Alright, Chipper, fair enough. But you can say the same thing about Smoltz. After spending last season earning $14 million dollars to not contribute to the team and earn $130 million dollars over the course of his career, he’s going to alienate fans and continue to live in the shadow of other elite players who moved on to other teams late in their career for a few million dollars? Here’s your chance to shine and differ yourself from Maddux and Glavine – and you blew it.

If you google “Atlanta Braves,” TC shows up fairly easy. I wonder if Chipper’s read anything here?

I love Chipper’s candid and brutal honesty, always. But he seems to forget that us common everyday plebeians are not very sympathetic about professional athletes discussing whether or not they’re getting “a couple of million dollars.”

“I’m not worried about the money. I’ve made my money in this game.”

Now the question I’m feeling is, with all this being said, and the he’s stated that he’s seemingly pretty content financially for the future, how’s next season’s off-season going to pan out, when it’s his turn to look free agency in the face?

• Will he even get the chance, because the Braves will offer him, and he’ll accept, something fair, but probably less than what he’d be offered in free agency?
• Will he give the hometown discount, and immediately re-sign with the Braves to finish out his career?
• Will the Braves waffle around like they did with Smoltz, and force Chipper to look elsewhere, and like Smoltz, break the hearts of millions of more Atlanta Braves fans when he does?
• Or will Chipper Jones basically take back what he said about being worried about money, and take a generous offer from a good-on-paper potential contender?

This is sounding more and more like we lowballed him, rather than he wanted to pitch for a contender. Unbelievable.

“I wonder if Chipper’s read anything here?”

I’m sure he has, he did a live chat on DOBs blog last offseason.

The rich get richer. It’s becoming more and more apparent that the bigger markets are crushing the smaller markets with these signings.

Ten or 15 years ago, we could lure people to Atlanta strictly on reputation. You can’t do that anymore. We can’t compete monetarily.

We just don’t have enough money to compete with the [big payroll] teams.

Just keep your mouth shut and go play your game.

Note: Taken from Chipper’s own words in the Sporting News interview.

worser and worser.

“The Braves would have paid Smoltz incrementally based on his health up to a maximum of $5 million if he remained on the major league roster for 60 days, and the guarantee was for no more than $3 million. The offer also included another $5 million in performance bonuses and $2 million in additional incentives. So Smoltz could have earned up to $12 million by staying healthy and pitching extremely well.” Smoltz will get $5M guaranteed from the Red Sox plus another $5M in incentives. Tell me again why the Braves are at fault here? This stinks of Glavine going to the Mets…

If he wants to follow in the footsteps of Glavine and Smoltz, more power to him. Wouldn’t hurt us to deal him to an AL contender at the deadline if he’s not happy and not likely to hang around for much longer.

I agree with Chipper here, it doesn’t insult me Smoltz wants to play for another team, it does insult me that he said he would be back and Braves fans could always, up until now, could depend on that. I guess we have all learned about the whole gentleman’s handshake this winter. I guess good luck Smoltz, thanks for the memories.