Inspired by the awesome responses about a fallen hero and the American Dream, here's an article to balance the life of A-Rod. Chipper Jones. What a guy. Very different departure from baseball than what A-Rod is likely to experience.
Some questions ... How does this article play into the sentimentality surrounding the game of baseball and the idea of heroes? Is Chipper the anomaly or the norm? Let's play arm chair psychologist for a moment: why was Chipper able to resist the pull of steroids when A-Rod could not. Give me your best psycho-analysis.
Loved the insights and honesty of last week. Keep up the good work. Remember -- be insightful but be concise. I love your thoughts.
The story of Chipper Jones is unique because he played the game right for so long. Chipper resisted the pull of steroids because he did not care about the money. Ozzie Guillen even states that he left 20 million on the table. For A-Rod, a player that grew up poor, money was the reason he kept playing. And, to make more of it, he had to juice his numbers. Had Chipper Jones used steroids, he probably would have hit 600 home runs, but 459 is a great number, too. He is the anomaly because he stuck to the roots of the game: to have fun. He played 18 years for one team because he never stopped enjoying it; A-Rod has played for 3, signing some of the biggest contracts in history along the way. If everyone played like Chipper, the baseball world would be a better place. -Joseph Kakkis
ReplyDeleteThe main difference between A-Rod and Chipper Jones is a rooted difference of purpose. Although both love the game and have made a choice to chase the dream of playing professionally, Chipper strives to inspire individuals through his actions and character, while A-Rod strives to impress through statistics. Even when Chipper may not have been as much of a presence on the Braves, he maintained his commitments and created a presence in a different form. By believing he is "doing [his] job" by inspiring at least one child to work hard and improve their drive, it shows that he is in it for the betterment of baseball as a whole. A-Rod's actions seem to be for the betterment of his individual name and success. Unfortunately, I see Chipper's outlook on baseball is an anomaly - avoiding the business of baseball that the game has become.
ReplyDelete-Chloë
After reading the article, I consider Chipper heroic. The article introduces Chipper Jones to the reader by saying “he is one of a kind.” Upfront, this puts Chipper on a pedestal of being the best. The article continues to romanticize Chipper by pointing out that he has become an All american role model for every little leaguer in Georgia.
ReplyDeleteAn aspect of Chipper that makes him an anomaly is his loyalty to his club. He could have made more money elsewhere, but instead, in a very Derek Jeter manner, chose to stay at one club for the entirety of his career.
The difference between Chipper and A-Rod has to do with the teams they were on. A-Rod was on the most recognized team in baseball, where he was surrounded by excellence and pressure to be the best. In contrast, Chipper was the best player on his team for years. Chipper didn’t have the pressure of competing with the players in his own club to the same extent that A-Rod did. While he is widely recognized for his abilities, he was never an icon that was in the public spotlight like A-Rod was. The pressure of the spotlight often pushes people to do things that they wouldn't normally do. Additionally, A-Rod played for Texas when steroid use was common among players in the club (Palmeiro, Canseco, Gonzalez), which also could have impacted his choice to use steroids.
Chipper is a hero because he has remained humble despite an incredibly successful baseball career. I think one critical difference between A-Rod and Chipper is the perspective of achievement. I sense that throughout his career, Chipper had an outlook leaning towards "I have enough. I am happy," whereas A-Rod was constantly striving for the better, faster, stronger, more money end goal, resulting in his use of PEDs. It is likely that Chipper could have gone elsewhere and reaped the financial benefits of his talent, but
ReplyDeleteChipper honored the game in ways perhaps unfathomable to many other players. This article plays into the sentimentality surrounding baseball in that it almost paints him as a serious old-timer, when really, he is not that old. It shows tremendous commitment and an inspiring moral code of sorts. I am also extraordinarily impressed by his desire to pass on the love of baseball, and to guide younger players to experience the same amazing game that he had. I have serious respect for individuals who do not feel the need to brag about success and achievement, but rather are secure enough in themselves that it shines through anyway.
