You might thinking hanging around the first place Atlanta Braves would be a fun gig, particularly with the AL East-leading Rays in town for a big series starting tonight. However, there’s the small distraction of 6-time NL All-Star Chipper Jones jerking the local media around in an almost Farve-ian manner, writes the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Carroll Rogers.
First I was told Chipper was going to meet with Frank Wren and Bobby Cox today to discuss his future and then talk to the media afterward, in all likelihood to say he™s leaning toward retiring at the end of the season.
Just a few minutes ago, after all this kicked up today, I was told Chipper thinks the retirement speculation is premature and doesn™t plan to talk to the media about it today.
Maybe the Braves don™t see the value in bringing it all out in the open at the start of a key series. Maybe it™s Chipper realizing after a couple of days of banging this around in his head, and seeing the reaction, he™s not ready to say one way or another.
Judging by the way he looked in the dugout over the weekend in Minneapolis, just from what I saw on TV, Chipper looked different. His posture, his facial expressions, looked to me like a guy moving toward retirement. He looked like a coach, in his jacket and encouraging teammates. I don™t know. Was that just me?