jbmorgan86's review against another edition
3.0
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.
dreriv1219's review against another edition
5.0
If you're a Chipper Jones fan, you will love it. If you're just a Braves fan, you will love it. If you are a true baseball fan, you'll love it. Chipper gives insight into his game, his teammates, and opponents with a behind-the-scenes perspective that is entertaining and interesting. I liked to celebrate the successes as well as understand the challenges he described. He worked for his career and played the game the right way. Baseball needs more players like Chipper Jones and I can't wait to see him in a manager's position one day.
katscribefever's review against another edition
4.0
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.
ajmckee11's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
lord_petros's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
4.0
Disclaimer: This review is by a Braves fan that grew up watching them in the 90s. Take away a half Star if you're not a Braves fan (and maybe a full star if you're a bitter Mets fan.)
I really enjoyed how well co-author Carroll Rogers Walton captured Chipper Jones's voice; having watched enough post-game and in-booth interviews, I could hear Jones in my head as I read this book.
The story is told in the straight forward and no-frill manner you would expect from Jones. Love him or hate him, this book won't change your mind about Chipper. It will give you a long look into his life, and a chance to re-experience many moments in the Braves historic run, and beyond, from the perspective of one who was there when it happened.
I really enjoyed how well co-author Carroll Rogers Walton captured Chipper Jones's voice; having watched enough post-game and in-booth interviews, I could hear Jones in my head as I read this book.
The story is told in the straight forward and no-frill manner you would expect from Jones. Love him or hate him, this book won't change your mind about Chipper. It will give you a long look into his life, and a chance to re-experience many moments in the Braves historic run, and beyond, from the perspective of one who was there when it happened.
bhutchcraft89's review against another edition
5.0
Great book
I have always enjoyed Chipper Jones and his career. As I read I felt as if he was sharing this story right there to me. I recommend this read for any baseball fan.
I have always enjoyed Chipper Jones and his career. As I read I felt as if he was sharing this story right there to me. I recommend this read for any baseball fan.
tinman1979's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed learning more about my all time favorite Atlanta Braves player.
librarimans's review against another edition
4.0
An entertaining read about the life and baseball career of Chipper Jones.
armand_rosamilia's review
4.0
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.
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