Chipper Jones: Why Braves Legend Needs to Manage Club in 2017

Chipper Jones retired from baseball after the 2012 season, as the Atlanta Braves said goodbye to their most beloved player of the last two decades.

Looking back at his career, Chipper Jones was more than just an excellent player for the Atlanta Braves; he was an icon. Chipper Jones was the face of the Braves more so than any other player since Hank Aaron — and that includes the Braves big 3 of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine or John Smoltz.

Chipper Jones is no doubt a first-ballot Hall of Famer once he is eligible, hitting .303 lifetime over his 20 year career. His expertise at the plate is still utulized by the Braves, as Chipper has been a guest instructor at Spring Training every year since his retirement.

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With the Atlanta Braves in a state of flux following President of Baseball Operations John Hart‘s retooling of the organization throughout the past season, many fans have become disenchanted with the performance of current Braves’ manager Fredi Gonzalez. Gonzalez was recently given a one-year extension with the Braves a month ago, only to see his club’s record plummet since then. The Braves have lost 11 out of their past 12 games, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to see Gonzalez manage past next season.

I wrote last month that Fredi Gonzalez has done an excellent job with this year’s team — perhaps his best so far in a Braves’ uniform — but since then, I now believe more than ever that when the Braves move to SunTrust Park for the 2017 season, we will see a new manager in the dugout for the club. Granted, Fredi Gonzalez has had to work with a plethora of young players and overcome injuries this season (which has most likely contributed to the Braves free-fall in the standings); but I don’t believe the Braves front-office will want this maligned manager to be leading the club in 2017.

Aug 11, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez (33) prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Gonzalez’s players have quit playing for him 3-times now in his Braves career. The first was in 2011, as the Braves wasted an 8 game lead over the Cardinals in the Wild-Card standings, missing the playoffs entirely. The second instance was in 2014, when the Braves were in the middle of the NL East race at the end of August, only to go 7-18 in September. Now this season, the Braves have quit on Gonzalez again, demonstrating a lack of leadership to keep his team playing hard.

John Hart and the Braves have made it abundantly clear that they are playing for 2017: acquiring young talent and stock-piling the farm system to prepare to contend two years down the road for when the new ballpark opens. There is something to be said for continuity at manager, but there is also the excitement of introducing a new regime to the club — similar to the new-found optimism of the Atlanta Falcons under Dan Quinn.

If the Braves are banking on 2017 and the excitement that a contending team and a new ballpark will bring to the fan-base, why not take it up a notch and hire a new manager? There has long been speculation that Chipper Jones would be a future hitting coach in the majors, but I will take that one step further, presenting a case of why I believe that the Atlanta Braves should attempt to hire Chipper Jones as their new manager after next season.

“If Chipper were to take over as Manager, his introduction to the clubhouse would immediately galvanize the fan-base in a way not seen since his promotion to the show in 1993.”

As aforementioned, Chipper Jones is an icon not only in Atlanta, but at the national level. If Chipper were to take over as Manager, his presence in the clubhouse would immediately galvanize the fan-base in a way not seen since his promotion to the show in 1993. His players would not quit on him, and his presence would inspire the Braves’ young core in a way that no other manager could.

No prior managerial experience? No problem. Mike Matheny of the Cardinals and Brad Ausmus of the Tigers have showed the past few years that just because they do not possess the “requisite” managerial experience does not mean that they cannot lead their teams to success. Mike Matheny has made the NLCS with the Cardinals every year since his debut as manager, taking over for the legendary Tony LaRussa.

I believe Chipper Jones would have a similar experience managing the Braves, ensuring that the team does contend in 2017. The benefit of having Chipper Jones as the manager is clear. The question is, would Chipper Jones come out of retirement and return to the diamond to manage his former team?

I think the Braves should go with a 'High Sock Sunday'! Might break em out of this streak they are in.
— Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) August 23, 2015

It is no secret that Chipper Jones has been loving retirement. He has a newfound love for social media, a new wife, and a new hunting ranch in the state of Texas. After a 20-year career, he finally has time to enjoy life away from the baseball field. As a lifelong ballplayer though, retirement may lose its luster, and a desire to return to the game of baseball may very well occur.

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