Chipper Jones

Over the season, I've had to hear the media lament over key injuries. Surprisingly, when the unlucky injury-bugged teams are mentioned, the Atlanta Braves are normally overlooked.

For most baseball fans, they would look at you as if you were crazy if you mentioned that Braves have battled through several key injuries.  The Braves are believed to be lucky when it comes to the injury bug, with the exception of Chipper Jones.

If Cooperstown is meant to be a place for players that demonstrate a certain standard and integrity, and in doing so serve as role models to others, Chipper Jones has my vote.

While most 38 year old third basemen with 17 MLB seasons under their belts would probably call it a career after tearing their ACL with fifty games left in the season, Chipper Jones is going to rehab his injury with spring training in mind. How Jones' body reacts will remain to be seen, but this comeback is a must.

The Atlanta Braves heard some really bad news yesterday when they learned that 3B Chipper Jones will miss the remainder of the season because of a torn ligament in his left knee. Jones hurt the knee fielding a ground ball in Tuesday night’s game against the Houston Astros.

With the news breaking on Thursday that Chipper Jones was done for the 2010 season and, potentially, his career with a torn ACL, the Braves found themselves without some sense of certainty at the hot corner for the first time in nearly sixteen years.

Mark Twain once said: "A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away.  He must have time to modify his shape."

Here is a potential opportunity for Cubs GM Jim Hendry to take advantage of a first-place team by tempting them with an injury-prone and overpaid third baseman who may interest a team like the Braves, who are trying to win a World Series in manager Bobby Cox' last season.

We all know that Hendry needs payroll flexibility and while Ramirez has had an awful season, his track record, assuming he's healthy, could actually interest another team.

In the Atlanta Braves recent win over the Houston Astros, longtime third baseman Chipper Jones tore his left ACL and will need season-ending surgery to repair it.

Right off the bat, this leaves the Braves (and Jones) with many questions. While the long term question facing Jones may be about retirement (which I go into more detail about here), the short term focus for Atlanta is on finding a capable replacement for Chipper.

Atlanta Braves fans everywhere are in a sudden state of shock.

Chipper Jones, the face of the Atlanta Braves franchise and the last link to "The team of the 90's," will miss the rest of the 2010 season and has possibly played his last game as an Atlanta Brave.

When people think about the Atlanta Braves, the first name that comes to mind is Chipper Jones and the second name that comes to mind is Bobby Cox. It now seems like the Atlanta Braves will be without both at the conclusion of the 2010 season.

This is what Baseball is all about! This season is shaping up to have some phenomenal finishes.

With only 1 division in baseball having more that a 3 game lead atop the division this is sure to be one historic finish. 

The Wild Card spots are all but decided with only 1 game separating teams in the NL and only 4 in the AL.

With divisional races this close, and this much drama coming down to the end, it is guaranteed to be one hell of a finish!

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