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Ballplayer
Atlanta Braves third baseman and National Hall of Famer 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 make 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, and 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.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2017
94 people are currently reading
1097 people want to read
About the author
Chipper Jones
2 books21 followersLarry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. was a Major League Baseball third baseman who spent his entire 19-year MLB career playing for the Atlanta Braves, and all 23 years as a professional baseball player in the Atlanta organization. On January 24, 2018, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
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 many personalities with whom he played. And for his honesty about the mistakes he made in his personal life. If you're a Braves fan, you'll love it. If you're not, you'll probably still like it.
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, but Ballplayer is hurt by shallow writing and many tired athlete memoir tropes. It has a few positive moments and is overall an average read, but it's hard to strongly recommend the book to the general fan.
The book follows the tried-and-true player memoir format. Jones recounts his early years growing up as the son of a baseball coach in rural Florida and describes some impactful moments from his childhood. We learn that his switch-hitting was encouraged by his Mickey Mantle-idolizing father and how his regret about leaving his local high school for a snootier prep powerhouse in Jacksonville contributed to him staying with the Braves for his entire professional career. The bulk of the book concerns his tenure with the Braves, and gives a chronological overview of his professional career and his experiences on the field and in the clubhouse. Jones offers insight into the personalities of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Bobby Cox, and other Braves staff and also shares some run-ins with other players such as Barry Bonds (unsurprisingly a bit of a jerk to Jones). The broad synopses of each season drag a little bit as many of them blend together but there are a few amusing anecdotes, such as how Jones decided to go deer hunting on the day of his first-ever World Series game. The reader will also pick up some useful nuggets of baseball wisdom along the way, which is probably the best aspect of the book. Jones was a true student of the game (his future certainly lies in some kind of coaching or analyst role assuming he still wants to work) and he also has an astounding memory of his playing history. He shares tidbits such as how the major benefit of becoming a switch-hitter is preventing sliders going away from the batter and that hard-throwing pitchers with better "stuff" outperform more control-based hurlers in colder weather because batters are less warmed-up.
Ballplayer's biggest drawbacks center on Jones' limited writing abilities. On the prose front, Jones isn't particularly strong at describing things and my Kindle counted 6 separate instances of the phrase "shit-eating grin" (and I'm not entirely convinced it captured all of them). Jones simply isn't all that great at articulating his feelings and the writing in general often came off as clunky. Even when dealing with his off-field troubles (Jones got divorced twice and had an affair with a Hooters waitress in 1997 that resulted in a son) Jones' writing reads like a public apology statement. I'm not going to play armchair psychologist and try to understand whether he's truly remorseful or not, but I will play armchair book reviewer and say that these passages weren't interesting or insightful.
In recent years Jones has had some incendiary and foolish tweets, including suggesting the Sandy Hook school shootings were a conspiracy, making tasteless jokes about illegal immigrants, and challenging an army veteran who was angry about being snubbed for an autograph over 15 years ago to a fistfight in an extended and inane stream of threats and insults. That said, his tone isn't absurdly arrogant over the course of Ballplayer and his personality didn't bother me. Jones' peak performance coincided with my formative years and it was nice to relive some of the biggest moments of 90's baseball and read about some of the game's stars during the period, and I appreciated the times Jones shared some of his substantial wisdom about the game. Still, Ballplayer is a typical player memoir, and suffers from the same problems that plague most offerings in the genre. Braves fans will like it, but for the general fan it's just an average read.
5/10
The book follows the tried-and-true player memoir format. Jones recounts his early years growing up as the son of a baseball coach in rural Florida and describes some impactful moments from his childhood. We learn that his switch-hitting was encouraged by his Mickey Mantle-idolizing father and how his regret about leaving his local high school for a snootier prep powerhouse in Jacksonville contributed to him staying with the Braves for his entire professional career. The bulk of the book concerns his tenure with the Braves, and gives a chronological overview of his professional career and his experiences on the field and in the clubhouse. Jones offers insight into the personalities of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Bobby Cox, and other Braves staff and also shares some run-ins with other players such as Barry Bonds (unsurprisingly a bit of a jerk to Jones). The broad synopses of each season drag a little bit as many of them blend together but there are a few amusing anecdotes, such as how Jones decided to go deer hunting on the day of his first-ever World Series game. The reader will also pick up some useful nuggets of baseball wisdom along the way, which is probably the best aspect of the book. Jones was a true student of the game (his future certainly lies in some kind of coaching or analyst role assuming he still wants to work) and he also has an astounding memory of his playing history. He shares tidbits such as how the major benefit of becoming a switch-hitter is preventing sliders going away from the batter and that hard-throwing pitchers with better "stuff" outperform more control-based hurlers in colder weather because batters are less warmed-up.
