Chipper feeling good

When Braves third baseman Chipper Jones returns to Shea Stadium for a three-game series against the Mets this weekend, he'll be carrying the best batting average in the Majors and preparing to hear more of the insults that have only gotten louder since he made that now infamous comment during his 1999 MVP season.
Admittedly brash and cocky at the time, Jones was walking off the field at Shea Stadium late after a game in which the Braves had seemingly knocked the Mets out of the playoffs.
After viewing a fan wearing a hat and T-shirt that contained both the Mets and Yankees logos, Jones remembers walking into the clubhouse and telling reporters, "Now all of the Mets fans can go put their Yankees stuff on."
Less than two weeks later, when the Braves returned to Shea to play the Mets in the NL Championship Series, it's safe to say Mets fans hadn't reserved all of their venom for John Rocker. A lot of it was aimed toward the third baseman that they tauntingly know as "Lah-Ree"
"If there was one comment I could take back in my career, it would be that one," said Jones, whose first name is Larry. "That didn't go over very well. It wasn't me. I said it out of the frustration of the moment."
Although he has been routinely taunted in New York throughout his career, Jones appreciates the fervor shown by Mets fans and certainly the success he's had in their ballpark.
In fact, his 3-year-old son, Shea, is named after this stadium, within which he has hit .310 with 19 homers in 83 career games. Having celebrated his 36th birthday on Thursday, the Braves third baseman knows Mets fans might have a few surprises for him this weekend.
"Mets fans and I have a love-hate relationship unlike anything you're ever going to see," Jones said. "I go to Porta Bella's down there, the clothing store, every time I'm in New York and I pass a thousand people along the way. Everybody is just as nice and couldn't be any more complimentary.
"Then you put that uniform on and step out of the dugout and it's like a cloud of hatred just rains down upon you. But I'll always remember something Barry Bonds said: '50,000 people don't boo average players.'"
With his current production, Jones could be described as the game's top player. Following Thursday's series finale against the Marlins, he leads the Majors in batting average (.442), and ranks second in on-base percentage (.485) and third in slugging percentage (.733).
Jones' 1.217 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) has been bettered only by the Phillies duo of Chase Utley (1.288) and Pat Burrell (1.224).
"I have never seen Chipper start a season the way that he's starting," said Braves right-hander John Smoltz, who has been Jones' teammate since 1993. "He's certainly carrying us."
Jones' great start has prolonged a successful run that actually began midway through the 2006 season. Dating back to June 26 of that year, he has produced a Major League-best .357 batting average and .661 slugging percentage, heading into Thursday's action. His .436 on-base percentage during this span is also best among active players, with Bonds being the only player to achieve a higher mark.
Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols ranks second during this span with a .335 batting average and the second-best slugging percentage (.621) is owned by Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz.
"I'm just doing my job and trying to do it the way that I always have," Jones said. "I don't think there would be this much of a huff about the numbers that I've put up at this point if this were the middle of the season."
Fortunately for Braves manager Bobby Cox, the health woes that have hindered Jones each of the past four seasons have not been a problem yet this season. While he has had some discomfort in his right quadriceps muscle, the third baseman has started every game and still has a chance of realizing his goal of playing in at least 150 games.
These injury woes have limited the opportunities Mets fans have had to heckle Jones, who has played just 12 games at Shea Stadium since the start of the 2005 season.
"Chipper has always had a great swing," Cox said. "It's a lot of fun to watch when he's going like this."
Obviously Mets fans will be attempting to knock Jones out of this groove when he arrives this weekend. But he's coming prepared and with memories of a Mets fan telling him this offseason that he was "the bane of my existence."
"I know when the game is on the line, there is one guy they don't want up at the plate," Jones said. "If that happens to be me and I fail, then I've just made an entire city's day."
But as Jones has proven in the past, he has the potential to rise to the occasion when the lights are brightest in the Big Apple.
"If you can play in that environment and atmosphere, you can play anywhere," Jones said. "You know when you go up there, all eyes are on you, especially when it's us and the Mets."