Chipper Jones is one of the most beloved figures in Atlanta Braves history and the third baseman will undoubtably be in the Hall Of Fame one day. Chipper has never been shy about discussing various aspects of the club with the media and he recent gave an extensive interview to the AJC on a wide variety of topics. Here are a couple of the highlights.
Q. How are your knees?
A. Everything is pretty good. I've been working out for a month, month and a half. I played in (Brian McCann) Mac's charity softball game about six weeks ago. I was really worried coming out of that because my right knee was killing me. I had been away from playing for a month and really had seen no improvement. But now I've been taking - not live swings, but swings with aggression - here at the house. Six weeks ago I couldn't put any weight on my right knee at all, as far as swinging right-handed. Now I'm swinging basically as hard as I can. I'm able to sit back on my backside, which is something I couldn't do at the end of the year last year. I feel strong. I've lost some weight, which hopefully will relieve some pressure.
Q. Have you given much thought to 2013?
A. I've given some thought to it, and it's too early to talk about ‘13. I go through stretches during the season every year where I feel like I don't want to play anymore. Then I go through stretches where I think I can play five more years (laughs). Obviously when you're in the middle of a 10 or 15-game hitting streak and you've hit a couple homers, and the game is slowing down for you, you feel like you can play forever. Then there's those 3-for-25s where your team loses five out of seven games, and you're like "What the heck am I doing?" You lose focus a little bit. I've got to not make a decision whenever I'm in one of those streaks. I'll try to wait until I'm going good to make a decision to make sure I'm in the right frame of mind.
It's always great to hear from old No. 10. I personally thought Chipper's answer on trade rumors and what rival GMs attempt to do in every deal was awesome. And as for playing in 2013, it will be interesting to see what Jones does and how it impacts the front office; if Jones retires, Atlanta could have upwards of $30 million dollars to spend if they decline a few options here or there. That would certainly be a change of pace from the offseason we are currently experiencing now.