Chipper Jones’ sparkling entry reshapes Atlanta Braves for 2012 season - MLB Feature
Will Chipper Jones be able to sustain enough in the season to take Atlanta Braves to a respectable position in the season is a question that draws complicating responses. In an immediate fly out from DL after surgery down to the plate appearance in the season,
Jones has asserted his significance to the Braves’ offence in his first outing.
Going 2-for-5 with a homer, he not just helped Braves witness their first win of the season, also sent a wave of confidence to the rest of players.
Playing his last season for the Braves, Jones can leave lot of things to take pleasure from after he departs.
The homer he hit in his first game gave the reflection of stock of many of those he hides in him and therefore if he keeps going like this he can be a real threat for opponents.
Days before he declared his retirement, criticism had emerged about him being a financial burden on the side. Critics believed rather than having him many areas Braves are weak and can be addressed if the salary he alone fetches is diversified over the whole
team.
Denouncement had sanity in that $14 million he gets from the club is actually in a stark contrast to way fewer amounts other players are earning.
In this respect Jones has the last chance to vindicate his presence on the roster. Last chance does not mean that his performance has been below par, in fact is an explanation of a prestige he will bag by asserting his stature at a time his team needs him
the most.
A potential problem for the Braves can be his injury prone body. For as long as he is in the team, he is an invaluable option and it is only when he is injured, questions about his effectiveness to the club arise.
An ideal eventuality for the Braves will be recovery of their starter Tim Hudson as they progress ahead in the season. The fact a greater worry for the Braves is their pitchers, not their offence means Hudson has lot attached with him for their prospects
this year.
Misery of their existing pitchers is evident from their top ranking in the National League East table in terms of number of runs allowed in the regular season so far.
Only reliable pitcher they have at the moment is Tommy Hanson and provided Hudson does not recover soon and he compels management to be used in every second game as a result, his own health will be at stake. Thus eventual result can be limited options left
for the Braves.
Randall Delgado is another pitcher with little career record and thus not as big a prospect to count on.
Thus, Jones return to the Braves may have strengthened offence in many ways, occurrence of the same with their pitching department remains to be seen.
Hits he may strike, homers he may bring but the fact that the sides the Braves will be playing against are well equipped to offset the same by exploiting their pitchers’ weaknesses, one can go slow in believing that they can top NL East Division at the end
of regular season.
Notwithstanding their overall prospects, Jones has released a cooling effect on the whole team with his commanding show on the plate. At-least Braves fans now have the reason to entertain sentiments of an occurrence of a possible surprise anytime in the
season.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: