 11 homers, 28 RBIs, a .558 on-base percentage and a .913 slugging percentage.
But if Jones is able to maintain his current pace, this July could be remembered as one of the most dominant months ever produced by a Major Leaguer. In the 13 games he's played so far this month, Jones has batted .547 with seven homers, 20 RBIs, a .613 on-base percentage and 1.094 slugging percentage.
"What he's doing right now, is something I haven't seen from any baseball player," Braves All-Star catcher Brian McCann said. "He's carrying us on his back, and everybody else is picking their games up because of him."
Jones leads all Major Leaguers in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage this month. He ranks third in RBIs behind Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and teammate Andruw Jones, who has compiled 23 of his National League-leading 88 RBIs in the 15 games he's played in July. Not surprisingly, Andruw Jones' best run-producing month this season has come while batting behind the game's hottest hitter.
"When you get Chipper swinging the bat the way he's been swinging it lately, it's tough to beat us," said Andruw Jones, who has seen his team rebound from its June struggles to win 11 of its first 15 games this month.
It has already been a record-filled month for Chipper Jones, who matched a career high by extending his hitting streak to 19 games Wednesday. Last weekend, he surpassed Dale Murphy to become the all-time hits leader in Atlanta Braves history.
But his most impressive accomplishment came when he recorded an extra-base hit in 14 consecutive games, matching a Major League record set by Hall of Famer Paul Waner in 1927. Since Chipper Jones' streak was snapped on Monday, he's come back with an extra-base hit in both of the past two games.
"I think the only other guy who could do something like that would be [St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols]," Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "It's a lot of hitting and it's a lot damage."
When Murphy visited the Braves clubhouse in St. Louis on Wednesday, he congratulated Chipper Jones for grabbing a piece of the Major League record that hadn't been touched for 79 years.
"That's just amazing when you think guys like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Hank Aaron never did that," Murphy said. "I forgot to even congratulate on him on the Atlanta record. But that's just something I always expected that he'd do."
From the time Chipper Jones burst on the scene as a rookie for the 1995 Braves world championship team, he's proven to be something special. But while battling foot and leg ailments the previous two seasons, he was incapable of providing the production he has over the past three weeks.
"It's nice to be able to step into the box and know you have everything that you need to be successful," said Chipper Jones, who battled a bad hamstring in 2004 and a left foot injury that sidelined him for six weeks and plagued him throughout much of last year.
At the beginning of this month, Chipper Jones' right foot began bothering him in the same manner as the left foot did last year. An MRI revealed the same injury, but on a lesser scale. Since missing three starts, he's come back to hit .553.
With most of his at-bats coming from the left side of the plate, the veteran switch-hitter is fortunate that the latest ailment is in his right foot. Last year, his left foot was affected, and he wasn't able to push off, causing him to lose power and often swing off-balance.
With the baseball gods smiling upon him, Chipper Jones has had just five at-bats from the right side of the plate this month. Being as hot as he is, he's still managed to record three hits in those appearances against left-handed pitchers. But since getting a cortisone shot just before the All-Star break, he's had no discomfort in the foot.
"Now I feel good and my swing just happens to be right there," said Chipper Jones, who has raised his batting average from .270 to .337 during his current 19-game hitting streak.
Since struggling through April, when he was plagued by right leg injuries (sprained ankle and sprained knee) suffered seven games into the season, Chipper Jones has been producing some impressive numbers. Since May 1, he's batted .347 and continued to work his way toward the top of many statistical categories.
Jones ranks third in the NL with a .337 batting average and fifth with a .423 on-base percentage. His .993 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) ranks fourth and could steadily improve if he continues to display the power that he lacked in the early portions of this season.
Battling some mechanical problems with his swing, Chipper Jones didn't find his power stroke until June 24, when he began his record-matching streak of consecutive games with an extra-base hit. He's hit eight of his 15 homers since then and seen his slugging percentage rise from .428 to .570. That's in the short span of just 20 games.
"I wasn't hitting terrible," Chipper Jones said. "I just wasn't hitting the long ball. I've always been streaky as far as that goes. I might go a month without hitting one and hit 10 or 12 the next month. That's just the way I've always been."
There have been many solid months in Chipper Jones' career. But never has there been a better three-month stretch than in 1999, which was sparked with that dominant July. He went on to hit 10 homers in both August and September. Along with August of 2004, the final three months of that season are the only ones in which he's ever registered a double-digit home run total.
Now to complete the comparisons to that memorable second half that he staged seven years ago, Chipper Jones only has to continue this current amazing surge that he admits has at times seemed surreal.
Of course, the 34-year-old has already accomplished one thing this year. No longer is he hearing much from the doubters who thought the injuries of the past two years had signaled the end of his career.
"I think everybody realizes I still got some good baseball left in me," Chipper Jones said.
If all goes according to the same script first written seven years ago, baseball writers across this country will be trumpeting this realization with their MVP votes.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
ST. LOUIS -- With every swing of his bat, Chipper Jones is creating memories of the dominant July that he enjoyed seven years ago. It was a torrid month that propelled him through an amazing second half and toward his 1999 National League Most Valuable Player Award.
Seven years later, Jones has once again put the Braves' offense on his back. He has begun the second half on a pace that has some believing he could be in line for his second MVP award.
"In 1999, he had an incredible month and single-handedly beat the Mets like six times," Jones' longtime teammate John Smoltz said. "This is ridiculous. This is a streak that could ultimately put him in the same category again this year."
