Chipper Jones Deal Ensures Retirement In Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves inked a contract extension with Chipper Jones Tuesday, in effect assuring the star third-baseman will spend his entire career with the franchise. The deal is worth a reported $42 million through the 2012 season. An option for the 2013 season could push the value of the entire extension to more than $60 million.

Jones in a Tuesday afternoon press conference at the Braves' spring training complex in Orlando was thrilled to get the deal done.

"It means a lot to me to know that I'm going to spend my entire career with one organization. During my time in Atlanta, I feel like it's been the best organization in baseball."

Braves' general manager Frank Wren released this statement.

"This contract ensures that Chipper will play his whole career as a Brave, which was a key factor for us, our fans and for Chipper. He has been an outstanding performer with our club for a long time and he is still a key part of our team."

Jones was the number-one pick of Atlanta in the 1990 baseball draft, and first cracked the Braves' major league roster in 1993. He turns 37 years old in April.

Jones is a six-time All Star, winner of the National League MVP in 1999, and won the majors' batting title just last season.

John Smoltz Leaving Braves

Thought by many Atlanta Braves fans, and many Braves players to be a day they'd never see, veteran pitcher John Smoltz is leaving the organization. Smoltz has agreed to a 1-year, $5.5 million contract to pitch for the Boston Red Sox in 2009.

It is a shocking jolt to a Braves' offseason that has not been fruitful in re-tooling the roster for the upcoming season.

Smoltz ends a 21-year run with the Braves--the only team he has ever played for. His career numbers include 210 wins, 154 saves, and 3,011 strikeouts. The former Cy Young Award winner is the only player in baseball history to win at least 200 games while posting at least 150 saves. Smoltz's career has been marked by numerous returns from injuries. His five arm surgeries include a shoulder surgery that cut short his 2008 season. Smoltz has been rehabbing the shoulder in the offseason in hopes of drawing a new contract. The Braves had been cautious in formally offering a deal until feeling sure of Smoltz's recovery. Boston officials reportedly made an offer at least two weeks ago after watching Smoltz work out.

Reaction from Braves' players has ranged from shock to surprise to frustration. Veteran third-baseman Chipper Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he was very disappointed in the team, telling the newspaper "I'm very disappointed. Deflated, frustrated...never, ever in a million years did I think this day would come for John Smoltz. I never did."

Georgia sports for Monday, September 29th

Atlanta Falcons--

The Falcons suffered a 24-9 loss on the road at Carolina Sunday afternoon. The Atlanta-offense consisted of only 3 Jason Elam field goals. The Falcons' season record fell to 2-2.

College football weekend--

It was a rough night for the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday evening. The Bulldogs were battered by visiting Alabama 41-30 in a contest from Athens. It was Georgia's first loss in five games this season. The Bulldogs fell in the Associated Press writer's rankings from 3rd to 11th. Georgia fell to #10 in the coach's USA Today poll.
Georgia Southern lost their Saturday game in tough fashion in Statesboro, 38-37 in overtime to Wofford. The G-Southern Eagles' record is 2-3.

Atlanta Braves--

The end of a difficult season came Sunday afternoon for the Braves--a 3-1 loss at Houston. The Braves finished their worst season since 1990, a record of 72-90 for the year. Good news came in the form of the first-ever batting title for veteran 3rd-baseman Chipper Jones. His .364 average for the season led all major-leaguers.

Georgia sports for Friday, September 26th

College football weekend--

It will be a top-10 showdown in Athens tomorrow night. The 3rd-ranked Georgia Bulldogs will host #8 Alabama. Both teams enter the contest with 4-0 records. Kickoff is 7:45, In Statesboro Saturday, Georgia Southern hits the home field with visiting Wofford. The G-Southern Eagles are 2-2. Georgia Tech's Yellow Jackets are off this weekend.

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves will wrap a dismal season with a 3-game weekend series at Houston. With their current record of 71-88, the Braves are guaranteed of their worst season since 1990. Minus the 1994 strike-season, the Braves made the postseason in 14-straight completed seasons--1991-2005. This will be a third straight year not in the playoffs. Veteran 3rd baseman Chipper Jones however, is likely to secure the National League batting title. His .365 averages leads that of St. Louis' Albert Pujols at .353.

