Chipper Jones' 10 Most Memorable Home Runs (2012)

Abstract: Over the course of his career, Chipper Jones has played in almost 2,600 games and has hit 481 home runs (468 home runs in the regular season). Here are 10 of his most memorable homers. CONTENT:
Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones will retire at the end of the 2012 season. Over the course of his career, which began in 1993, Jones has participated in almost 2,600 games and has hit 481 home runs (468 home runs in the regular season).

Chipper Jones (1)

Here are Jones' most memorable home runs:

Jones Hits His First Home Run: Jones hit his first homer on May 9, 1995. He belted a line drive to deep right field in the top of the ninth inning off of the New York Mets' Josias Manzanillo to break a 2-2 tie.

Jones' First Walkoff Home Run: Jones hit his first walkoff home run on May 20, 1995. The Braves were playing the Florida Marlins, and the game was tied 7-7. Jones came up to the plate and hit a solo homer to deep right to end the game. Over the course of his career, Jones has hit nine regular-season walk-off homers.

Jones Saves the Braves in His First-Ever Playoff Game: Jones made his first postseason appearance in Game 1 of the 1995 NLDS, which pitted the Braves against the Colorado Rockies. He did not exhibit any jitters in that contest when he hit a solo home run with two outs in the top of the ninth to break a 4-4 tie. The Braves beat the Rockies 5-4.

Jones Hits First Grand Slam: Jones did not record his first grand slam until June 25, 1997. Amazingly, he would belt two more grand slams within 16 days of his first one. It would be over a year before Jones hit his fourth grand slam.

Jones Hits His 45th Homer of Season: Out of the thousands of athletes who have played major league baseball over the years, only a small percentage of them have hit 45 or more home runs in a season. Jones achieved this feat in 1999. He hit number 45 on Sept. 23 of that year.

Jones' Two Home Runs Help the Braves Stay Alive: On Oct. 4, 2003, Jones hit two home runs to help lead the Braves past the Chicago Cubs in Game 4 of the NLDS and tie the best-of-five series at 2-2. Jones was not able to replicate that feat in the pivotal Game 5, and he and the Braves would go down in defeat.

Jones Hits Three Home Runs in a Game: Jones has hit three home runs in a game only once. He achieved this milestone on Aug. 14, 2006, in a game against the Washington Nationals. Jones hit homers in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings.

Jones Hits the 400 Home-Run Mark: All of the players in the top 50 all-time home runs list have hit 400 or more homers. Jones entered this elite group on June 5, 2008, when he hit number 400 off of the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco.

Jones Passes Winfield on the All-Time Home-Run List: Jones moved ahead of Hall of Famer Dave Winfield to place 32nd on the all-time home runs list when he hit number 466 on Aug. 16, 2012.

Jones Hits Last Regular-Season Home Run: Unless he belts another homer in the next few days, Jones will have recorded his last regular-season home run on Sept. 2, 2012. Incidentally, this one was a walkoff homer.

Source:

Baseball-Reference

1. Author: Darkensiva
    Date: September 20, 2008
    Title/Description: Chipper Jones
    Location/Permission: Wikimedia Commons - Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
    (see the title/link for photo, credits, permission).

The author has followed Major League Baseball for many years and is a fan of the Atlanta Braves.

-- Anthony Hopper

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