Ballplayer, Chipper Jones
Ballplayer, Chipper Jones
23 Rating(s)
List: $22.50 | Sale: $14.85
Club: $11.25

Ballplayer

Bestseller

Author: Chipper Jones, Carroll Rogers Walton, Bobby Cox

Narrator: Mark Deakins, Chipper Jones

Unabridged: 10 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 04/04/2017


Synopsis

Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones—one of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history—shares his remarkable story, while capturing the magic nostalgia that sets baseball apart from every other sport.
 
Before Chipper Jones became an eight-time All-Star who amassed Hall of Fame–worthy statistics during a nineteen-year career with the Atlanta Braves, he was just a country kid from small town Pierson, Florida. A kid who grew up playing baseball in the backyard with his dad dreaming that one day he’d be a major league ballplayer.  
 
With his trademark candor and astonishing recall, Chipper Jones tells the story of his rise to the MLB ranks and what it took to stay with one organization his entire career in an era of booming free agency. His journey begins with learning the art of switch-hitting and takes off after the Braves made him the number one overall pick in the 1990 draft, setting him on course to become the linchpin of their lineup at the height of their fourteen-straight division-title run.
 
Ballplayer takes readers into the clubhouse of the Braves’ extraordinary dynasty, from the climax of the World Series championship in 1995 to the last-gasp division win by the 2005 “Baby Braves”; all the while sharing pitch-by-pitch dissections of clashes at the plate with some of the all-time great starters, such as Clemens and Johnson, as well as closers such as Wagner and Papelbon. He delves into his relationships with Bobby Cox and his famous Braves brothers—Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, among them—and opponents from Cal Ripken Jr. to Barry Bonds. The National League MVP also opens up about his overnight rise to superstardom and the personal pitfalls that came with fame; his spirited rivalry with the New York Mets; his reflections on baseball in the modern era—outrageous money, steroids, and all—and his special last season in 2012.
 
Ballplayer immerses us in the best of baseball, as if we’re sitting next to Chipper in the dugout on an endless spring day.

Read by Mark Deakins, with the prologue and epilogue read by the Author

About The Author

Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones Jr. was a third baseman who spent his entire nineteen-year MLB career playing for the Atlanta Braves and all twenty-three years as a professional baseball player in the Braves organization. An eight-time All-Star and the 1999 National League MVP, he retired in 2012. Born and raised in Florida, he now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.    Carroll Rogers Walton is a freelance sports journalist who covered the Braves for nearly twenty years as a beat writer for both the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Macon, Georgia, Telegraph. She lives in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and son.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mark on March 11, 2017

Got an early look at this book. Enjoyed it. I think what I liked best was that his co-author, Carroll Rogers-Walton captured his voice well. I felt like I could hear Chipper reading it. I enjoyed the book for its comprehensiveness. He goes through a lot of the big games, both good and bad and the ma......more

Goodreads review by Matt on March 27, 2017

Ballplayer, Chipper Jones' somewhat-generic entry in the "star athlete memoir" genre, will probably entertain Braves and/or Jones fans but doesn't offer a ton for the casual baseball fan who never performed a Tomahawk Chop. Jones had a long and illustrious career with its fair share of ups and downs......more

Goodreads review by Amy on April 15, 2017

I've been a diehard Braves fan since the early '80's. Living in the Northwest, all my vacations since 1992 (when I first saw them in person in San Diego) have been spent traveling to see them. After all the years of losing in the eighties, the 14-year streak of winning the division was like a little......more

Goodreads review by Brian on July 06, 2017

Let me review by inviting you into a moment from the three-star show Hart of Dixie. A native of a small Alabama town returns home and is elected mayor with ongoing approval ratings somewhere near 100%. When as much of a crisis as the comedy format will allow occurs, the mayor tries to encourage his......more

Goodreads review by Corey on July 31, 2017

If you know Chipper, you know he isn't afraid to express his views (just follow him on Twitter). With that said, some of things in the book seemed unnecessary, like his dislike for particular players, umpires and minor things that could have given more life to greater topics. I wanted more talk abou......more


Quotes

Praise for Ballplayer
 
“Baseball fans will revel in the anecdotes and behind-the-scenes look at the game.”
Booklist
 
“Fans will find a clear, readable old-school account of a player who almost certainly will be voted into the Hall of Fame.”
Kirkus
 
“Jones, one of the best switch hitters in Major League Baseball history…offers an insider’s look into professional baseball.”
Publishers Weekly