Chipper Jones is on fire.

From the good people at the Canadian Press:

Jones hit .410 in April - an average for the month topped by only one player in the last 10 years: Barry Bonds hit .472 in April, 2004. Vladimir Guerrero also hit .410 in the opening month in 2000.

As if to make the point his stellar April was no fluke, Jones has pushed his major league-leading average to .425 for the Braves, who were off Monday and open a home series against San Diego on Tuesday.

Actually, after tonight’s two-for-four outing, Jones is hitting .429.

Bearing in mind that it’s early – very, very early – in the season, let’s take a moment to talk about Chipper Jones and his pursuit of history.

But first, a little background.

Since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941, nobody has hit .400. Five guys have had 500+ plate appearances and hit over .375. Stan Musial hit .376 in 611 at bats in 1948. Ted Williams hit .388 in 420 at bats in 1957. Rod Carew hit .388 in 616 at bats in 1977. George Brett hit .390 in 449 at bats in 1980. And Larry Walker hit .379 in 438 at bats in 1999.

Last September, Vegas Watch (one of my favorite blogs) did a post listing the ten guys most likely to hit .400. Miguel Cabrera topped the list, followed by Albert Pujols, Vlad Geurerro and Matt Holliday.

Chipper Jones didn’t crack the top ten.

I emailed Vegas Watch’s editor to ask why. Here’s what he had to say:

The only reason he wasn’t on the list was his age. It was the guys who had the best chance of hitting .400 over their career, so that had a large effect. Also, he hit .375 in September; when I did the post, I had his three year average at .318.

That’s fair enough, I guess. A little agist, maybe. But reasonable.

Earlier today, I sent out an email to the Umpbump staff asking for their feelings about Chipper’s pursuit of .400. Here’s what Paul emailed back:

hitting .400 is now a near impossibility. chipper’s always been a high babip guy, but come on. his pitchers per plate appearance is down this year, so it’s not that he’s being more selective either. his line drive rate is a little higher than usual, but not high enough to think that the babip even has a chance of staying so high. with that said, it’s worth noting that he’s striking out a lot less than usual - and he never was a strikeout guy to begin with - which, if this continues, could very well result in a career high for batting average for him (although topping last year is really, really, really hard to do).

i think i’ve said this before, but baseball isn’t the same anymore. teams have far too much statistics on hitters’ tendencies, defensive positioning has gotten too advanced, and pitchers have become far too good for a guy to be able to hit .400 any more.

Of course, Paul is right. Hitting .400 in 2008 is a lot harder than hitting .400 in 1941. And Paul isn’t the only one who thinks so. Here’s what George Brett had to say about today’s more specialized bullpens, and the impact that has on hitters:

“Taking nothing away from Ted Williams or any of the players that have hit .400 in the past, like Rogers Hornsby, but back then, starters would pitch nine innings practically every game,” Brett said. “Teams had four starters along with guys in the bullpen, but the reason they were in the bullpen was because they weren’t good enough to be starters.”

So with all that said, what do you think, blogosphere? Will Chipper hit .400?

Personally, I think he’s going to do it.

I think Chipper is going to hit .400 because he has health, he has motivation and, frankly, he’s just that good.

Let’s start with health. For a while there Chipper was developing a reputation as another J.D. Drew, a guy who couldn’t stay on the field, who found new ways to hurt himself weekly. But last year Jones played in 134 games, his most since 2004. Moreover, he seems to have totally overcome the foot injuries that plagued him prior to 2007.

As for motivation, consider this: Last month I wrote a post asking which Braves belong in the Hall of Fame. 184 people voted and Chipper got 72 percent of the vote. This is pretty consistent with the public perception that Jones is a borderline Hall of Fame candidate. Now ask yourself this: would hitting .400 change that perception? Absolutely. Hitting .400 would stamp Chipper’s HOF ticket. And you better believe he knows it.

Finally, Chipper is good enough to hit .400. So far this season the switch hitter is hitting .440 against righties and .400 against lefties.

Here’s what AJC beat writer Dave O’Brien had to say about Hoss in an April 18 blog post:

In his past 200 games, since June 24, 2006, Chipper has hit .358 (273-for-763) with 61 doubles, 6 triples, 52 homers, 167 RBI, 113 walks, 104 strikeouts, a .437 OBP and a .658 slugging percentage.

And in 102 road games during that period he’s hit .376 (153-for-407) with 36 doubles, 5 triples, 29 homers, 86 RBI, a .445 OBP and a .703 slugging percentage. That’s a 1.148 OPS in his past 102 road games. Astounding.

Hoss is astounding. And the truly scary thing is, at the age of 36, he seems to be getting better.