Ballplayer's biggest drawbacks center on Jones' limited writing abilities. On the prose front, Jones isn't particularly strong at describing things and my Kindle counted 6 separate instances of the phrase "shit-eating grin" (and I'm not entirely convinced it captured all of them). Jones simply isn't all that great at articulating his feelings and the writing in general often came off as clunky. Even when dealing with his off-field troubles (Jones got divorced twice and had an affair with a Hooters waitress in 1997 that resulted in a son) Jones' writing reads like a public apology statement. I'm not going to play armchair psychologist and try to understand whether he's truly remorseful or not, but I will play armchair book reviewer and say that these passages weren't interesting or insightful.
In recent years Jones has had some incendiary and foolish tweets, including suggesting the Sandy Hook school shootings were a conspiracy, making tasteless jokes about illegal immigrants, and challenging an army veteran who was angry about being snubbed for an autograph over 15 years ago to a fistfight in an extended and inane stream of threats and insults. That said, his tone isn't absurdly arrogant over the course of Ballplayer and his personality didn't bother me. Jones' peak performance coincided with my formative years and it was nice to relive some of the biggest moments of 90's baseball and read about some of the game's stars during the period, and I appreciated the times Jones shared some of his substantial wisdom about the game. Still, Ballplayer is a typical player memoir, and suffers from the same problems that plague most offerings in the genre. Braves fans will like it, but for the general fan it's just an average read.
5/10
February 3, 2018
I don’t have high expectations for athlete memoirs in general, and given the many shallow and ignorant statements that have come out of Chipper Jones’s mouth over the years, I was hoping not to cringe too much while reading this book. But it proved to be far better than I ever expected, to the lasting credit of the “Ballplayer” for his candidness and honesty and of the co-author, veteran Atlanta sports writer Carroll Rogers Walton, for her skill in capturing his voice.
As a Braves fan who closely followed Chipper’s career from draft day to his Hall of Fame election, I was already familiar with most of his story — but there were still plenty of hidden treats about his life and career here to keep me interested. I especially enjoyed hearing his perspective on being selected #1 in the amateur draft and coming up through the minor leagues, along with his insight on his celebrated teammates Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz, and his close relationship with his parents, who were fixtures at so many Braves games for two decades.
I could have done without all the moral lectures on steroids and “the right way to play,” but that comes with the territory, I suppose. I was most impressed with his openness in addressing his personal issues off the field, most notably his infamous affair with a Hooters waitress and multiple divorces. Nothing was off-limits.
But ultimately, this was a book about the life of a ballplayer and the focus is on baseball. We’re able to sneak inside the mind of a great hitter and learn more about his approach during some of his highest, and lowest, moments on the field as the leader of the Braves’ dynasty. For anyone except a diehard Mets fan, this book is worth picking up.
As a Braves fan who closely followed Chipper’s career from draft day to his Hall of Fame election, I was already familiar with most of his story — but there were still plenty of hidden treats about his life and career here to keep me interested. I especially enjoyed hearing his perspective on being selected #1 in the amateur draft and coming up through the minor leagues, along with his insight on his celebrated teammates Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz, and his close relationship with his parents, who were fixtures at so many Braves games for two decades.
I could have done without all the moral lectures on steroids and “the right way to play,” but that comes with the territory, I suppose. I was most impressed with his openness in addressing his personal issues off the field, most notably his infamous affair with a Hooters waitress and multiple divorces. Nothing was off-limits.
But ultimately, this was a book about the life of a ballplayer and the focus is on baseball. We’re able to sneak inside the mind of a great hitter and learn more about his approach during some of his highest, and lowest, moments on the field as the leader of the Braves’ dynasty. For anyone except a diehard Mets fan, this book is worth picking up.
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 slice of heaven ... and, of course, Chipper was a huge part of that. Reading this was kind of strange in that I remembered a lot of the games Chipper talked about and that, in turn, brought back events that were happening in my life. I had some difficult experiences, but the Braves were always on TV when I got home and I could put my own problems on the back burner and spend three hours cheering on my heroes ... who never disappointed me. Thank you, Chipper, for this nostalgic walk through your, the Braves and my past.
