ST. LOUIS -- Chipper Jones might not reach 3,000 hits and 500 homers, traditional Hall-of-Fame numbers, but he's coming up on a pretty special number of his own.
He needs 14 RBIs to surpass Mike Schmidt and George Brett for the most RBIs by a player whose primary position was third base. Brett had 1,596 RBIs, Schmidt had 1,595 RBIs and Jones had 1,583, entering Sunday's series finale against the Cardinals.
“That stat right there certainly sets you apart,” Jones said. “Whatever I’m in the top five in, as far as switch-hitters and third basemen, I’m second, third, fourth or fifth -- not first in any of them. That one would be a good one to be first in because that’s the name of the game: run production. It’s a goal of mine every game to go out there and produce at least one run.”
Jones is second all-time in RBIs among switch-hitters behind Eddie Murray (1,917). He's third in home runs by a switch-hitter with 459, trailing Mickey Mantle (536) and Murray (504). Entering Sunday, he had 2,641 hits for his career.
Those two names – Schmidt and Brett, Hall-of-Famers for the Phillies and Royals respectively – make it pretty special too.
"When I was growing up those were the two third baseman, one in each league," Jones said. "You've got one who's won multiple MVPs in the National League, and George Brett was widely considered as the best pure hitter, maybe him and [Rod] Carew in the American League. While I wasn't paying a lot of attention to them because I wasn't a third baseman back then -- I was a shortstop -- you still paid attention to the best in the game. And they were the best in the business at third base."
Double-play throws
Braves second baseman Dan Uggla has had some problems early this season bouncing throws to first base on double plays. He bounced two of them in two double plays Saturday night, one of which first baseman Freddie Freeman was able to snare and one he wasn't. Uggla was charged with an error in the fourth inning after the batter David Freese advanced to second base on his errant throw.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said it's something Uggla will need to work on when the Braves return to Atlanta from this three-city trip.
“Sometimes, like anything else, you get yourself in a position where you’re not right,” Gonzalez said. “Nothing major, it’s something we need to fix a little bit.”
Gonzalez has managed Uggla for six years, including four with the Marlins, and said he doesn’t recall him having this sort of problem before.
“I think he’s the best second baseman I’ve seen turning the double play, as far as hanging in there when the runner is bearing down,” Gonzalez said. “I think it’s just a matter of (getting) yourself in a little different position, and it’s hard to open yourself up to throw to first base.”
Notable
In honor of his retirement, the Cardinals presented Jones with an autographed Stan Musial jersey and framed photograph of him batting in Busch Stadium, signed by former Brave Rafael Furcal and Georgia native Adam Wainwright, former manager Tony La Russa and others. Both Furcal and Wainwright were on the field in their Cardinals uniforms for the presentation and Jones offered a hearty hug to the shortstop who played to his left for six years….
For a while there Michael Bourn was right with Angels slugger Albert Pujols for active players with the most at-bats to start the season without a home run. That ended Saturday when Bourn snapped a streak of 144 at-bats to start the season without a home run and 305 at-bats dating back to his previous home run Aug. 19 against Arizona.
Pujols broke his streak May 6 after 110 homerless at-bats to start the season. Unlike Pujols though, the leadoff-hitting Bourn doesn’t concern himself with long balls.
“I’m not looking to hit them,” said Bourn, who has 14 career home runs to Pujols’ 446. “If I hit them, good. If I don’t, cool too. I just take it as they come.”
