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| Chipper Jones (1) |
Chipper Jones has spent his entire 20-year career with the Atlanta Braves. During that time, he has played in 92 postseason games. He has helped his team win three NL pennants and one World Series title. Jones will get to make one more playoff run with the Braves before he retires at the end of the season.
Here are 10 of Jones' most memorable playoff performances:
Jones Clutch in His First Playoff Game: Jones, playing in his first MLB postseason game, came up big in the clutch. The Braves and the Colorado Rockies were tied at 4-4 in Game 1 of the 1995 NLDS when Jones came to the plate in the top of the ninth with two men out and no one on base. He launched a solo home run to right center field to break the tie. The Braves would go on to win both the game and the series.
Jones Keeps the Game Alive in the Ninth: The Cincinnati Reds were leading the Braves 1-0 in Game 1 of the 1995 NLCS when Jones came up to bat in the top of the ninth. He singled to left field and later scored on a fielder's choice to tie the game at 1-1. The Braves went on to win the game in 11 innings.
Jones' Hot Bat Helps Braves Win the Pennant in 1996: Jones hit the ball exceptionally well during the 1996 NLCS. He finished the series with a .440 batting average, four RBIs, and six runs scored. The Braves needed his hot bat to outlast the Cardinals in seven games and claim the NL pennant.
Jones Hits .500 in the 1997 NLDS: The Braves swept the Astros in the 1997 NLDS. Jones did his part, going .500 with one HR, two RBIs, and three runs scored.
Jones Plays Poorly but Braves Make World Series Anyway: In 1999, Jones won the NL MVP and great things were expected of him in the postseason. However, he disappointed his fans. During the NLDS and NLCS, Jones sported an underwhelming .250 batting average with two RBIs and five runs scored. Amazingly, the Braves were able to win the NL pennant in spite of their star's poor performance.
Jones Hits a Key Home Run in Game 1 of 2001 NLDS: The Braves and the Houston Astros were tied 3-3 in Game 1 of the 2001 NLDS when Jones stepped to the plate in the eighth inning. He promptly hit a three-run homer to give his team the lead. The Braves would win the game 7-4.
Jones Helps Braves Sweep Astros in 2001 NLDS: Jones played a pivotal role in helping the Braves sweep the Astros in the 2001 NLDS. For the series, he hit .444 with two HRs, five RBIs, and two runs scored.
Jones Helps Braves Avoid Elimination in Game 4 of the 2003 NLDS: The Chicago Cubs held a 2-1 lead in the 2003 NLDS, and the Braves needed to win Game 4 to avoid elimination. Jones came up big for the Braves in this one. He went 2-for-3 with two HRs and four RBIs. Thanks largely to Jones' hot bat, Atlanta won the game 6-4. Unfortunately, for Jones and the Braves, they lost Game 5.
Jones Watches Braves' Postseason from Sideline: Jones tore his ACL during the 2010 regular season and had to watch from the sideline as the Braves made their first trip to the postseason since 2005. The Braves missed Jones' presence both in the locker room and on the field; they fell to the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS.
Jones' Last Trip to the Postseason: Jones will retire at the end of this year. However, he will get one last chance to play in the postseason as the Braves have already clinched at least a NL wild-card spot. This playoff run will be memorable regardless of how Jones and the Braves perform.
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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