Morgan
Chipper Jones demonstrated an almost unprecedented commitment to his team. Unlike many modern ballplayers that trade teams many times during their career, Chipper has stood out as a constant in a flurry of free agents and exchanges. This feeling of stability is what creates a thread of sentimentality through Chipper. With the growing fan base he received from his dedication to the Braves, he achieved his status as a baseball hero. Chipper was not only a baseball player, but also a role model for his teammates and a teacher. Instead of playing baseball always keeping to himself, he got involved with his fellow players and sough to unify the team. If he had chosen to take steroids, it would have set the precedent for the other younger men that performance-enhancing drugs were a part of the game. In this sense, Chipper had much more than his own potential gain from the drugs at risk because of his sphere of influence both within his teams and with his fans. Additionally, from his humbleness when he speaks about his success, it’s apparent that he didn’t play for the fame and fortune of baseball. With this, he had no outside incentive to take drugs when the natural game was what he cared so deeply about.
ReplyDeleteAlly
A-Rod and Chipper Jones had very different incentives when it came to success. A-Rod seemed to define success by the best hitting average and, presumably, the highest income. On the other hand, Jones measured success by “evoking happiness and eternal youth.”
ReplyDeleteTherefore, A-Rod quickly found himself caught up in the world of performance enhancing drugs in hope to improve statistics and impress others, while Jones simply showed and proved that he was a motivational and committed baseball player. Jones was not a show off, he was a fighter and played for the action and to have fun. Jones displayed his dedication to his team and ultimately the sport by staying with the Atlanta Braves, no matter the outcome of the season. Other teams and coaches even recognized Jones's dedication, sharp skills, and true love for the game, as he received a handful of gifts from different teams. Jones represents the minority of baseball players, who seem to be truly passionate and involved in the game for purposes other than fame. It is players like Jones who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. This article plays into the sentimentality surrounding the game of baseball because it represented Jones as a one in a million baseball player. Over the years, players seem to have become more like A-Rod, and less like Jones.
Samantha
This article on Chipper Jones shows a sentimentality surrounding the game of baseball and ideas of a hero because he expressed a tremendous passion and commitment to the Braves. Rarely do you have such a great ball player committed to only playing for one team and I believe that this view of respect for the Club that his career began is what made Chipper Jones a hero. Chipper is the anomaly to the typical great ball player because he shows his fans that he plays for the love of the game and friends, disregarding the effects of money and drugs to improve his game. As the article mentioned, fans would be surprised at his stats when looking at them and say that he does it very quietly, once again showing his ability to be a tremendous player who is also humble. Chipper Jones was a teacher of the sport. He would try his best to bring the team together and help the younger players, trying to rub his passion for the game off on them. I think what separates him from A-rod is his ability to look past the fans and celebrity aspect of the game and just play it for fun as kids would. I also believe that it was easier for him to avoid drugs because of the importance he played for the Braves franchise. Being a tremendous leader who has never played for a different team, Chipper was a role model for many of the players and using drugs would have just separated him from the rest of the team. Chipper Jones brings the childhood joy of the game to both the fans and the players of the major league and would never ruin his passion with the intrusion of drugs.
ReplyDeleteChipper Jones is a model example of a baseball player and a hero. His professionalism, his love for the game and his consistency all amounted to one of the intangibles that many players do not possess: putting the game before himself. Despite his impressive career statistics, Chipper was never know for ego or self-promotion, for he always prioritized his job. But despite the fame and fortune, he managed to keep as low a profile as humanly possible for a player of his skill. Unlike many other talented players, Chipper remained with one team for his throughout his entire career, until he finally retired at 40. Such a level of dedication and loyalty is rare in the modern baseball world, where teams throw money at players in an attempt to lure them to become a part of their franchise. As a result, many players are grossly overpaid. Chipper was certainly not underpaid – he earned the ninth-highest amount in total salary in baseball history – but he was deserving of every penny he earned. Rather than leave Atlanta for the possibility of more money, he chose to remain loyal to the Braves’ organization and fans. Not only was he loyal, he was also committed to bettering himself to the best of his ability without dishonesty. He gave all of his effort throughout his entire career, in order to become one of the best third basemen of all time, without the aid of PEDs. His priority was playing baseball and helping his team win, not simply accrue personal awards. That level of dedication is exceedingly commendable, and one only a true hero is able to reach. In my opinion, Chipper Jones is not only a model of a baseball hero: he is the model of one.