That’s why I think Chipper’s going to be the first player since Ted Williams to bat .400. Because I don’t think his hot start is an anomaly. I think he has elevated his game. This isn’t a streak. This is a state of being.

That aforementioned Vegas Watch post started like this:

There is no such thing as a .400 hitter. Well, at least there never has been. People have hit .400, of course, but that’s always been something of a fluke. This is evident in the fact that Ty Cobb has the highest career BA ever, at “just” .366.

Like Cobb, Chipper isn’t a career .400 hitter.

But I think this season, Larry “Chipper” “Don’t call me ‘Hoss’” Jones will get there. And it won’t be a fluke.

Right now, he’s just that good.

It’s not often I get a chance to write about Chipper and Schilling in one day. But this is one of those times.

David O’Brien covers the Braves for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. I link to him here regularly. Wednesday night, O’Brien was chatting with his readers when an unnexpected guest dropped by.

Chipper Jones, under the screen name “U Kno Who,” signed on and took some questions from the blogosphere. The highlight, by far, was when Chipper started dishing out Valentine’s Day advice to the guys.

By U Kno Who
February 6, 2008 10:36 PM
Girls like the romance. Whatever u do, it better be original. Flowers and candy are nice, but every woman loves the bling. At least that’s what I’ve experienced. But what do I know, I haven’t had the best luck with the ladies.

I’m going on record right now: Chipper Jones is my new favorite player. And it’s because he knows how to use the series of tubes. (Although, to be fair, my old favorite player, Mr. Jim Thome, is also a prolific user of the internets).

Anyhoo, you can check out the rest of Chipper’s contributions to the chat after the jump. I’ve condensed his responses for easy reading. Read the rest of this entry »

The Gold Glove awards were handed out last week. And we had our say.

But you know who didn’t get to chime in? Chipper Jones!

Well, consider that remedied. Chipper this week tells AJC blogger David O’Brien that he was shocked that David Wright won the Gold Glove. Shocked!

“When I find out [Wright won] I was speechless, for quite some time,” Chipper said. “Certainly the guys with the least amount of errors and best fielding percentage quite obviously didn’t win it.”

That’s true, Chipper. You had nine errors. Wright had 21. Your fielding percentage was .971. Wright’s was .954.

But wait! This is the 21st century, after all. And we’ve developed new statistics. Like Bill James’ range factor. Chipper, your range factor was 2.51. Wright’s was 2.73.

And don’t forget about Zone Rating, the percentage of balls fielded by a player in his typical defensive “zone”. Wright’s ZR was .771. Chipper’s was — wait a second — Chipper’s was higher! ZR = .797!

Chipper is right. Wright shouldn’t have won the Gold Glove.

Pedro Feliz (ZR=.852, RF=2.91, 11 E, .973 FPCT) should have.

And Chipper would be fine with that.

“I wouldn’t have been disappointed had someone like Feliz or Ramirez won it,” Jones said. “I’m a little confused by the final tally — that’s a head-scratcher for me.”

I’m gonna go ahead and agree with you, Chipper. Wright’s selection is a mystery.

You know what? Let’s not worry about it. Let the baby have his bottle. Wright may have a Gold Glove, but he’s also got an offseason full of questions to answer about the Mets’ epic collapse and the always possible A-Rod signing. That guy’s got it so tough he can’t even support cancer kids without getting shat on (and on, and on).
You? You’re playing golf with Smoltzy and Glavine and hanging out at Hooters. It’s good to be a gangsta.

TBS is reporting that the Braves inked Julio Franco to a contract for the rest of the season on Wednesday afternoon. Franco struggled with the Mets earlier this season, batting a mere .200 in 50 at-bats. Regardless, as a Braves fan, I’m ecstatic to have Julio back in Atlanta. He is a devoted athlete that brings a charismatic, positive personality to the clubhouse. He is a team-player and a professional hitter. Those are just some of the reasons that I’m happy to have Julio back. Here are a few of the more uncommon reasons:

5. It’s refreshing to have someone slower than Brian McCann back on the team.

4. It will be amusing to hear Bobby Cox yell “Come on kid!” to a 48 year-old.

3. There’s a chance that Julio will revert back to his ’80s doo, giving Chipper some fresh ideas for his unfortunate facial hair.

2. When the lights go out at Turner Field like they did Monday night, the Braves can simply put Franco’s birthday cake in center field and let the candles do the work.

1. Bobby will never have to use Chris Woodward as a pinch-hitter ever, ever again.

Welcome back Julio.

Bobby Cox tied the record for most all-time ejections on Sunday. He said it was embarrassing.

Chipper Jones and John Smoltz got into a public spat this weekend over whether or not Jones was nursing his wounds. The two veteran players said they were embarrassed their argument got played out in the media.