December 6, 2022
I’m not really the target audience for this one (I had to check off a sports memoir for my 2022 reading challenge and rather than read Andre Agassi’s book for the 3rd time, I grabbed this because Jones is one of my partner’s favorite players and I thought it would be interesting to learn about him), but this was pretty boring. Maybe if you’re really into baseball, you’d be familiar with all the names he mentions and truly care whether or not they had beef, but I was hoping for some more edge-of-your-seat exciting game stories. There was a little of that, but I’m still bitter about the chapter where he just told you which umpires he hated. But maybe if you’re a huge baseball fan, that’s some hot goss! I don’t know! To each their own! Anyway, if you really love Chipper Jones, you’ve probably already read this book and I hope you enjoyed it.
March 21, 2017
The story of Larry “Chipper” Jones sounds like one that many fictional stories are woven from: a country boy who with the guidance from his parents becomes a big-time star in a big city. While it may sound like something that would be written as fiction, it is very much a true story as Jones reflects on his life in this memoir co-written with Carroll Rogers-Walton.
While Jones does speak about his inspiration and guidance from his parents as a young man, I felt the book was a little different than most sport memoirs in that there is not a lot of space about the athlete’s personal life. There is one chapter and part of another in which Jones speaks about his failed marriage and the infidelity that led to that ending. Much like what he did while a player, he spoke about it in detail once, then let everyone make their judgments and moved on.
How the book does this is that aside from that, Jones mostly talks about baseball, baseball, and more baseball. From his high school and minor league days, to his time with the Braves teams that won 14 consecutive division titles, five National League pennants and one World Series, this book covers nearly everything a fan would want to know about life in the major leagues. Jones is full of praise for the three Hall of Fame pitchers who led the Braves – Tom Glavine, Gregg Maddux and John Smoltz.
For hardcore fans, Jones also talks deep into baseball analysis. Not statistics, but things that happen on the field, such as learning to switch hit, learning different positions on the field (he was a shortstop, third baseman and outfielder, plus he also pitched in high school) and pitch-by-pitch analysis of memorable at bats for Jones. One I particularly enjoyed was one against Roger Clemens when the latter was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Fans of Jones or the Atlanta Braves, the only major league team for which he played, will particularly enjoy this book. Even those who enjoy reading memoirs of baseball players but may not be a fan of either will still want to add this to their libraries.
I wish to thank Penguin Group Dutton for providing an advance review copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
While Jones does speak about his inspiration and guidance from his parents as a young man, I felt the book was a little different than most sport memoirs in that there is not a lot of space about the athlete’s personal life. There is one chapter and part of another in which Jones speaks about his failed marriage and the infidelity that led to that ending. Much like what he did while a player, he spoke about it in detail once, then let everyone make their judgments and moved on.
How the book does this is that aside from that, Jones mostly talks about baseball, baseball, and more baseball. From his high school and minor league days, to his time with the Braves teams that won 14 consecutive division titles, five National League pennants and one World Series, this book covers nearly everything a fan would want to know about life in the major leagues. Jones is full of praise for the three Hall of Fame pitchers who led the Braves – Tom Glavine, Gregg Maddux and John Smoltz.
For hardcore fans, Jones also talks deep into baseball analysis. Not statistics, but things that happen on the field, such as learning to switch hit, learning different positions on the field (he was a shortstop, third baseman and outfielder, plus he also pitched in high school) and pitch-by-pitch analysis of memorable at bats for Jones. One I particularly enjoyed was one against Roger Clemens when the latter was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Fans of Jones or the Atlanta Braves, the only major league team for which he played, will particularly enjoy this book. Even those who enjoy reading memoirs of baseball players but may not be a fan of either will still want to add this to their libraries.
I wish to thank Penguin Group Dutton for providing an advance review copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
July 6, 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 fellow townsfolk, by offering the locker room clichés that are in his professional inventory.
This is the walk through Chipper's book. He is a smart, adaptable guy who exhibited tremendous discipline in studying how to best succeed on the field himself and as a team leader. As a reader, I believe he is genuine and wanting to offer the benefit of his experience through the printed page. Like the mayor in Hart of Dixie, he offers what he has, real experience, enthusiasm and care for other people covered over with locker room clichés. No doubt the faculty at The Bolles School where he graduated would cringe even more often than I did.
