“He was one of the most consistent players in the big leagues. He was so great at what he did, and he did it for a long time. He had the talent and put it all together. There are a lot of guys out there with talent that never put it together.”
Jones, an iconic figure in Major League Baseball, spent his entire 19-year career with the Braves and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Brandon Crisp walks up to greet former Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones at the Charleston RiverDogs Hot Stove night, Friday, January 16, 2026, in Charleston.
Henry Taylor/Staff
Known for his consistency, leadership and clutch performances, Jones was an eight-time All-Star, the 1999 National League MVP and a World Series champion.
“In personal opinion, Chipper Jones was the heart and soul of those great Atlanta Braves teams,” said Charleston resident Ricky Gonzalez. “He’s the greatest switch-hitter of all time in my opinion. My first Braves game I went to he hit his 200th home run. The other Chipper memory I have is his last home run, a walk-off against (Jonathan) Papelbon and the Phillies. You don’t ever expect to be in the same room with a guy like Chipper Jones.”
After being selected by the Braves first overall in the 1990 first-year player draft, Jones played his way into being considered one of the greatest Braves of all time. His 468 home runs are the most ever by a National League switch-hitter and rank third on the Braves’ all-time list behind Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews.
Jones is second to only Aaron on the Braves’ all-time ranks in RBIs (1,623), total bases (4,755), on-base plus slugging (.930), hits (2,726) and games played (2,499). Jones is the franchise’s all-time leader in walks with 1,512.
The Jacksonville native quickly ingrained himself in the hearts of Braves fans early in his career.
Fans line up to meet and green former Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones at the Charleston RiverDogs Hot Stove night, Friday, January 16, 2026, in Charleston.
Henry Taylor/Staff
In 1995, his first full season in the majors, Jones led all rookies with 86 RBIs and 140 games played, helping the Braves to a World Series title. In 1999, Jones earned the National League MVP award with a .319 batting average, 1.074 OPS and a career-high 45 home runs.
Past speakers at the RiverDogs’ Hot Stove Banquet include baseball greats Bo Jackson, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Ryne Sandberg, Wade Boggs and Goose Gossage.