Chipper

Chipper Jones played the final home game of his career today. He is the Atlanta Braves, and this is the end of an era.

He is one of the top three switch hitters in the history of baseball along side Eddie Murray and Mickey Mantle. He is a true switch hitter as he has a .304 lifetime average - hitting over .300 both left and right handed.

He is 57th all time in hits.
32nd all time in home runs.
16th all time in walks.
1st in RBI by a third basemen.

Chipper hit at least 20 home runs every year from 1995-2008. He had at least 100 RBI every year from 1996-2003.

His postseason stats don't diminish either. In 91 games he has 13 home runs, 47 RBI and a .288 average.

One of the most remarkable things about his career is what he did in the middle of the steroid era, without the use of steroids. I have never heard his name mentioned throughout the witch hunt to find those who juiced. Yet in 1999 - the height of the steroid era, he won the MVP. Jones was awesome that year: 45 HR, 110 RBI, 126 BB, 25 SB, and a .319 batting average as he led the Braves to the World Series. And then seven years later, in 2008 at age 36, he won the batting title with a .364 average.

What is also amazing about Chipper Jones is his loyalty to the Atlanta Braves. He was drafted as the #1 overall pick in 1990 by the Braves (by GM Bobby Cox) and he will finished his career, 22 years later, with the same organization.

In his rookie year, 1995, the Braves won the World Series. They haven't duplicated that feat in the 16 seasons since. It would be pretty sweet to bookend Chipper's career with championships.