MLB ALL-STAR GAME

July 11, 2000

Chipper Jones

CHIPPER JONES: It was awesome. I mean it's every little boy's dream. I've said it so many times this week, it's not often that a player gets to play on his home field in an All-Star Game, much less start. To go out there and hit a home run, you know, it was just awesome. I can't explain it. It was something I'll never forget.

CHIPPER JONES: Watered-down pitching. I think the expansion has given jobs to a lot of guys that normally wouldn't be in the league. And guys like Big Mac and Griffey and Sammy, they're going to expose young guys' weaknesses. And if they make a mistake, they're more liable to make a mistake than a veteran pitcher, a guy that's established. If they make a mistake, they make them pay ultimately.

CHIPPER JONES: You're talking to a guy who's played on a pitching-oriented baseball team, you know. So I would much rather have a 3-2, 4-3 game, with one or two homers, as opposed to the 10-9 slugfest. Usually when we get into slugfests like that, we're on the losing end of it.

CHIPPER JONES: I was pretty relaxed. The home run contest was a lot more nerve-wracking than the game. I mean, when you're out there playing the game, that's your domain. That's where I feel most comfortable. I felt really relaxed. It's here in my home ballpark. I hit well here. I got some pitches to hit and didn't miss them. But as far as impressing the crowd, you always want to impress the crowd when you're playing at home or Seattle, you know. But it makes it extra special that it was here.

CHIPPER JONES: Yeah. You know, as a whole, I mean you hear questions all week long about people questioning Bobby's picks and what not, and there's not a guy out there tonight wearing a Braves uniform that doesn't deserve to be on that ballclub. You know, it just further backs our manager and his picks that, you know, all three of the position players got hits. One pitcher that pitched went three-up three-down; and I'm sure if Maddux would have been in there, he would probably have done the same thing. So it's extremely gratifying to back our manager.

CHIPPER JONES: I have gotten nervous in the past. And to be honest with you, probably for the four or five minutes before my first at-bat, you know, there are some jitters. But once you see that first pitch, and it's you and him out there, and that chess match has begun, the last thing on your mind is, "This is an All-Star Game," or, you know, "I got to do this to impress the crowd." It's, like I said earlier, it's my domain.

CHIPPER JONES: I knew that question was coming some time. (Laughing.) I'd rather not comment on it, to be honest with you. It's a long way off, and I'm under contract right now. I'm going to play out this existing contract, and when the season's over, then I'm sure the offers will be passed back and forth, and we'll get it taken care of.

CHIPPER JONES: Has crossed my mind, yeah. I think anybody who wants to take advantage of a free-agency opportunity, it crosses everybody's mind. You wonder what's out there.

CHIPPER JONES: It's disappointing, you know, but I don't envy an All-Star manager's position. There are going to be people snubbed that should be on that ballclub. The only way you can take care of -- even if you expand the rosters, there's still going to be three or four guys that are going to be snubbed. You know, do I hold any grudges? No. It's a tough job, and the manager last year elected to take somebody else; that's fine. I don't have any problems with that. I went fishing for three days down in Florida and had a great time.

CHIPPER JONES: I don't know. Win a World Series and an MVP. I don't know. (Laughing.) It was an awfully special year last year from about the midway point on; and we got to another World Series, I got to experience that again. You never know when your last one's going to be. So hopefully, you know, we're in the lead right now. Hopefully, we can stay there for 75 more games and give ourselves another opportunity to get there.