PGA Golf in Georgia--

The Tour Championship is underway from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Anthony Kim leads the field after a first-round 6-under-par 64 score. By 4 strokes, he leads a trio of golfers: Trevor Immelman, Ernie Els, and Phil Mickelson.

Georgia sports for Monday, August 25th

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves wrapped a 6-game road trip with only a single victory--that came Saturday night in St. Louis. Sunday, the weekend series in St. Louis concluded with a 6-3 Cardinals' win. The Braves had no answer for St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols, who had 8 hits in 11 at-bats in the series, including 2 home runs. Braves' manager Bobby Cox called it a "terrible road trip", as the Braves' pitching staff posted a 7.66 ERA over the 6-game span that included a stop in New York against the Mets.

The lead for Braves' 3rd-baseman Chipper Jones in the National League batting race has shrunk to a single percentage point. Jones holds the .359 batting average edge, to now only .358 for the Cardinals' Pujols.

Atlanta Falcons--

The Falcons have made their decision for a starting quarterback for the season--rookie Matt Ryan. The team's top pick and #3 overall selection in this April's NFL Draft will get the call for game #1 of the season on September 7th, when the Falcons host Detroit. The former Boston College star completed 15 of 21 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in the Falcons' preseason win over Tennessee Friday. The Falcons' final preseason tuneup is Thursday night at Baltimore.

Georgia sports for Friday, July 25th

Warner Robins Little League--

The kids of Warner Robins are at it again--their Little League team is again making a bid for a repeat world championship. First however, tonight they’ll be playing for the state title, as Warner Robins will face Murphy Candler in metro Atlanta. A victory for Warner Robins, and they would move on to Florida to defend their Southeastern championship from 2007.

Atlanta Braves--

To major league baseball, the Atlanta Braves open an important weekend series in Philidelphia against the Phillies. The Braves won 2-of-3 games in Florida before arriving in Philidelphia--Atlanta stands 6-and-a-half games out of first place in the NL-East division. The Phillies are only a game out of first. The Braves aren’t sure if 3rd baseman Chipper Jones can play after straining his left hamstring Wednesday night.

Georgia sports for Thursday, July 24th

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves jumped back on the winning track last night with their 9-4 decision over the Marlins in Florida. Gregor Blanco was the star offensively, posting 4 hits with 3 RBI’s and 3 runs scored. On the mound, Tim Hudson picked up the pitching win with 6 innings of work. However, there was bad news in victory. Hudson had to end his night after the 6 innings with a sore right elbow. 3rd baseman Chipper Jones left the game in the 4th inning with a strained left hamstring. The Braves have today off before opening a weekend series at Philidelphia, co-leaders of the NL-East division. The Braves are 6 games out of first.

NBA/Atlanta Hawks--

The Hawks have lost forward Josh Childress to an international team. Childress agreed to a 3-year, 32.5 million dollar contract to join the Greek powerhouse team Olympiakos. Childress spent the first 4 years of his professional career with the Hawks.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, July 15th

Atlanta Braves--

Two Braves will participate in tonight's major league baseball All-Star Game in New York City. Chipper Jones leads the majors with a .276 batting average, and returns to baseball's Midsummer Classic for the first time since 2001. Catcher Brian McCann is an All-Star for a third straight season. McCann is a reserve on the National League roster, while Jones will be in the starting lineup at 3rd base, batting fifth in the lineup.

Georgia sports for Wednesday, July 2nd

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves opened a 6-game homestand with an 8-3 loss to the Philidelphia Phillies, leaders of the NL-East division. The Phillies built an early 5-0 lead through 3 innings on the way to victory. The Braves now in their season meetings against Phildelphia have only a single victory in 7 games, and none in 4 games played in Atlanta. The Braves did get good news with the return of two veterans to their lineup: 3rd baseman Chipper Jones returned from missing 8 starts with a quad strain. Outfielder Mark Kotsay was activated off the disabled list after missing 33 games with a lower back strain.


Women's pro basketball/Atlanta Dream--

The rough opening season of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream continues. The Dream lost to the Phoneix Mercury 97-79 last night, pushing Atlanta’s season opening losing streak to a league-record 16 games.