It was worth reading because I care about the Braves and because I wanted a little of his insider perspective. I didn't want to go THAT far inside, envisioning the antics of naked teammates. Even so, he drops the occasional gem of insight almost accidentally. His father, he says, knew his swing better than anyone else because his father made his swing. That was a moment of both humbling and endearing theology, but because these were things I was blessed to have in my frame of experience that somebody snatched from "normal" development onto the athletic fast track at 18 at the oldest doesn't have.
Lest I assign this phenomenon exclusively to the lower or Chipper's middle-class background, Barbara Tuchman observes in The First Salute the same kind of phenomenon among the British leadership class which steered many of its most prominent young men narrowly into naval terminology as young as 12. They became experts, like Chipper, but they found wider critical thinking of the conventional wisdom they inherited more difficult.
Worth it. NEXT…
This is the walk through Chipper's book. He is a smart, adaptable guy who exhibited tremendous discipline in studying how to best succeed on the field himself and as a team leader. As a reader, I believe he is genuine and wanting to offer the benefit of his experience through the printed page. Like the mayor in Hart of Dixie, he offers what he has, real experience, enthusiasm and care for other people covered over with locker room clichés. No doubt the faculty at The Bolles School where he graduated would cringe even more often than I did.
It was worth reading because I care about the Braves and because I wanted a little of his insider perspective. I didn't want to go THAT far inside, envisioning the antics of naked teammates. Even so, he drops the occasional gem of insight almost accidentally. His father, he says, knew his swing better than anyone else because his father made his swing. That was a moment of both humbling and endearing theology, but because these were things I was blessed to have in my frame of experience that somebody snatched from "normal" development onto the athletic fast track at 18 at the oldest doesn't have.
Lest I assign this phenomenon exclusively to the lower or Chipper's middle-class background, Barbara Tuchman observes in The First Salute the same kind of phenomenon among the British leadership class which steered many of its most prominent young men narrowly into naval terminology as young as 12. They became experts, like Chipper, but they found wider critical thinking of the conventional wisdom they inherited more difficult.
Worth it. NEXT…
May 2, 2019
I absolutely loved this book! Chipper was my favorite player from about 96/97 until he retired in 2012. I have yet to find another baseball player to have as my favorite since then, haha! What I loved about this book, is that the way he told his story, made me feel like he was telling it to me. Like a conversation of sorts. He owned up to his transgressions and am so glad he never touched steroids like other baseball players who shall rename nameless. He only mentions those that have since been caught taking steroids like his teammate John Rocker.
When Chipper talks about his personal life, he tells the story honestly. When he came clean to the media about his affairs, it did not make me love him any less as a ball player. He was still my favorite and I think him being open and honest with his fans is what made me love him even more.
I hate that he is retired because selfishly I would love for him to still be playing for the Braves! Maybe he will come back and manage one day :)
Also, I still remember the infield fly play against the Cardinals in the one game play off for the wild card spot...I do not remember Chipper's error in that game, (he mentions that he blames himself for that loss), but I remember that awful call by the umpires!
Read this if Chipper Jones is or was your favorite baseball player! You will love it!!
When Chipper talks about his personal life, he tells the story honestly. When he came clean to the media about his affairs, it did not make me love him any less as a ball player. He was still my favorite and I think him being open and honest with his fans is what made me love him even more.
I hate that he is retired because selfishly I would love for him to still be playing for the Braves! Maybe he will come back and manage one day :)
Also, I still remember the infield fly play against the Cardinals in the one game play off for the wild card spot...I do not remember Chipper's error in that game, (he mentions that he blames himself for that loss), but I remember that awful call by the umpires!
Read this if Chipper Jones is or was your favorite baseball player! You will love it!!
August 1, 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 about his World Series win and teammates - the stories about Doggie, Glav and Smoltzie were highlights in the book. As for his personal life, he doesn't back down from explaining his first marriage, and I respected that. But we didn't learn anything about his second divorce. The structure was a bit off with random jumps from subject to subject and sentences were choppy. Overall, though, it was a good read about my favorite player of all-time and I learned a lot.
February 9, 2023
I LOVE Chipper! I love that he stayed with my team all through my youth. So he messed up, many do. He is human and marriage is hard. I am glad he found happiness vs going through the motions. The Braves had so many opportunities but a bad play here and there cost us several more rings.
May 12, 2017
Just ok. Interesting if you are a Braves fan and want some insight into the glory days.
May 7, 2019
My wife Shari gave me the book “Ballplayer” by Chipper Jones as a Christmas gift. I had more than a passing interest as he played for only one team his entire career, the Atlanta Braves. It is rare that a player ever does that. We watched him come up from the minors to the Braves and followed is career until he retired some 5 years ago.