ReplyDeleteGriff
Through Chipper Jones’ long standing commitment to the Braves he has undoubtably earned his status as a hero. While I’d love for players like Chipper to be the norm, his dedication to the Braves, the city of Atlanta, and the game is hard to come by. I think Chipper Jones was able to resist using PEDs because he wasn’t in it for money. As exemplified by his goal of inspiring young athletes, Chipper played baseball purely because he loves the game. While players can be impressive and admirable even with the use of PEDs, I believe it is impossible to be inspiring while on steroids, and I think Chipper understood that to inspire young kids, he had to make his career as pure and attainable as possible.
ReplyDeleteKatarina
Chipper Jones is unfortunately an anomaly. Finding a player of his caliber, with his sense of loyalty and commitment, is, sadly, rare. He spent the entirety of his career without being influenced by the money and played simply because he wanted to and it was fun to him. He was one of the few to resist the allure of PED’s because the game wasn’t about success it was about having fun. Sure he cared about winning and losing, but most importantly he just wanted to play. He fought through all those injuries because he wanted to. He did not want it leave because he helped “found” the Braves. The day he retired was the day baseball lost an icon. His drive, skill, and passion for the game has helped shape the way baseball is played, and taught today.
ReplyDelete-Connor Roach
Baseball has always been and will continue to be an American pastime. It has been a spectacle since the even before my grandfather played giving the sport itself a sentimental feel. It is also a more friendly sport when it comes to the stress on your body. This has lead to many players playing the sport for long periods of time. Chipper is one of these men, and unlike many, he has produced results consistently for the last two decades. I believe he is an anomaly and not. His dedication to the sport and his team are very rare but he is not the only athlete that is ending his career clean and on his own terms. While the respect and acclaim he is retiring with is not normal retiring without scandal is. Many players retire and pursue other professions (like Graham) while others fade to the minors and play till' they can't carry a bat anymore (like shoeless joe). I can not put myself in Chipper's shoes but I believe the same thing that has kept him on the Braves has kept him away from drugs. He wasn't in it for the money or for the fame, he just wanted to play the sport he loved.
ReplyDelete-Brian
Chipper Jones is an inspirational figure in baseball history because he did not play for the money, but because he truly loved the game. He was an honorable player, sticking with his team through thick and thin, unfazed by the offers he would have received from other teams during his prime. Jones has gone down in history as one of the most respectable players who ever played the game. His story goes to show that you do not need to use performance enhancing drugs in order to be at the top, unlike A-Rods story. Chipper Jones respected the game and wanted to inspire young kids with his dedication and hard work rather than statistics. Chipper Jones was different than the majority of players in the major leagues at the time because his drive and determination came from his respect for the game rather than the money involved. In my opinion, Chipper Jones is the perfect model of how the game should be played. Most kids nowadays talk about how they want to play professional sports for the money, when this desire really should come from their love of the game. If everybody followed the path that Chipper Jones did, the baseball world would be a much better and more respectable place in our country.
