ajc: Chipper’s switch-hitting prowess no fluke (RR)

Or...How Chipper Jones grew his Mutt n Chop.

Like Mutt Mantle taught his son, Larry taught his only son Chipper to switch-hit in the backyard in Pierson, Fla. Now, 15 years into his career, Jones is in Mantle territory as one of the best switch-hitters ever.

He needs four home runs to reach 400 for his career. He’ll be only the third switch-hitter to get there after Mantle (536) and Eddie Murray (504).

“When I started switch hitting, no way in a million years would I have ever thought that I would be hitting 400 homers in the big leagues,” Chipper Jones said. “I was thinking: steal 30 bases a year, slap the ball and hit .300 from both sides.”

...At age 36, 500 homers is in range, and 3,000 hits isn’t all the way out (2,169 and counting). What will make his final numbers all the more impressive is the “.” next to his name, denoting switch-hitter.

“When you think of Mickey you think of the home runs,” Jones said. “When you think of Eddie Murray you think of the longevity, the runs produced and the 500 homers. I want to be the guy who hit a bunch of homers, drove in a lot of runs, scored a lot of runs, hit for a high average, had a high on-base percentage. I want to be the all-around switch-hitter.”