Georgia sports for Friday, June 20th

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves wrapped their 10-game road trip with a 5-4 loss in Texas--the Rangers won 2-of-3 games in the series. The Braves with the loss completed a 4-6 swing away from home. Atlanta fought-back with 2 runs to tie in the top of the 9th inning, getting RBI's from Jeff Francouer and Omar Infante. But in the Texas-half of the inning, the winning RBI-single was delievered off of Braves' reliever Jeff Bennett. The Braves begin a 6-game homestand tonight by welcoming the Seattle Mariners to Turner Field for a weekend series. The Mariners currently own the worst record in the majors.

Chipper Jones--

Braves' veteran 3rd baseman Chipper Jones' batting average has fallen below .400 for the first time since April 12th. He was 0-4 in Thursday afternoon's game, and mired in an extended stretch of only 5 hits in his last 27 at-bats.

Georgia Bulldogs/College World Series--

The Bulldogs will have to wait until Saturday afternoon to play their third game in the College World Series from Omaha, Nebraska. Another game scheduled for Thursday was postponed by rain, which is being made up today. Tomorrow, Georgia will face Stanford for the right to move to the championship round of the Series. The Bulldogs have won their first 2 games.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, June 17th

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves made it a successful one game stopover in Denver last night, scoring the 7-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. Rookie pitcher Jair Jurrjens gave a strong 7-and-two-thirds innings effort, scattering 8 hits with no runs allowed, and recording 7 strikeouts. Offensively, Chipper Jones and Jeff Francouer each produced a pair of hits and 2 RBI's. The Braves have won 3 of the first 7 games on this road trip--they begin a 3-game series in Texas against the Rangers tonight.

Georgia Bulldogs/College World Series--

The Bulldogs have won their first 2 games in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Last night, Georgia came back to beat Stanford 4-3. Down 3-0 after 3 innings, the Bulldogs scored a run in the 4th, another run in the 6th, and rallied for a pair of runs with 2 outs in the 7th inning. The Bulldogs next play on Friday afternoon, facing the winner of the Stanford-Miami contest Wednesday.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, June 10th

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves kick-off a 4-city/10-game road trip tonight with the first of 3 games in Chicago to face the Cubs, who hold the best record in baseball. The Braves have not performed well in games away from Atlanta--their 7 victories stand as the fewest of any team on the road. The trip also includes a trip to Los Angeles to face the Angels, who lead their division in the American League. Veteran 3rd-baseman Chipper Jones is not expected to play tonight. He has a small tear in his right quadriceps.

Georgia-College World Series--

The Bulldogs’ 1st game in the College World Series is set. Georgia will face top-ranked Miami Saturday night at 7pm in Omaha, Nebraska.

Georgia sports for Friday, June 6th

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves got back on the winning track last night at home with a 7-5 final over the Florida Marlins. The victory made it 3 in the 4-game series for the Braves. The Atlanta-offense included 3 home runs. One of the deep drives came courtesy Chipper Jones, who knocked his 400th career home run. Chipper continues a strong season at the plate, hitting now for a .418 average which leads the majors. He had 4 hits last night. The Braves welcome the NL-East division leading Philidelphia Phillies to Turner Field tonight.

Georgia Bulldogs/NCAA Baseball--

There are 16 teams left in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, now divided into 8 Super Regional sites. Georgia’s Bulldogs are still alive, and they’ll host North Carolina State this afternoon at noon in Athens. Winner of the 'best-of-3' series moves on to the next week's College World Series to join 7 other clubs.

Georgia sports for Friday, May 23rd

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves continued their hot-play at home, completing a 4-game series sweep of the rival New York Mets at Turner Field with the 4-2 win on Thursday night. The 3 runs scored in the 7th inning to turn a 2-1 deficit was highlighted by Chipper Jones' go-ahead RBI-single. ]
Tim Hudson earned the pitching win with a strong effort, his 7th victory already this season. The Braves are 6-1 on this current homestand, and winners of 13 of their past 14 at Turner Field. The homestand concludes with a 4-game Memorial Day weekend matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks, opening tonight.


College baseball-State teams' conference tournaments--

Georgia's Bulldogs were eliminated from the SEC baseball tournament with their 5-2 loss to Alabama Thursday. Georgia was the top-seed in the SEC tourney.

Georgia Tech was a loser in their Thursday game from the ACC baseball tournament, 15-12 to Miami. Tech will play next on Saturday morning, facing Clemson at 10am.

