Chipper Jones added another jewel to the crown of his major league career on Tuesday night, going 5-for-5 on the same day he was selected to replace the injured Matt Kemp on the National League All-Star roster. Jones, who has announced that this year will be his last in baseball, drove in four runs in his third career five-hit game.
Jones called the night "just one of those dream games," putting it among his best performances ever.
It's not the first time a great player has summoned five hits on a special day. The Braves veteran's big night was reminiscent of Derek Jeter's push to 3,000 hits last season, when the Yankees captain crawled to the finish line — until the pivotal game, when he crossed the 3,000-hit threshold with a home run and had five hits on the day.
Jones amassed all five hits without even playing the whole game. He was pulled in the eighth for a pinch runner, and the Braves went on to beat the Cubs 10-3. Jones has a 10-game hitting streak and is batting .313 going into Wednesday's game.
Jones had previously been a Final Vote candidate, but was pulled from the ballot upon being picked to take the place of Kemp, who is rehabbing from a hamstring injury.
Jones has been an All-Star eight times, one of several distinctions in a career with many high points. He won the World Series with the Braves in 1995, has two Silver Slugger Awards and was the National League MVP in 1999. A career .304 hitter with 460 home runs and 2,666 hits as of Wednesday, Jones will leave the game as one of the best of his generation.
