BRAVES REPORT
Chipper's bat hot since stint on DL
By DAVID O'BRIEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/16/07
As Chipper Jones perused a 34-page statistical breakdown Sunday morning, someone asked about a name atop the National League batting leaders. His name.
Jones was tied with Colorado's Matt Holliday for the NL lead at .339 before Sunday, when Jones went 0-for-3 with two walks and saw his average dip to .335.
baseman— he's hit .390 in 26 games since coming off the disabled list.
He entered Sunday ranked second in the NL in slugging percentage (.603) behind Barry Bonds (.623), third in on-base percentage (.424) and second in on-base plus slugging percentage (1.027) behind Bonds (1.075).
"He looks absolutely as good as ever to me," Braves manager Bobby Cox said of Jones, who made a terrific defensive play Sunday. "Fielding, running, hitting ... everything."
He's never won a batting title and didn't envision competing for one at 35.
"I never really thought about it, because I've always hit between .300 and .310," said Jones, who has a .306 average in 13 seasons. "But it's cool to think about. It'd be a nice bullet to have in your holster."
He hit a career-high .330 in 2001, finishing fifth in the NL batting race in a year when Larry Walker hit .350 for Colorado.
Some critics wrote off Jones after he hit a career-low .248 in 2004, the first of four injury-plagued seasons, including this one. But he bounced back to perform at his customary level — when healthy.
Since June 24, 2006, he has hit .356 with 73 extra-base hits (34 homers) and a .438 on-base percentage in 119 games.
"He's amazing," shortstop Edgar Renteria said. "I haven't seen anything like what he's doing. To come back from the DL like that, like he never left.
"He knows what he wants to do every at-bat. I've played with a lot of good players, but only a few great hitters — he's one of the greatest."
Renteria played with Gary Sheffield in Florida, Albert Pujols and Walker in St. Louis, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz in Boston ...
"I've played with a lot," he said. "Manny, David, Albert. A lot. I put [Jones] in that select few of great hitters. He's unbelievable."
His only significant injuries this season were bone bruises on his hands from a spill on the basepaths.
"Everybody thinks I'm on the downside of my career," Jones said. "In terms of years, yes. But in terms of stats and numbers, no. I feel like I'm a better hitter all-around than I was even in my MVP year in '99.
"I'm smarter, as far as knowing when to take what a pitcher gives me, understanding situations, understanding that sometimes it's on my shoulders, and sometimes I need to set the table for the guys behind me."
Andruw choking up on bat during surge
If it appears Andruw Jones has been doing something different — well, besides hitting — at the plate recently, it's probably because he has.
Jones began choking up on the bat while the Braves were on their West Coast trip before the All-Star break at about the same time as his resurgence after the worst half-season of his career.
"It's a good idea," Cox said of choking up, which was common when the manager played but rare in this era. Bonds is one of the few hitters who does it.
"You have better bat control," Cox said. "You don't have to jump out to hit the ball. You can let it come to you. There's a lot of pluses. If it's good enough for Bonds, it should be good enough for a lot of people."
While the Braves were in Los Angeles before the break, Jones spent some time going over videotape of his swing with his agent, Scott Boras, and scouts and instructors who work for Boras' company in Newport Beach, Calif.
Jones hit .302 with six homers, 15 RBIs and a .397 on-base percentage in a 14-game surge before Sunday, when he was 0-for-4 and struck out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.
Etc.
Matt Diaz had two hits Sunday to raise his day-game batting average to .392 (29-for-74).... The other highlight-reel defensive play Sunday was by left fielder Willie Harris, who made a catch before crashing into the outfield wall for the final out.
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Chipper's bat hot since stint on DL
By DAVID O'BRIEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/16/07
As Chipper Jones perused a 34-page statistical breakdown Sunday morning, someone asked about a name atop the National League batting leaders. His name.
Jones was tied with Colorado's Matt Holliday for the NL lead at .339 before Sunday, when Jones went 0-for-3 with two walks and saw his average dip to .335.
baseman— he's hit .390 in 26 games since coming off the disabled list.
He entered Sunday ranked second in the NL in slugging percentage (.603) behind Barry Bonds (.623), third in on-base percentage (.424) and second in on-base plus slugging percentage (1.027) behind Bonds (1.075).
"He looks absolutely as good as ever to me," Braves manager Bobby Cox said of Jones, who made a terrific defensive play Sunday. "Fielding, running, hitting ... everything."
He's never won a batting title and didn't envision competing for one at 35.
"I never really thought about it, because I've always hit between .300 and .310," said Jones, who has a .306 average in 13 seasons. "But it's cool to think about. It'd be a nice bullet to have in your holster."
He hit a career-high .330 in 2001, finishing fifth in the NL batting race in a year when Larry Walker hit .350 for Colorado.
Some critics wrote off Jones after he hit a career-low .248 in 2004, the first of four injury-plagued seasons, including this one. But he bounced back to perform at his customary level — when healthy.
Since June 24, 2006, he has hit .356 with 73 extra-base hits (34 homers) and a .438 on-base percentage in 119 games.
"He's amazing," shortstop Edgar Renteria said. "I haven't seen anything like what he's doing. To come back from the DL like that, like he never left.
"He knows what he wants to do every at-bat. I've played with a lot of good players, but only a few great hitters — he's one of the greatest."
Renteria played with Gary Sheffield in Florida, Albert Pujols and Walker in St. Louis, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz in Boston ...
"I've played with a lot," he said. "Manny, David, Albert. A lot. I put [Jones] in that select few of great hitters. He's unbelievable."
His only significant injuries this season were bone bruises on his hands from a spill on the basepaths.
"Everybody thinks I'm on the downside of my career," Jones said. "In terms of years, yes. But in terms of stats and numbers, no. I feel like I'm a better hitter all-around than I was even in my MVP year in '99.
"I'm smarter, as far as knowing when to take what a pitcher gives me, understanding situations, understanding that sometimes it's on my shoulders, and sometimes I need to set the table for the guys behind me."
Andruw choking up on bat during surge
If it appears Andruw Jones has been doing something different — well, besides hitting — at the plate recently, it's probably because he has.
Jones began choking up on the bat while the Braves were on their West Coast trip before the All-Star break at about the same time as his resurgence after the worst half-season of his career.
"It's a good idea," Cox said of choking up, which was common when the manager played but rare in this era. Bonds is one of the few hitters who does it.
"You have better bat control," Cox said. "You don't have to jump out to hit the ball. You can let it come to you. There's a lot of pluses. If it's good enough for Bonds, it should be good enough for a lot of people."
While the Braves were in Los Angeles before the break, Jones spent some time going over videotape of his swing with his agent, Scott Boras, and scouts and instructors who work for Boras' company in Newport Beach, Calif.
Jones hit .302 with six homers, 15 RBIs and a .397 on-base percentage in a 14-game surge before Sunday, when he was 0-for-4 and struck out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.
Etc.
Matt Diaz had two hits Sunday to raise his day-game batting average to .392 (29-for-74).... The other highlight-reel defensive play Sunday was by left fielder Willie Harris, who made a catch before crashing into the outfield wall for the final out.
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