One for the Hall

On Wednesday, voters elected Larry Wayne Jones, better known as Chipper, to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. He received 410 votes, 97.2 percent, to lead the list of inductees on his first try. Having Chipper enter the Hall of Fame brought me joy, and feels like it was meant to be.

When I was younger, my introduction to baseball was in the 1990s, when I'd come home and, nearly every day, have an afternoon Braves game to watch while I did homework. I lived in California, and at the time TBS was the official Braves station, playing nearly all their games. Since they were in Atlanta, and I was in California, most of the games started between 4-4:30. And I remember watching hundreds of games over the years, and over that time Atlanta became my team.

Specifically four players became my favorites, pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, and the Braves' anchor, Chipper Jones. Jones played for 19 major league seasons, all with the Braves, and he was a rock in their lineup.

He finished third on the Braves franchise list with 468 home runs, and he finished with a .303 batting average and finished first in Braves' team history with a .402 on base percentage. His 1,623 RBI are the most ever for a third basemen. And he was the offensive centerpiece for a team that had an unprecedented run of success in winning divisions and dominating the National League East.

It makes sense that he'd be in the Hall of Fame, and it was an easy call for voters to make. And I was delighted to see his name called. I remember all those games, watching Chipper knock in runs, or knock the ball out of the park, and how great he was for the Braves. Those were fun memories, and it's been rewarding to see all those players I loved make the Hall of Fame the last few years.

As the Braves have settled in a slump the past few years, one that may not end any time soon, it's bee nice to be able to remember the good old days. And to remember the players who made them such a big part of my youth.That's what I think of when I remember Chipper Jones, and all the fun afternoons he provided as I watched the Braves play.