Moving to a new location
AJC blogs are moving to a new technical platform. So check out Terence Moore’s new blog home and bookmark it.
Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > September > 23
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Aaron recalls making call on Chipper
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When Hank Aaron leaves you a message to call his southwest Atlanta home as soon as possible, you dial his number even faster than that. Said the man who is baseball’s legitimate home run king instead of that other guy, “Something has just been bothering me, really. I don’t mind other things, but somehow, some things need to be spelled out correctly.”
To put it bluntly, Aaron wants everybody to know that Chipper Jones is spending another season racing toward Cooperstown mostly because of the Braves’ farm director years ago instead of its general manager. For the record, Aaron was that farm director, and Bobby Cox was that general manager.
So brace yourselves. This is another version of Ken Herock vs. Jerry Glanville. Instead of those former Falcons officials haggling over who really was responsible for trading future Hall of Famer Brett Favre to the Green Bay Packers in the early 1990s, this is about who really was responsible for the Braves signing Jones about that same time.
This is the same Jones who is closing in on a batting title to grace his résumé, which already includes a National League MVP award, more home runs than any switch hitter not named Mickey Mantle or Eddie Murray, and a World Series ring.
“I was listening to something [last week] on television where Bobby was talking about how, when Chipper came to the team, he took him aside to tell him what we did to get him here, and I was stunned, really,” said Aaron, before recalling a conversation he had with Braves officials in 1990 when they owned the No. 1 pick before that June draft. By the time of the draft, Aaron had been promoted to senior vice president.
Said Aaron, with a sigh, “I told Bobby. I told them all, and I told them, ‘Y’all better go and get Chipper Jones.’ “
That was opposed to pitcher Todd Van Poppel, Cox’s first choice, according to Aaron. “I talked to Van Poppel’s daddy, and he told me that he wasn’t going to sign with the Braves, but that’s who Bobby wanted with that first pick, because he always was into getting pitching.”
Cox looked perplexed when informed of Aaron’s remarks, saying, “Well, we had a lot of people see [Van Poppel], and they liked him. Some other [Braves scouts] went to see Chipper, and they liked him a lot. I can’t remember if I had Hank talk to Van Poppel’s father or not, but [Van Poppel] was unsignable. And we needed to know that beforehand. So that’s why it really was an easy decision to take Chipper. He wanted to sign. He wasn’t playing games with the college thing. It was simple. I mean, Chipper was the guy.”
Was he?
Aaron forced a chuckle. He mentioned how Van Poppel was taken 13 picks after Jones, played for six teams and retired with a 40-52 record and 5.58 ERA. “The kid never did anything, and that’s who Bobby wanted,” Aaron said. “But every time you listen, it’s always like, ‘Oh, yeah. We always wanted to sign Chipper Jones.’ The only reason they didn’t take Van Poppel was because of what I told them about what his daddy told me.”
If this sounds like a conflict between Aaronand Cox, now the Braves’ field manager, well, you make the call. Said Aaron of his relationship with Cox, “I just talk to him, you know. What bothers me is that when he became general manager [in 1985], there absolutely was no connection between the two of us.
“Here I am the farm director, and we have a bad ballclub, and it seems like he would talk to me about the kids we have in the minor leagues. It didn’t happen.”
Said Cox, “I like Henry. I thought he did everything great. We tried to include him in everything.”
Here’s my suggestion: How about Jones joining Aaron and Cox in the same room this winter for a group hug?
Permalink | Comments (37) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves/MLB
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