He was a first ballot Baseball Hall Fame winner. It makes no difference whether you are a Braves fan or not, it is a great read. It is almost as if you are sitting on the bench in the dugout and just talking with him.
The book reads like a conversation.
He is very transparent about his own personal failures – married for the third time now. He is very blunt about his own transgressions in that regard. It is very clear from this book and his candor that he is not proud of these failures, either. Still like all of us, failure is part of our story and to deny it is less than honest. Indiscretions not only damage the couple, and perhaps kids, but they hurt parents and extended family as well. He comes across as very human.
One fact that I never knew – and doubt that the public knew was how micromanaged the Braves were under Frank Wren (since fired). Bobby Cox was close to quitting in 2008 as a result of how Wren “managed” things. By the way Wren is now banished from baseball and Bobby Cox is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Chipper credits a host of people who helped him to the success he had in his career. Start with his father, Bobby Cox, John Schuerholz, and so forth. But . . . he also mentions a lot of minor league coaches.
For example . . . Don Baylor: he strongly encouraged tdhat Chipper hit for power from BOTH side of the plate. Chipper started off just trying to get on base from the right side, and did not work on power.
And the use of drugs/steroids . . ., he is open about wondering how much more he could have accomplished if he had been willing to use drugs.
He never used any such “help”. He played in an era where there was wide use of steroids. " In his view it was simply cheating to do that. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
He made it clear that if he had cheated it would have been a betrayal to not only the game, but his family and especially his dad.
All in all, a good and fun read.
He was a first ballot Baseball Hall Fame winner. It makes no difference whether you are a Braves fan or not, it is a great read. It is almost as if you are sitting on the bench in the dugout and just talking with him.
The book reads like a conversation.
He is very transparent about his own personal failures – married for the third time now. He is very blunt about his own transgressions in that regard. It is very clear from this book and his candor that he is not proud of these failures, either. Still like all of us, failure is part of our story and to deny it is less than honest. Indiscretions not only damage the couple, and perhaps kids, but they hurt parents and extended family as well. He comes across as very human.
One fact that I never knew – and doubt that the public knew was how micromanaged the Braves were under Frank Wren (since fired). Bobby Cox was close to quitting in 2008 as a result of how Wren “managed” things. By the way Wren is now banished from baseball and Bobby Cox is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Chipper credits a host of people who helped him to the success he had in his career. Start with his father, Bobby Cox, John Schuerholz, and so forth. But . . . he also mentions a lot of minor league coaches.
For example . . . Don Baylor: he strongly encouraged tdhat Chipper hit for power from BOTH side of the plate. Chipper started off just trying to get on base from the right side, and did not work on power.
And the use of drugs/steroids . . ., he is open about wondering how much more he could have accomplished if he had been willing to use drugs.
He never used any such “help”. He played in an era where there was wide use of steroids. " In his view it was simply cheating to do that. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
He made it clear that if he had cheated it would have been a betrayal to not only the game, but his family and especially his dad.
All in all, a good and fun read.
April 22, 2022
Thrilled to read this memoir of another teammate I grew up holding in high regard. This is a fun read for any fan, Chipper's country-boy voice clearly audible through each line on the page. Jones doesn't shy away from sharing his proudest moments, his tenderest relationships, and his biggest missteps--none of which took place on a baseball diamond. His honesty about those choices and their fallout is what truly moved me about this book. It may have been his athleticism that put him in the public eye, but I genuinely believe it's his openness and commitment to growth in all areas of life that has turned him into a legend.
July 8, 2017
I was just at the library and spotted this book on the shelf. I couldn't believe it, Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves were such a huge part of my life in the 1990's and the first decade of the 2000's. That's saying a lot because I was a middle schooler from NY when I fell in love with them. This book brought back so many great memories. As I was reading it I kept thinking how I remembered certain players I had long forgotten. I really would like to see Chipper be more front and center with the Braves someday.
December 15, 2019
I'm not a Braves fan but I live in Jacksonville, so I decided to read this book. While there was a lot of great insight into how a ballplayer thinks and great stories about his teammates, in the end Chipper came off as arrogant to me. The way he treats women (and jumps from one marriage to the next!) was striking. His highlight reel of his big plays was cool, although to hear him tell it he won every game by himself.
