As a kid, I loved baseball. I loved playing it, talking about it, and watching it. Also as a kid, my parents taught me things like loyalty, discipline, and class. "You're either first class, or no class", my dad used to tell me. While that sentence makes absolutely no sense, you get the jist of it. Either you do things the right way, or you might as well not even do them. Now, like most kids who love sports, I idolized my favorites. My favorite baseball player was Chipper Jones, the third baseman for the Atlanta Braves. He was, in my opinion, the only elite player that fit the mold of what kind of person I wanted to be, besides Derek Jeter, but he played for the Yankees, and that just wasn't going to fly.
Growing up in the Midwest, the Braves kind of fit our "country" culture. They weren't flashy like the New York's or the Boston's of the world, but they weren't small-market either. Chipper was the cornerstone of their franchise. He was easy to attach to, sometimes even reminding me a lot of my family members. I'd watch a game and see him wandering around by his perch on third base, "shootin' the bull" with the left side of the infield with a giant dip of tobacco in his lip, and then the play would occur. He seemed so casual and laid back, but when the time came to work, he got the job done as well as anyone else could. And for the record, if "Chipper" isn't a baseball name, I don't know what else even qualifies.
It was predetermined that this season would be Chipper's last. It's sad to see him go, but as a sports fan, I know that every player gets to a point. With some players, like Brett Favre, they don't realize when they've reached it, but Chipper has exited with class. He finishes his 18 year career in 2012, some 22 years after he was taken first overall in the 1990 MLB Draft. From his first day in the league to his last, Chipper has been a Brave. In today's world of sports, this is an incredible feat.
Historically, Chipper is one of the best hitters that ever stepped on a Major League field. He ranks third all-time in home runs by a switch-hitter with 468 (behind only Eddie Murray and Mickey Mantle), and second all-time in both career batting average and runs batted in, with a .303 average and 1,623 RBI. In Braves history, Chipper is second to ONE, and that is the great Hammerin' Hank Aaron, in my opinion the holder of the single season home run record. (Barry Bonds broke the record, but has also been in steroid allegations.)
Jones was one of the most feared hitters in baseball during his prime, and also one of the most clutch. This falls in the "intangibles" category, and these statistics cannot be measured. These can only be experienced. There is no number that defines clutch. There are no statistics that can define when great players make game-changing plays, or the fact that the mere presence of a man on a field can change the dynamic for an entire team. There aren't numbers for that, but sports fans across the globe know when it happens and it draws them in. There are kids in fields across the globe that dream of being this type of player, and to someday change the landscape of the sport. Chipper Jones used to be one of those kids, and now he's likely to be on his way to the Hall of Fame. Cheers, Chipper, to one hell of a career.
Signing off,
The Sports Guru
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
"Win, at all Costs"
A lot of criticism falls on sports for being too competitive. In some instances, I can understand why people may think this. One of the building blocks for competition is to "win at all costs". This is true, most of the time. Viewers outside of competition see this statement and cringe, because "at all costs" covers a very wide range of action. They think this may create a free pass for dirty play and unsportsmanlike behavior. However, for those inside the sporting arena, there is a different set of rules, but by the same standard. (Confusing, I know.) For those inside the actual competition, we still adhere to the statement "win at all costs". However, we take into account a different definition for "at all costs". Most of us inside the arena (sadly, most) can comprehend why people view the competition the way that they do. It's dangerous. But athletes flip the meaning. Instead of "at all costs" to opponents, and possibly their own teammates, they turn it on themselves. This is to be taken as a challenge saying, "How far can I push myself?" or "Where is my breaking point?" It is an internal statement for athletes meaning he or she is going to push every physical limit that his or her body bounds them to. It is found in many instances in my recent memory.
In Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan, arguably the best basketball player to ever walk the face of the Earth, overcame a stomach virus and food poisoning to win one of the most crucial and memorable games of his entire career. He played sparingly, but when he was on the court, he pushed his limits. He ended the game with 38 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, an incredible statline for a player at 100%. He went on to win the NBA Finals MVP.
The 1988 MLB World Series starred the Los Angeles Dodgers and the overwhelming Oakland A's. The Dodgers had been underdogs throughout the entire playoffs, and once again faced Goliath in the A's. (Literally giants, both Canseco and McGwire tested positive for steroids.) In the NLCS victory over the New York Mets, Kirk Gibson had injured both legs and was scratched for the lineup until further notice. With a runner on base and down 4-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers turned to their veteran. Kirk Gibson appeared from the clubhouse, took 3 practice swings, and stepped to the plate. He was to face a menacing closer by the name of Dennis Eckersley. Eckersley was one of the best closers in the game of baseball at this point. Gibson took a 3-2, backdoor breaking ball nearly 400 feet and into the right field bleachers. A walk off home run by a man with two injured legs, who wouldn't take another swing in the entire series.
My most recent example, however, comes from NCAA football. The name is Mark Herzlich. A unanimous All-State linebacker in Pennsylvania, he signed to play for Boston College. He went on to earn Freshman All-American honors, All-Conference as a sophomore, first team All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year as only a junior. He was bound to be a top draft pick after his senior season. In 2009, he was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. He didn't even blink. He overcame his bout with cancer to return to the gridiron for the 2010 season. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Giants and started his first professional game in November, 2011.
There are many things in sports that athletes say: taglines, quotes to remember, and chants. Most of these, however, are never meant to be threatening to the opponents. Most are meant for internal purposes to drive the athlete past the point of exhaustion, past the point of weakness, to strive for victory.
In Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan, arguably the best basketball player to ever walk the face of the Earth, overcame a stomach virus and food poisoning to win one of the most crucial and memorable games of his entire career. He played sparingly, but when he was on the court, he pushed his limits. He ended the game with 38 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, an incredible statline for a player at 100%. He went on to win the NBA Finals MVP.
The 1988 MLB World Series starred the Los Angeles Dodgers and the overwhelming Oakland A's. The Dodgers had been underdogs throughout the entire playoffs, and once again faced Goliath in the A's. (Literally giants, both Canseco and McGwire tested positive for steroids.) In the NLCS victory over the New York Mets, Kirk Gibson had injured both legs and was scratched for the lineup until further notice. With a runner on base and down 4-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers turned to their veteran. Kirk Gibson appeared from the clubhouse, took 3 practice swings, and stepped to the plate. He was to face a menacing closer by the name of Dennis Eckersley. Eckersley was one of the best closers in the game of baseball at this point. Gibson took a 3-2, backdoor breaking ball nearly 400 feet and into the right field bleachers. A walk off home run by a man with two injured legs, who wouldn't take another swing in the entire series.
My most recent example, however, comes from NCAA football. The name is Mark Herzlich. A unanimous All-State linebacker in Pennsylvania, he signed to play for Boston College. He went on to earn Freshman All-American honors, All-Conference as a sophomore, first team All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year as only a junior. He was bound to be a top draft pick after his senior season. In 2009, he was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. He didn't even blink. He overcame his bout with cancer to return to the gridiron for the 2010 season. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Giants and started his first professional game in November, 2011.
There are many things in sports that athletes say: taglines, quotes to remember, and chants. Most of these, however, are never meant to be threatening to the opponents. Most are meant for internal purposes to drive the athlete past the point of exhaustion, past the point of weakness, to strive for victory.
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