Dun uh, dun uh, dun uh (ay, ay, ay)…

When any baseball fan hears that bass line blare over the speakers at Turner Field, they know who is coming to the plate. Much like a pro wrestler coming down the ramp, the music sets a tone. It gets the home crowd amped and they express themselves vocally. Fans hearing “Crazy Train” expect something big to happen.

Once Chipper announced his retirement, I immediately knew I’d write a blog about it. I decided to wait until the season started. Watching Chipper play his final season would give me perspective. So far, he’s playing like a 25 year old, other than taking days off to rest the knee. When he’s playing, you’d never guess he has had six knee surgeries, let alone one during Spring Training. He is hitting .307 with 5 home runs and 24 RBI. It seems like after every game he plays after a day off, he hits a homer. Seeing Chipper play like this makes it harder to believe he’ll retire at season’s end. But, he is 40 and playing 19 seasons have taken its toll on his body. After seeing what happened to Mariano Rivera and Lance Berkman, it was just a reminder of what could happen to Chipper, especially with surgically repaired knees.

Back in the summer in 1996, I was reintroduced to baseball. I loved all the Braves, but Ryan Klesko, Javy Lopez, and Chipper Jones were my favorites. As a Braves fan, I could always count on Chipper holding down third base and batting in the three hole. Sometimes, we could count on knee high socks. After Bobby Cox retired, he left a hole in the heart of Braves Country. As long as Chipper was there, we didn’t notice how big it really was. Now Chipper is joining the only coach he has ever played for. It’ll be hard to ignore that hole in 2013. In fact, it will be even larger.

Some of my favorite Chipper memories are off the field. Rearranging his contract so that there was enough money so that the Braves could sign more elite talent, moving to left field so that Vinny Castilla could play third base, and laughing hysterically at Brian McCann’s triple. In 1999, I remember rooting for him to win the MVP and was so happy he finally did. I still have the ChopTalk with him on the cover in a tux holding his trophy. I still think that he was robbed of the Rookie of the Year when finished second to Hideo Nomo. At least one of them is headed to Cooperstown.

Even with the numbers, records and MVP award, it seemed like Chipper was overlooked outside of Braves Country. As Chipper has visited opposing ballparks for the final time, the teams have been recognizing what Chipper and his career mean. The Astros presented him with a white cowboy hat. The Cubs gave him one of the Braves flags that flew over Wrigley Field. The Cardinals bestowed a large framed picture of Chipper at bat at Busch Stadium. It was signed by several people, including Tony LaRussa. He also received an autographed Stan “The Man” Musial jersey. The opposing fans have also shown their respect in classy way. At Wrigley, Chipper stood at the top of the dugout during the final out. The fans directly behind the dugout stood and cheered for Chipper. It soon spread into a standing ovation by all fans in attendance. The St. Louis fans also continually showed their respect and admiration. Everytime Chipper’s name was announced, they loudly cheered for him. It’s wonderful to see Chipper get the recognition he deserves by baseball fans all over the country.

I will get the opportunity to show my appreciation in person next month. I’ll be attending game one of the Yankees/Braves series. I’m hoping that Chipper will be playing. Hopefully, we’ll be able to attend one more game this season. I look forward to watching Chipper enjoy the last games of his career, padding his resume and more importantly, entertaining the fans.

Thank you, Chipper. Thank you for everything.