ATLANTA -- Chipper Jones served as the National League’s manager in the All-Star Futures Game on Saturday at Truist Park. But this certainly wasn’t a sign he’s ready to be Braves manager Brian Snitker’s replacement or spend any of his retirement years as a skipper.
“I’ve still got three boys at home and seven boys in total,” Jones said. “They keep me plenty busy. You have to be completely committed to be a coach or a manager. And I just don't know that I could serve the spot as well as I should, because I'm, quite frankly, being pulled in more important directions.”
Besides, think of what would happen if the most iconic living Brave were to encounter inevitable troubles within a role where it’s been said, “you’re hired to be fired.”
“I keep asking myself, why would any general manager, especially here in Atlanta, want to hire me for a fireable spot?" Jones said. “Would you want to be the general manager that has to fire me? That's a bad PR move. I mean, if you're asking me, so I think I've got my foot in the door, just enough where both sides kind of dig it right now.”
With Snitker expected to retire at the end of this season, Jones’ opinion could certainly influence who the Braves’ next manager will be. But for now, his managerial experience will be limited to what he did Saturday, when he got to interact with tomorrow’s superstars and reunite with many other former Braves players.
Atlanta native and 1995 World Series hero Marquis Grissom managed the American League team. His coaching staff included Dale Murphy, Fred McGriff, Ryan Klesko, Marvin Freeman and Brian Hunter.
Former Braves on Jones’ NL staff included Andruw Jones, Tim Hudson, Peter Moylan, Nick Markakis, Mark DeRosa and Tyler Flowers. DeRosa was one of Chipper’s favorite teammates in Atlanta during the late 1990s and early years of this century. They still golf regularly together and remain in regular contact.
“He taught me pretty much everything I know about being a big leaguer and how to how to go about your game and to have a game plan and how to be a professional,” DeRosa said. “I shared a locker next to him for the first five, six years of my career. I got a bird’s eye view of one of the best players to ever play the game. So, to get a chance to be back in the dugout with him and to help him out was obviously an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up.”
DeRosa has maintained his residence in Atlanta while becoming one of MLB Network’s most popular personalities. There will certainly be players and fans who lobby for him once the Braves begin looking for a manager. But for now, he will just focus on his serving as Team USA’s manager in next year’s World Baseball Classic.
Jones and DeRosa will be among the many Braves who will have their Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox on their mind this weekend. Complications from a stroke suffered in 2019 will prevent Cox from participating in any of this week’s All-Star activities.
“He was one of my favorite managers of all-time,” Grissom said. “He was a player’s manager. I just wish he could be here to see all of his former Braves coming to the All-Star Game and participating in a unique way, where we can serve and give back and help others, because that’s what exemplified him as a manager.”