All year long, Chipper Jones received parting gifts for his pending retirement.
From a Fenway Park plaque, to a surfboard, to a year’s supply of sausages, Jones was showered with presents this season. But on Friday night, the Braves third baseman capped his farewell tour with the ultimate ceremony.
During a pregame ceremony, the organization announced it would renovate 10 youth baseball fields and name them in his honor, give him his clubhouse locker and send him on a trip to Hawaii.
Jones’ teammates also chipped in and bought him a pool table. It was the Braves’ way of thanking Jones for his 19 years of his service with the organization, a tenure that included an MVP award, a batting title, eight All-Star nods and a World Series.
After the pregame festivities, Jones took the field and went 0-for-4. He cited the emotion for his performance and admitted that he wanted to blast a home run in each of his at-bats.
“I’m glad it’s over,” Jones told MLB.com. “I’ve been pointing to this day and been nervous about this day. With all of the friends and family in town to watch, I just want to concentrate on baseball. All of the attention needs to take a backseat so that we can focus on the job at hand.”
Watch Jones being honored at Turner Field in the video below.
