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Chipper Jones has announced he'll retire at the end of the 2012 season, with the Atlanta Braves scheduled to hold a press conference Thursday to formally announce Jones' retirement from baseball. The 39-year-old Jones is entering his 18th season this year, and has been a fixture at third base for the Braves since the mid-1990s.
Jones has downplayed retirement talk for the last three seasons, most recently assuring the media he wouldn't "walk out on my team," dispelling rumors he'd retire before or during the 2012 season. The third basemen is largely considered a first-ballot Hall Of Famer, and one of the most effective and prolific switch hitters in baseball history.
Jones has 454 career home runs, 1561 RBI, 2,615 hits. His batting average has dipped below .300 in the last three seasons, and Jones played in a career-low 95 games in 2009.
For more on the Chipper Jones retirement and the Atlanta Braves, go to Talking Chop and Baseball Nation.