Atlanta Braves’ Chipper Jones refuses to play in 2013 World Baseball Classic - MLB Update
Atlanta Braves’ 40-year-old third baseman Chipper Jones has flatly refused to play in the third edition of the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He terms himself too old for this.
He takes pride from the fact that he participated in the first two editions of it. He believes playing it was one of the most cherished moments of his life. However, he hints at joining the WBC as part of the coaching staff if the authorities want him to
show up there.
Jones is passing through the penultimate moments as a Major Leaguer. Even as he ages, his production has not declined. Many experts wonder why he is leaving when he still is capable of hitting better than most of the best players in baseball. He has single-handedly
won games this year for the Braves.
Although injuries have troubled him time-and-again, he has managed to keep his club afloat with his incredible power. The Braves boast the presence of emerging stars in the line-up and yet Jones is ahead of most of them in almost every category with regard
to offence.
Braves’ manager Fredi Gonzalez has realised that Jones’ body needs rest. Due to this, Jones is playing intermittently so that he keeps helping the club throughout the season without getting injured down the line.
In light of this, it is understandable why Jones is not ready to play the World Baseball Classic.
Jones is excited about Spring Training as it provides a lot of sources for entertainment. However it will be strange for him going into training without any purpose in mind regarding the next season this time around.
“To be honest with you, I’ll probably make a trip down to spring training at some point,” Jones said. “It’s a great place to play golf, and take a little spring-break vacation. I’ll miss it right around January, because that’s when I usually start getting
the itch to go to spring training. It’s going to be weird going through an offseason not having some sort of workout regiment, or not
having to have it.”
The most important task that Jones is looking to perform at the moment is to ensure as many wins to the Braves as he can with his offensive mastery.
It will be interesting to see how he supports the Braves offensively.
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