Smoltz references Jones' September that season, when the third baseman hit .298 with 11 homers -- including four in three days against the Met -- a .430 on-base percentage and a .690 slugging percentage. Because a lot of that production ended the Mets' NL East title hopes -- they won the Wild Card, instead -- many simply remember that month when thinking about his MVP campaign.
But although impressive, that September is far from being the greatest month of Jones' career. In July of that season, he'd hit .412 with 11 homers, 28 RBIs, a .558 on-base percentage and a .913 slugging percentage.
But if Jones is able to maintain his current pace, this July could be remembered as one of the most dominant months ever produced by a Major Leaguer. In the 13 games he's played so far this month, Jones has batted .547 with seven homers, 20 RBIs, a .613 on-base percentage and 1.094 slugging percentage.
"What he's doing right now, is something I haven't seen from any baseball player," Braves All-Star catcher Brian McCann said. "He's carrying us on his back, and everybody else is picking their games up because of him."
Jones leads all Major Leaguers in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage this month. He ranks third in RBIs behind Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and teammate Andruw Jones, who has compiled 23 of his National League-leading 88 RBIs in the 15 games he's played in July. Not surprisingly, Andruw Jones' best run-producing month this season has come while batting behind the game's hottest hitter.
"When you get Chipper swinging the bat the way he's been swinging it lately, it's tough to beat us," said Andruw Jones, who has seen his team rebound from its June struggles to win 11 of its first 15 games this month.
It has already been a record-filled month for Chipper Jones, who matched a career high by extending his hitting streak to 19 games Wednesday. Last weekend, he surpassed Dale Murphy to become the all-time hits leader in Atlanta Braves history.
But his most impressive accomplishment came when he recorded an extra-base hit in 14 consecutive games, matching a Major League record set by Hall of Famer Paul Waner in 1927. Since Chipper Jones' streak was snapped on Monday, he's come back with an extra-base hit in both of the past two games.
"I think the only other guy who could do something like that would be [St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols]," Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "It's a lot of hitting and it's a lot damage."
When Murphy visited the Braves clubhouse in St. Louis on Wednesday, he congratulated Chipper Jones for grabbing a piece of the Major League record that hadn't been touched for 79 years.
"That's just amazing when you think guys like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Hank Aaron never did that," Murphy said. "I forgot to even congratulate on him on the Atlanta record. But that's just something I always expected that he'd do."
From the time Chipper Jones burst on the scene as a rookie for the 1995 Braves world championship team, he's proven to be something special. But while battling foot and leg ailments the previous two seasons, he was incapable of providing the production he has over the past three weeks.
"It's nice to be able to step into the box and know you have everything that you need to be successful," said Chipper Jones, who battled a bad hamstring in 2004 and a left foot injury that sidelined him for six weeks and plagued him throughout much of last year.
At the beginning of this month, Chipper Jones' right foot began bothering him in the same manner as the left foot did last year. An MRI revealed the same injury, but on a lesser scale. Since missing three starts, he's come back to hit .553.
With most of his at-bats coming from the left side of the plate, the veteran switch-hitter is fortunate that the latest ailment is in his right foot. Last year, his left foot was affected, and he wasn't able to push off, causing him to lose power and often swing off-balance.
With the baseball gods smiling upon him, Chipper Jones has had just five at-bats from the right side of the plate this month. Being as hot as he is, he's still managed to record three hits in those appearances against left-handed pitchers. But since getting a cortisone shot just before the All-Star break, he's had no discomfort in the foot.
"Now I feel good and my swing just happens to be right there," said Chipper Jones, who has raised his batting average from .270 to .337 during his current 19-game hitting streak.
Since struggling through April, when he was plagued by right leg injuries (sprained ankle and sprained knee) suffered seven games into the season, Chipper Jones has been producing some impressive numbers. Since May 1, he's batted .347 and continued to work his way toward the top of many statistical categories.
Jones ranks third in the NL with a .337 batting average and fifth with a .423 on-base percentage. His .993 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) ranks fourth and could steadily improve if he continues to display the power that he lacked in the early portions of this season.
Battling some mechanical problems with his swing, Chipper Jones didn't find his power stroke until June 24, when he began his record-matching streak of consecutive games with an extra-base hit. He's hit eight of his 15 homers since then and seen his slugging percentage rise from .428 to .570. That's in the short span of just 20 games.
"I wasn't hitting terrible," Chipper Jones said. "I just wasn't hitting the long ball. I've always been streaky as far as that goes. I might go a month without hitting one and hit 10 or 12 the next month. That's just the way I've always been."
There have been many solid months in Chipper Jones' career. But never has there been a better three-month stretch than in 1999, which was sparked with that dominant July. He went on to hit 10 homers in both August and September. Along with August of 2004, the final three months of that season are the only ones in which he's ever registered a double-digit home run total.
Now to complete the comparisons to that memorable second half that he staged seven years ago, Chipper Jones only has to continue this current amazing surge that he admits has at times seemed surreal.
Of course, the 34-year-old has already accomplished one thing this year. No longer is he hearing much from the doubters who thought the injuries of the past two years had signaled the end of his career.
"I think everybody realizes I still got some good baseball left in me," Chipper Jones said.
If all goes according to the same script first written seven years ago, baseball writers across this country will be trumpeting this realization with their MVP votes.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
