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Seven essential skills Chipper Jones can teach the Braves now that he's back in Atlanta

7 things Chipper can teach the Braves in his new role

By Chris Landers

It's been a pretty awesome retirement thus far for Chipper Jones -- since hanging them up after the 2012 season, the future Hall of Famer has done a whole bunch of hunting, gotten into plenty of Twitter shenanigans and, oh yeah, basically saved Freddie Freeman's life. 

But just when he thought he was out, baseball has pulled him back in: On Thursday, the Braves brought Chipper back to Atlanta as a special assistant to baseball operations. And, really, why wouldn't they? He's one of the very best players in franchise history, and he'll have plenty of wisdom to impart on the Braves' roster. Lessons like:

There's nothing like a good first impression

Jones' first at-bat in the big leagues was a pinch-hitting appearance back on Sept. 14, 1993. He singled, because of course he did. A couple of years later, he made his postseason debut, and promptly homered twice:

Jones HR

This was a skill that would also serve Chipper well later in life. Like, for example, when he joined Twitter, and blessed the Internet with this gem:

Don't worry, he would clarify:

Great, now that that's cleared up.

Maintain a deep appreciation for waffles

Back in 2013, the Braves announced some big news: Waffle House was coming to Turner Field. Displaying the leadership that will surely serve him well in his new role, Chipper gave it his seal of approval:

His feelings toward Waffle House hashbrowns, however, remain unclear.

Be a problem-solver

Whether driving in runs or saving the world from dysfunctional hotel rooms, Chipper has demonstrated the ability to tackle any problem he might encounter -- namely, by just tweeting about it:

 

 

Let's just hope Nick Swisher never needs a basketball net repaired, though:\

Remember to reward the hometown fans 

In 2000, the Midsummer Classic came to Atlanta for the first time in 30 years. How did the hometown star respond? He went 3-for-3, including a home run:

Chipper swing

Be sure to express yourself

Over the grind of a 162-game season, it can be easy to lose sight of how much fun baseball can be. It's important to stay in touch with one's emotions, and to add some levity to any situation. Enter Chipper Jones, Master Thespian. Here he shows us befuddlement:

And now, satisfaction:

Finally, The Thinker:

And, most importantly, how to beat the Mets

Clearly, Chipper Jones is a man of many talents. But above and beyond all of these lies his most valuable skill: Mets Killer. Jones raked against his division rival for pretty much his entire career, but the high point came during September 1999. With Atlanta leading the Mets in the NL East by just a game, the two teams met for a three-game series. 

In the opening game, Jones hit two solo homers that proved to be the difference in a 2-1 Braves win.

In game 2, Jones set the tone with a two-run homer in the first that propelled Atlanta to a 5-2 victory.

And in game 3, this happened:

HR Leiter

The Braves completed the sweep, won the division, and advanced to the World Series. Welcome back, Larry. 

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