Don’t Mess Around with Jim Chipper In case you...

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Don’t Mess Around with Jim Chipper

In case you missed it, last night during the Braves come-from-behind 13-9 win over the Rockies, Moyer stepped off the rubber before delivering a 3-0 pitch to Brian McCaan to bark, “I see what you’re doing,” at Chipper Jones who had doubled and driven in a run earlier in the top of the fifth inning. Chipper who was chatting with Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki at that moment was none too happy with having his integrity questioned. He responded during the game by driving in four more runs to give him 5 RBI on the night. He said even more after the game.

That was all on Jamie Moyer. He woke a sleeping giant tonight. He started chirping and it went all downhill from there. He accused me of relaying a sign down 6-2 with a 3-0 count to Brian McCann. I have never relayed a sign to anyone while I’m on second base.

I don’t know what the problem was. I was literally having a conversation with the shortstop when he stepped off and said that. I don’t know why he’s so paranoid. But to be honest with you, every pitch he throws is 78 (mph). So it’s not like we really have to relay signs.

I told Helton and Tulo to tell [Moyer]… he could meet me in the tunnel to discuss it and I never heard back.

-Chipper Jones to MLB.com

Upon returning to the Coors Field this morning, Jones’ ire had clearly still not subsided.

You question our integrity, that’s wrong. I’ve never accused him of doctoring a baseball. I’ve never accused him of over-milligraming, nothing. That’s (garbage) and he woke us up. I didn’t see any signs on the 900-foot homers that were hit.

Chipper was referring to the mammoth solo home runs hit by Matt Diaz and Jason Heyward to open the top of the 6th inning.

As you might imagine, Chipper’s teammates came to his defense, but support also came from the Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

Moyer said something. I think exactly how Chipper said it is how it happened. I think Moyer accused him of giving locations. All I can tell you is that Chipper and I were just talking, and I didn’t get any sense that he was relaying anything. No one knows the truth… But for me, [Jones] wasn’t doing anything.

For his part, Moyer had this to say today of his confrontation with Chipper.

I’ve got no comment.

Perhaps Moyer went back to the video to review the incident, or maybe he chatted with Tulowitzki, and then reconsidered. If so, Moyer wasn’t going to admit that he was mistaken.

The Braves finished off a sweep of the Rockies today with a 7-2 win. Jones had a scheduled day off as he usually does for day games after night games. The Rockies and Braves do not renew acquaintances until a four-game series on September 3-6.

Photo via Faux Frank Wren, Twitter.