Sports Radio Interviews

Chipper Jones Doesn’t Like Toronto But He Loves Atlanta

Good thing the Braves ponied up $42-million over three years to keep Chipper Jones around, ’cause he definitely doesn’t like other fantastic cities.  A couple weeks back, Chipper ripped the city of Toronto while he was in town playing for the US in the World Baseball Classic.  Maybe, he just wasn’t in a chipper mood because Atlanta hadn’t handed him a contract to sign.  Either way, he was wrong then, but he’s feeling pretty right right about now.  If you think Atlanta Braves baseball since the mid-’90s, other big names have come and gone, but Chipper’s remained that reliable rock.  He was extremely cheery when he joined Buck and Kincade on 680 WCNN (The Fan) to discuss yesterday’s contract extension.  Chipper got in to why he’s such a proud member of the Braves and that he would have considered retirement if he didn’t sign with A-T-L.

On the joy he felt putting the pen to paper:

“I’m extremely happy, it’s something that’s been weighing on my mind for quite some time now.  I know the Braves had a very busy off-season but they found time for me here in spring training, and we got this out of the way before the season started.  I’m certainly ecstatic to be with one organization my whole career, to have played under one manager in Bobby Cox – it’s just been a storybook career as far as I’m concerned.”

Recognizing what the Braves stand for:

“Having seen some of the guys who have walked in to our clubhouse and ultimately walked out without spending their whole career here, it’s flabbergasting to me to think “Why am I so much more special than them?”  I’m really not, I think it’s just a situation where you see a team and organization that are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, to get the details worked out and stay here for the better part of 20 years.”

On what he would resort to if he wasn’t signed by the only professional club he’s known:

“My wife and I talked about many different scenarios – one scenario was even retiring after this year.  I certainly craved the competition of playing the game, I can do without some of the other fringe stuff that goes along with playing this game, but I would certainly miss the competition.  Ultimately, with the Braves making this offer, it made the decision really, really easy to not do any of those other scenarios.”

Listen to Chipper Jones on WCNN in Atlanta with Buck and Kincade

Tags: Atlanta Braves, Baseball, Bobby Cox, Chipper Jones, Chipper Jones new conract, MLB, Toronto