During his 19-year career with the Atlanta Braves, Chipper Jones was a World Series Champion, 1999 National League MVP and 8x All-Star. But baseball also forced him to fail time and time again, and in that he found his most valuable lessons. On this episode, the former #1 pick and future Hall of Famer discusses the highs and lows of being a professional athlete, opens up about his personal struggles, and talks about the mental toughness and perseverance required to become one of the game’s greatest switch-hitters. His new book, Ballplayer, is in stores now.
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Show Notes
- What made the Atlanta Braves teams of the 1990s so special (2:12)
- What it was like to play for Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox (4:37)
- The Atlanta Braves veterans who mentored him in the clubhouse (7:04)
- How baseball taught him to recover from failure faster (10:32)
- The positive self-talk Chipper used when in a slump (12:32)
- The advice his mother gave him that he remembered every time he stepped to the plate (15:00)
- The story of how Chipper went hunting the morning of the World Series (18:37)
- His pre-game routine (21:30)
- Focusing on baseball while his personal life fell apart (25:20)
- The decision to retire and the transition (29:30)
- The best practical jokes from the Braves clubhouse (35:43)
- The advice Chipper would give his younger self (40:35)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Ballplayer by Chipper Jones
- Atlanta Braves
- Bobby Cox
- Greg Maddux
- John Smoltz
- Tom Glavine
- Deion Sanders
- David Justice
- Jeff Francoeur
- Barry Bonds
- Kelly Johnson
- B.B. Abbott
- Orel Hershiser
- Frank Wren
- John Schuerholz
- Roger Clemens
- Bryce Harper
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Tom Glavine on Peak Performance
- Billy Horschel on Mental Toughness
- Geno Auriemma on Winning (And Winning Some More)
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