It took a couple of days after the Braves opened their home schedule, but Chipper Jones made his first appearance at Turner Field to hang out with his former teammates and talk a little hitting.
He said it just a coincidence that it was his old nemesis, the Mets, in the other dugout Thursday night.
“I always miss it when I come down; that’s why I don’t come down as much,” Jones said. “I miss the camaraderie in the dugout, in the clubhouse with the guys. I told them ‘get me a uni, I’ll pinch hit once tonight.’ I’ll put it in play. I don’t know where it’s going to go, but I’ll put it in play. I need a ghost runner.”
The last time he visited Turner Field in October, Jones walked away miffed after the Braves players boycotted catching his ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the division series, sending out Homer the mascot instead. The Braves didn’t like the fact that Jones had predicted they would lose the series in four games to the Dodgers earlier that day on local radio. Jones, who turned out to be correct in his prediction, said he’s buried the hatchet, having talked with former Brave Tim Hudson, a leader in last year’s clubhouse.
“Huddy and I have talked and said what needs to be said,” Jones said. “That’s all in the past tense.”
Jones said manager Fredi Gonzalez called him on opening day and invited him down. Jones said he considered opening day “Hank’s day,” referencing the 40th anniversary of No. 715, but he acknowledged getting the itch to come down and talk hitting. Gonzalez hopes it’ll be a regular thing.
“He told me he’s got the itch,” Gonzalez said. “So I said ‘hey you’re more than welcome. I’m sure we can find a No. 10 around here some place.’”
Jones has said he might have interest in becoming a hitting coach at some point down the line. As it is he’s planning to move to his ranch in southwest Texas later in the summer to take over daily operation of the hunting business he and his father run.
In the meantime, though, he relished a chance to talk hitting. He spent about 15 minutes on the field with hitting coach Greg Walker and B.J. Upton, demonstrating a change he thinks might be helpful with where Upton has his hands positioned.
One former teammate Jones stays in regular contact with, whether he comes to Turner Field or not is Freddie Freeman, who lives down the street from Jones in Roswell. Freeman spent about an hour at Jones’ house talking hitting after Wednesday night’s game, when he hit went 2-for-4 including a clutch bases-loaded, two-run single to the opposite field.
“The difference I see in Freddie in confidence,” Jones said. “When he first came up he would go through streaks where he wore his emotion on his sleeve. It was my job to try to (settle him down.) Now I see confidence. The first thing he said to me last night was ‘They got nothing to get me out with,’ and that warms my heart. Walking into that box is 90 percent of it. You’ve got to go in there believing.”