Today, Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer Jeff Schultz says the Braves should be embarrassed, but not over Cox’s record, or Jones’ and Smoltz’s fight:

Fact is, the Braves have several reasons to be embarrassed. But look on the field, look in the standings. This should be way down the list.

Schultz is referring to the fact that the Braves are 3-7 in their last ten games. They have lost five in a row and have scored one run in those five games. One. Stinking. Run.

Who could have predicted that the Braves’ offense would be this bad? Umpbump could have — and did. Harken back to January, when we said:

If the Braves are going to score any runs, they will need Edgar Renteria to once again defy father time, Chipper Jones to stay healthy, Andruw Jones to have a huge contract year and Jeff Francouer to finally become the all-star they believe he is.

Don’t hold your breath.

Remember, Umpbumper Nick was particularly critical of the Braves for trading 1B Adam LaRoche for Pirates reliever Mike Gonzalez:

For the life of me, I can’t figure out why the Braves made this LaRoache-Gonzalez trade. How can you trade a player who OPS’d over 1.000 for a relief pitcher? They must have really been fed up with his ADD or something. What a terrible trade.

In retrospect, of course, Nick looks like a genius. Mike Gonzalez is out for the season. And even if he were healthy,  he wouldn’t help solve the Braves’ offensive woes.

True, LaRoche has been a disappointment for Pittsburgh this year, but just about every player who leaves the Braves struggles the next season (see J.D. Drew, Kevin Millwood, Greg Maddux, etc.). He’ll bounce back.
Regardless of LaRoche’s 2007 struggles, you don’t trade a proven hitter for a relief pitcher. Ever. Especially when that reliever is pegged to be a set-up guy. Especially, when your team is short on sluggers. Any half-decent fantasy GM knows that.

So what was Scheurholz thinking?

Maybe Nick was right. Maybe, minus Leo Mazzone, the Braves just aren’t that good. Maybe Scheurholz really is “one of the least creative GMs in the game, and now that Leo is gone he is getting exposed for the fraud that he is.”

All I know is Bobby Cox is on the verge of retirement. Andruw Jones is hitting below the Mendoza line. Chipper and Smoltz are sniping at each other in the press. And everyday the Braves’ era of good feelings seems more and more like a distant memory.

The Braves finally scored a run. They’d been shut out their last three games, but today in the bottom of the fourth inning, Chipper Jones hit a solo home run off of Justin Verlander to cut the Tigers’ lead to 2-1.

The homer was surprising because Chipper wasn’t even supposed to play today. Bobby Cox had even hinted that Chipper might be going back on the DL. But Chipper said he felt pressured to play. From the AJC:

When asked if he is rushing his return, Jones said: “Probably. But I feel a little backed into a corner.”

Asked to elaborate, Jones indicated some doubted he was injured enough to miss games.

“Let’s just say there are people who don’t believe me,” Jones said. “Let’s just say that and leave it at that.”

Who was pressuring Chipper? Maybe John Smoltz, who had this to say after Friday night’s loss:

“You can’t worry about who’s in the lineup and who isn’t. You can’t worry about that stuff anymore.”Added Smoltz: “I certainly appreciate the effort of the guys who are on the field busting it.”

Jeez, John. Relax! Chipper’s doing his best.

Chipper looked pretty good hitting his home run. But on the pitch before he nearly fell to the ground in pain after hitting a foul ball. No doubt Chipper is feeling some discomfort with every swing. And fielding can’t be a picnic either.

I’m guessing Chipper’s probably gonna need a beer after this one is over. Lucky for him his favorite restaurant has several locations in Atlanta AND they’re trying harder than ever to cater to the whole family, so Chippy can bring the wife and kids with him.

The Savannah Morning news ran a story this morning with the headline, “Opportunity knocks on Braves door for next ten days.” That’s because, beginning today, the Braves play ten games in a row against teams with losing records.

The Braves kick off their run against the Cubs. Actually, they’re playing right now. And it’s a real dog fight (sans Michael Vick).

The AJC ran a story suggesting that the Braves should be looking forward to the Cubs series, since the Cubs are going through some tough times now. But the truth is, the Cubs should be glad to be playing the Braves this weekend. John Smoltz is going to miss his next start with a finger injury and Chipper Jones just went on the DL with hurt hands. For those of you keeping score at home, that means the Bravos will be without their best starter, best hitter and best reliever, since Mike Gonzalez is out for the year following elbow surgery.

These are tough times, indeed, for Atlanta. And unfortunately, there is no help on the way. This morning, AJC columnist Mark Bradley reports that Braves president Terry McGuirk says the team’s new owners, Liberty Media, don’t plan to open their wallets to pay for any expensive players the team might acquire in a trade.

The best line from Bradley’s column was this:

Besides, [McGuirk] sees nothing unduly ominous about the doings of May:“If not for two injuries [Mike Hampton and Lance Cormier], we’d probably be in first place by a couple of games.”