April 17, 2021
Though written with a co-writer, Chipper Jones' voice and personality come through in this autobiography. From his early days in Florida, when he decided to be a baseball player, through his retirement from the MLB, he discusses his baseball career, including why he signed with the Braves, stayed with the same team for his entire MLB career (an unusual feat), and ultimately decided to retire. There are enough stats, game details, and mentions of the players with whom he played to satisfy any baseball fan, particularly Chipper and Braves fans, without being just a list of highlights (though there is a list at the end of the book). He discusses his personal life, though not in great detail, while at the same time owning up to some of his mistakes in that area. An enjoyable read, particularly if you were a Braves fan during the Chipper era.
September 2, 2025
I read this back when it was first released a few years back and loved it. Ended up listening to the audiobook version during a roadtrip and picked up a lot of things I had forgotten. Chipper was my first and will probably always be my favorite ballplayer/Brave. Love hearing his story and how vulnerable he is telling it. Mostly enjoyed hearing his thought process during specific games that I remember growing up, very cool perspective! 5/5
October 4, 2017
Great read for all baseball fans, not just Braves Country. Thanks for the memories, Chipper!
November 29, 2017
Outstanding read. Lots of clubhouse material you wouldn’t know about otherwise. Go Chip, Go Braves!
October 12, 2024
Really good book. Very good perspective. Details on multiple parts of his life.
July 4, 2017
I'd give it 3 1/2 if I could. It's obviously full of statistics, which don't mean much to me, but I did enjoy learning about his background. I love that he respects his parents. Makes me want to attend a Braves game!!
February 13, 2019
3/5
The 1990s was not the best decade for Major League Baseball. The 1994 season was truncated because of the players' strike. There was no post-season. While MLB rebounded with fans hungry for the long ball, it soon became clear that those who were hitting the long balls were juiced up on steroids.
For the Braves fan (particularly this Braves fan who was a kid during the 90s), however, the 90s were magical. The Braves went from "Worst to First" in 1991 and then won 14 straight division titles. At the heart of this team was the young Chipper Jones.
Chipper Jones was my childhood hero. I wore my socks like him in little league. After taking a D.A.R.E. class, I even wrote Chipper a letter begging him to stop chewing tobacco (to which his PR person was kind enough to send back an autographed photo)! While Chipper was quite the star on the field, he soon got himself in hot water off the field. He had an affair with a Hooters' waitress and a child out of wedlock. As a kid who only saw morality in black and white, my hero's image was tarnished. From then on, Chipper was a bit more complex to me. However, I still remained a fan and followed his career. Years later, I was at Turner Field for his last game and I was there for his retirement ceremony. He entered the MLB in 1993, when I was seven years old, and retired in 2012, when I was twenty six years old. Chipper is baseball to me.
Ballplayer is Chipper's life story. While I knew that Chipper wasn't exactly a moral exemplar (beyond the scope of the affairs, see also his racially insensitive tweets), my view of him was further tarnished while reading Ballplayer. He comes off as a pugnacious, prideful, greedy redneck that can't control his passions. Not only did he have an affair and a child with a waitress while married, he was having multiple affairs with multiple women. When another woman claimed she was pregnant, he sent her money for an abortion. In numerous points in the story, Chipper talks about fighting with teammates over things that seem minor (like when he sent a teammate to the hospital because he called Chipper a prima donna behind his back). Then there is this childish incident:
I got into it with Melvin Nieves. He drove a Lexus, and he used to park under the stadium in Richmond. Everybody else had to park outside. I got sick of it.
"Who died and made you God?" I said. "Why do you get to park underneath?"
Both of us were standing in the home dugout there are the Diamond in Richmond right before a game.
"Don't worry about it," he said. Then he jabbed me in the face.
He had his glove on, but I went ballistic. I picked him up and body-slammed him. When I did, my feet went out from under me, and I fell face-first into a dugout step. I had a big knot in the middle of my forehead for a week.
The next day I beat Melvin to the ballpark, and I parked in that spot under the stadium. When he got to the clubhouse, I said, "I bet your ass didn't park underneath today, did you?"
"That's fucked up, man," he said. "Yep," I said. "I'll be here at noontime every day. Tomorrow I'm going to let Tarasco park underneath there."
In the 1995 World Series, Chipper drove down to Perry, GA and decided to go hunting. He risked being late for Game 1 of the World Series to shoot a deer! I guess redneck's gotta redneck.
Later, when Chipper hit superstar-status, he stated that it was his goal to be the highest paid player in the MLB:
Those numbers warranted elite pay, and I wanted to be the highest-paid player in terms of average annual value.