ReplyDelete-Jack
Jones' unwavering loyalty to his only team in the major leagues that he ever played really touches on the sentimentality of baseball. If you ask almost any fan of a team sport who their favorite player is, there might be some hesitation, but if you ask them who their favorite team is, that hesitation is a lot less likely to happen. Having a face to go along with the logo is huge. Star players that leave franchises are rarely looked upon positively for doing so. Chipper's commitment to the Braves for a whole 18 years spans multiple generations of baseball fans, further cementing his relationship as both a talented and loyal player. He could have gone to another team, and the prospect of more money was undoubtedly present throughout his career. Jones was able to resist the temptation and continued to succeed. This was likely because his goals were different than A-Rod's; A-Rod was more focused on the money, while Jones cared more about his loyalty or his image. It's also possible that Chipper was confident enough that he could succeed without PEDs, whereas A-Rod may have felt that they were necessary if he were to continue excelling in an increasingly competitive game. Overall, Chipper Jones became a hero for baseball fans everywhere through his long-term, consistent success with the Braves.
ReplyDelete-Sam
Baseball has, for a long time, been the sport that idealizes America, heroes, and masculinity. For years and years the players have symbolized the highest rank of hero, the highest influence on the children growing up watching them, that they could achieve. It seems like Chipper is a great symbol of the hero in baseball: he’s modest, a great player and he positively influences children (specifically males apparently thank you to the patriarchy) to follow their dreams as who they are. In the American idea of baseball Chipper is the norm but in reality it seems like Chipper is more of an anomaly, not only because of his resistance to take steroids but also because of how rooted he has stayed with his fans and his real goals in playing professionally. I’m not very familiar with the two baseball players but from how these two articles portrayed them it seemed like Chipper had more of a support base- that he really realized that he was influencing a younger generation and that he was knowledgeable about that in his decision making. This article, because of the angle on Chipper that he was a wonderful person overall, plays into the sentimentality surrounding baseball by looking at how he affects his younger audience and how much he cares about them. Also referencing his children plays into the sentimentality more so. -Kirsta
ReplyDeleteThe major difference between A-rod and Chippers Jones is the fact that fans admired A-rod as a player, while many looked up to Jones as an Inspiration. According to many reports, it has become common knowledge that A-rod is not a very satisfactory character. The impression he gives is one of a player who is solely focused on winning and becoming the best without caring about the way he presented himself or his attitude. This narrow-minded goal of trying to achieve greatness is probably what led him to use PEDs. On the other hand, Chipper Jones is not only admired as a great player, but also as a fantastic character and role-model. As this article states, he was always looking to help out his team and was a leader and role model for his teammates. The responsibility of being a good role model probably helped Chipper steer clear of PEDs. Additionally, this good character really brings out the sentimentality of baseball and shows what’s so special about its culture, like the displays of admiration described in this article. Players who are such well-rounded hero figures, like Chipper definitely deserve the respect that they get from many, even opposing fans and players. While there is nothing that can be done to make the anomaly of heroes like Chipper Jones the norm (as there will always be corrupt and unlikeable players), it is good to see those such as Jones get the respect they deserve.
ReplyDelete^Duncan
DeleteChipper Jones embodies baseball at its purest. He gives his all on the field and has worked hard the achieve the success and earn the respect of the baseball community and fans alike. He used his triumph to become a role model for young players, recognizing the image that he holds in the eyes of growing players. Unlike A-Rod, Chipper lives a pure baseball life. This is where the difference between the two players is exposed. A-Rod's road to success was the path of PED's rather than Chipper's hard work. Therefore Chippers exit from professional baseball was celebrated for his outstanding work on and off the field. A-Rod's will not be a glorified event.
ReplyDeleteAngus
This article was able to capture the love and respect Chipper Jones fells for the game that A-Rod did not have. The dedication and respect that Chipper has for the game was an anomaly and is something that all players should strive for. He was a true role model that many kids have looked up to because he is seen as a pure and good guy, unlike A-Rod. The reason why Chipper was able to resis the pull of PED's is because of the difference in mindsets towards the game and the other players that they were competing with. A-Rod most likely saw the other players as a threat to him playing the game while Chipper probably saw them for what they were, a challenge for him to overcome on his own.
ReplyDelete