Really, Terry? First of all, Lance Cormier is hardly the second coming of Greg Maddux. So if you’re telling me he’s the difference between winning and losing 7 games, then you’re on crack. And as for Hampton, did anybody really seriously expect that he was going to pitch? I mean, I know folks around Atlanta were hopeful, but I don’t think anybody was putting any money on it.

I’m sorry, but if the Braves fall out of contention and try to blame it on Hampton and Cormier, that’s sad. Blame it on Andruw! He’s been a complete turd.

The Phillies have lost the top two members of what was already a paper thin bullpen, plus Ryan Howard missed two weeks with what was vaguely called a quad injury. The Mets have been without El Duque and Moises Alou. These things happen. Cry me a river, McGuirk.

As promised, we here at Umpbump are chronicling Braves manager Bobby Cox’ assault on the history books. Cox got thrown out of last night’s game against the Diamondbacks. He was ejected as soon as he stepped from the dugout, the 128th ejection of his career

Chipper Jones didn’t think the ejection was warranted. He criticized home plate ump Bob Davidson.

From the AJC:

“The second Bobby stepped out of the dugout, [Davidson] was gunning to throw him out,” Jones said. “Bob Davidson feels like the thousands of people in the park come to see him. He’s always been like that. It’s a joke among the players.”

Regardless of what Chipper thinks, Cox is now just three ejections behind all-time leader John McGraw. Here’s hoping he makes the record breaking ejection one worth remembering. Maybe he could even kick some dirt or throw his hat.

Chipper Jones, who is attempting to play in more than 110 games for the first time since 2004, strained his oblique muscle on Friday while taking BP.

It’s unclear how much time Jones will miss, but manager Bobby Cox isn’t going to rush him. From the AJC:

“I want to make sure it doesn’t hurt,” Cox said. “If I have to, I’ll wait the rest of Spring [Training].”

Jones may want to talk to Braves pitcher Mike Hampton about the best way to recover from a strained oblique. Hampton, who is attempting to return to the Braves’ rotation after sitting out last season while recovering from shoulder surgery, experienced a setback when he strained his oblique muscle March 7. But Hampton surprised Cox and spring training spectators by throwing in the outfield yesterday — nearly three weeks ahead of schedule.

Cox was surprised, to say the least.

“I was amazed, totally shocked,” said Braves manager Bobby Cox, who didn’t know until Saturday that Hampton was feeling so good he wanted to test his side by throwing.

What made Hampton decide he was ready to start throwing again so early?

By the middle of last week, he noticed no pain while working out on an elliptical machine. He got off the machine and slowly went through his pitching delivery without a baseball. No pain.

“Then I picked up a weighted ball and did it again, and I didn’t feel anything,” he said. “I thought, ‘Dude, I might be able to throw.’ “

So should Chipper get on the Hampton rehab program? Maybe not. Hampton attributes his quick recovery to luck, more than hard work or any medical breakthroughs. Hampton said it was better that he pulled his left side than his right. He throws left-handed but bats right-handed, and righty hitters typically pull the left oblique when they get hurt swinging.

If Hampton stays out of the batting cages for a while, he should be okay. And even though Hampton is arguably the best hitting pitcher in the league, the Braves will be happy to send him up to the plate to bunt as long as he’s able to take the mound.

Chipper, unfortunately, can’t pitch. So he’s going to need to sit out until he’s able to swing without pain.

If you’re getting the feeling that the Braves’ season is going to include a lot of injury updates, you’re not the only one.

This was quick, even for Chipper. From the AP:

Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones sprained his left ankle on his first at-bat Monday and was removed from the game St. Louis.

Jones broke awkwardly from the box on a grounder to first and jogged a few steps before turning around and limping to the dugout. The team said Jones, who has been plagued by foot problems in recent seasons, was day to day.

Jones is batting .222 (4-for-18) this spring with one double and two RBIs.

A lot players, as they get older, make the move to the AL so that they can continue to pile up stats and pad their Hall of Fame candidacies as a DH (see: Mike Piazza). But Chipper needs more than just a DH role. He is gonna have to start playing the game over the internet from the safety of a padded room. And even then, he’d probably still develop carpal tunnel syndrom.

Of course, there is one possibility here that probably needs mentioning. Sarah Green is taking in some Cactus League action in Tucson this week and yesterday reported that she and intrepid gal-pal Suz Tolwinski won Hooters coupons at the Diamondbacks game. Now, I don’t know if the Braves offer similar Hooters giveaways, but if they do it’s a good bet that Chipper got his hands on a few of those coupons and is just faking the ankle sprain so that he can spend his afternoons lunching at his favorite restaurant.