I went directly to Schuerholz and told him that I wanted to be the highest-paid player in the game.
The writing is not great. Chipper and his co-author use the same tropes ad nauseam:
"gave me that shit-eating grin" (p. 146)
"with a little shit-eating grin on his face" (p. 152)
"a little shit-eating grin on my face" (p. 187)
"I gave him that shit-eating grin" (p. 188)
(Did I miss any?)
Ballplayer follows the pattern of nearly every sports memoir: I loved the sport as a kid, I worked hard, I had some setbacks, I succeeded, I wouldn't change a thing. This book, most likely, will not be of interest for those outside of "Braves Country." However, it is a nice bit of nostalgia for Braves fans of the 90s and 2000s. You'll run into old friends: Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, McGriff, Justice, Klesko, Lopez, Lemke, Pendleton, Rocker, Lofton, Andruw, Sheffield, Francoeur, McCann, Diaz, Cox, Schuerholz, etc. You'll relive the excitement of the '95 World Series victory and the heartbreaks of the '96 and '99 World Series. You'll hear the the infuriating chants of "LAAAA-RYYY, LAAAA-RYYY," in Shea Stadium. You'll remember the brawls, the homeruns, the wins, and the losses.
The 1990s was not the best decade for Major League Baseball. The 1994 season was truncated because of the players' strike. There was no post-season. While MLB rebounded with fans hungry for the long ball, it soon became clear that those who were hitting the long balls were juiced up on steroids.
For the Braves fan (particularly this Braves fan who was a kid during the 90s), however, the 90s were magical. The Braves went from "Worst to First" in 1991 and then won 14 straight division titles. At the heart of this team was the young Chipper Jones.
Chipper Jones was my childhood hero. I wore my socks like him in little league. After taking a D.A.R.E. class, I even wrote Chipper a letter begging him to stop chewing tobacco (to which his PR person was kind enough to send back an autographed photo)! While Chipper was quite the star on the field, he soon got himself in hot water off the field. He had an affair with a Hooters' waitress and a child out of wedlock. As a kid who only saw morality in black and white, my hero's image was tarnished. From then on, Chipper was a bit more complex to me. However, I still remained a fan and followed his career. Years later, I was at Turner Field for his last game and I was there for his retirement ceremony. He entered the MLB in 1993, when I was seven years old, and retired in 2012, when I was twenty six years old. Chipper is baseball to me.
Ballplayer is Chipper's life story. While I knew that Chipper wasn't exactly a moral exemplar (beyond the scope of the affairs, see also his racially insensitive tweets), my view of him was further tarnished while reading Ballplayer. He comes off as a pugnacious, prideful, greedy redneck that can't control his passions. Not only did he have an affair and a child with a waitress while married, he was having multiple affairs with multiple women. When another woman claimed she was pregnant, he sent her money for an abortion. In numerous points in the story, Chipper talks about fighting with teammates over things that seem minor (like when he sent a teammate to the hospital because he called Chipper a prima donna behind his back). Then there is this childish incident:
I got into it with Melvin Nieves. He drove a Lexus, and he used to park under the stadium in Richmond. Everybody else had to park outside. I got sick of it.
"Who died and made you God?" I said. "Why do you get to park underneath?"
Both of us were standing in the home dugout there are the Diamond in Richmond right before a game.
"Don't worry about it," he said. Then he jabbed me in the face.
He had his glove on, but I went ballistic. I picked him up and body-slammed him. When I did, my feet went out from under me, and I fell face-first into a dugout step. I had a big knot in the middle of my forehead for a week.
The next day I beat Melvin to the ballpark, and I parked in that spot under the stadium. When he got to the clubhouse, I said, "I bet your ass didn't park underneath today, did you?"
"That's fucked up, man," he said. "Yep," I said. "I'll be here at noontime every day. Tomorrow I'm going to let Tarasco park underneath there."
In the 1995 World Series, Chipper drove down to Perry, GA and decided to go hunting. He risked being late for Game 1 of the World Series to shoot a deer! I guess redneck's gotta redneck.
Later, when Chipper hit superstar-status, he stated that it was his goal to be the highest paid player in the MLB:
Those numbers warranted elite pay, and I wanted to be the highest-paid player in terms of average annual value.
I went directly to Schuerholz and told him that I wanted to be the highest-paid player in the game.
The writing is not great. Chipper and his co-author use the same tropes ad nauseam:
"gave me that shit-eating grin" (p. 146)
"with a little shit-eating grin on his face" (p. 152)
"a little shit-eating grin on my face" (p. 187)
"I gave him that shit-eating grin" (p. 188)
(Did I miss any?)
Ballplayer follows the pattern of nearly every sports memoir: I loved the sport as a kid, I worked hard, I had some setbacks, I succeeded, I wouldn't change a thing. This book, most likely, will not be of interest for those outside of "Braves Country." However, it is a nice bit of nostalgia for Braves fans of the 90s and 2000s. You'll run into old friends: Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, McGriff, Justice, Klesko, Lopez, Lemke, Pendleton, Rocker, Lofton, Andruw, Sheffield, Francoeur, McCann, Diaz, Cox, Schuerholz, etc. You'll relive the excitement of the '95 World Series victory and the heartbreaks of the '96 and '99 World Series. You'll hear the the infuriating chants of "LAAAA-RYYY, LAAAA-RYYY," in Shea Stadium. You'll remember the brawls, the homeruns, the wins, and the losses.
May 3, 2017
Grew up a Pirates fan...and still am! But, since living in the SE you have to pull for the Braves too. Rememeber Chipper Jones as a near rookie winning the '95 World Series against Cleveland while on vacation as an intern at Myrtle Beach. This has some great inside stories of the Braves clubhouse...almost too detailed for this pseud0-Braves fan but a great story of one of the greatest hitters in the past 25 years.
April 28, 2017
As a Braves fan, I enjoyed reminiscing with Chipper.
April 17, 2017
This was one of the more mundane baseball books published this spring in the wake of such biographies on Leo Durocher, Casey Stengel and the Cubs winning the Series. Larry "Chipper" Jones was a great baseball player, a sure Hall of Famer, but his writing skills seem limited to cliches. Like one of the reviewers here noted earlier, he resorted to "sh*t-eating grin" several times when describing himself or Greg Maddux.
He is, though, honest and humble in describing his affairs, mostly with the Hooters waitress whom he fathered a child with. And he doesn't pull many punches, writing about people he doesn't like. This is not just some smarmy "all's good" kind of bio. Also, the book does a good job in showing Jones' growth as a team leader. Sure, he's egotistical. Everyone in baseball is. He was the No. 1 draft pick, he has the right to be a hotshot. But he also notes his humility and his mistakes and that makes the book a bit easier to read.
In light of all the other books released this spring about our favorite sport, this one isn't the most important, but it's a good, quick read.
He is, though, honest and humble in describing his affairs, mostly with the Hooters waitress whom he fathered a child with. And he doesn't pull many punches, writing about people he doesn't like. This is not just some smarmy "all's good" kind of bio. Also, the book does a good job in showing Jones' growth as a team leader. Sure, he's egotistical. Everyone in baseball is. He was the No. 1 draft pick, he has the right to be a hotshot. But he also notes his humility and his mistakes and that makes the book a bit easier to read.
In light of all the other books released this spring about our favorite sport, this one isn't the most important, but it's a good, quick read.
April 22, 2017
Fast read
Chipper gives a blend of reality at the plate and in his house. A great ballplayer who left an indelible mark on baseball fans everywhere....especially in She Stadium!
Chipper gives a blend of reality at the plate and in his house. A great ballplayer who left an indelible mark on baseball fans everywhere....especially in She Stadium!
April 19, 2017
3.5 out of 5.
April 27, 2017
I would actually say more like 4.5 for 3 reasons 1) I still wanted more, 2) some of the phrases were very over used and became annoying, and 3) sometimes the "good ol' boy" took away from what otherwise felt like true genuineness. It's a must read for CJ fans and Braves fans. It was a nice walk through his career and surprisingly about a fair enough amount of his personal life. There was a lot of baseball and some of his opinions on the game, the players, and the "stuff" that seems to have gone with it.
April 14, 2017
From a baseball standpoint, the book was excellent. You get a realistic picture of what it's like having a career in the majors. I appreciate Chipper's honesty, however, it's sad that his success on the field did not carry over into his married life.
April 8, 2017
I don't hardly, if ever, read non-fiction books unless it's for work. However, this is, mother freakin' Chipper Jones! There is no way I wasn't going to read this book. I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. It gave me a look inside the life of my all-time favorite baseball player. I've gained a whole new respect for him and a lot of other Braves player. This book made me laugh, smile and cry. It was like re-living childhood games I had watched and seeing it from the player's side of things. I highly recommend this book.
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