Georgia Southern's Eagles ended their Southern Conference tournament game at 2am this morning, falling to Elon College 16-5. GSU plays an elimination game this afternoon in Charleston against UNC-Greensboro.

Georgia sports for Thursday, May 15th

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves held-on for an 8-6 victory over the Phillies in Phildelphia last night. It was the early 8-0 lead built by Atlanta, on the strength of home runs from Chipper Jones, Yunel Escobar, and Kelly Johnson. The Phillies chipped-away at the Braves'lead , drawing to within 8-6 in the bottom of the 9th inning. They nearly came all the way back to win the contest, but Shane Victorino flied-out to deep right field with 2 runners on base to end it. Tom Glavine finally earned his first pitching win of the season, going 5-and-2-thirds innings. The Braves and Phillies wrap the series tonight.

NCAA Golf/Georgia and Georgia Tech--

The golf teams of Georgia and Georgia Tech begin play today in regional NCAA golf tournaments. Tech is seeded third in the central region, playing in Columbus, Ohio. Georgia's Bulldogs are a #1 seed in the eastern region.

Georgia sports for Wednesday, May 7th

Atlanta Braves win 5th straight--

The Braves won their 4th straight game last night, taking the 1st of a 3-game series against the San Diego Padres in Atlanta. Jair Jurrjens pitched another strong game in earning the victory. Jurrjens went 6 innings, with 7 hits, a run and 8 strikeouts on his line. Offensively, Chipper Jones knocked his 10th homer of the season, while Mark Kotsay homered as well. Tim Hudson takes the mound tonight as the Braves aim for a 5th straight victory.

Atlanta Hawks' GM Knight resigns--

Billy Knight this morning announced his resignation as general manager of the Atlanta Hawks. It comes after the team just completed its first NBA playoff appearance in nine seasons--a 1st-round, 7-game loss to the Boston Celtics. Knight's resignation is effective July 1st. The 55-year-old Knight spent six years with the organization.
His best season came this year, as the Hawks had a 37-45 regular season record and broke a nine-year playoff drought. Knight says in a statement he's "leaving the organization in much better shape than it was in when I took over."

Former Tech football star arrested--

Former Georgia Tech star quarterback Joe Hamilton is facing multiple charges following a traffic stop early Tuesday. The 31-year-old Hamilton was charged with marijuana possession, driving under the influence of alcohol, hit-and-run, and possessing an open container. Georgia Tech police pulled over Hamilton’s black Ford Expedition, as it matched the description of a vehicle that had been involved in a hit-and-run accident nearby. Hamilton led Georgia Tech to an ACC football championship in 1998, and had just been hired by the school’s football program last week as assistant director of player personnel.

Georgia sports for Monday, May 5th

Atlanta Hawks/NBA playoffs--

The improbable playoff run for the Atlanta Hawks is over. After squeaking into the postseason for the first time in 9 years, the Hawks ended their stay with a Game-7 loss at Boston Sunday afternoon. It came in destructive fashion, as the Celtics won decisively, 99-65. The 34-point loss was the fourth biggest Game-7 defeat in NBA playoff history. The Hawks were out of it early, scoring only 26 points by halftime.

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves completed a series sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with a 14-7 win in Atlanta. It was yet another big day at the plate for Chipper Jones--3 hits included a 3-run homer and 5 RBI's for the contest. The Braves as a team banged-out 19 hits. The first 3 batters in the lineup accounted for 10 hits and 10 RBI's. Veteran pitcher Tom Glavine was not able to take advantage of the offensive outburtst by his teammates to record his first win of the season. He allowed 6 runs in 4-and-two-thirds innings, falling just an out shy of recording his first win in 5 outings. The Braves evened their record at 15-15 for the season, 2 games out of first in the NL-East.

Georgia sports for Friday, April 18th

The Atlanta Braves ended their 3-city, 9-game road trip on a positive note, dropping the Marlins last night 8-nothing in the finale of the series in Miami. The Braves' offense knocked 5 home runs--Chipper Jones had 2 within a 4-for-4 night and 3 RBI's at the plate. Veteran pitcher John Smoltz threw 5 scoreless innings and recorded 10 strikeouts. The Braves still posted a disappointing 3-6 road trip. They begin a homestand tonight in Atlanta with the opening of a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The series marks the return of former Brave Andruw Jones to Atlanta.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, April 8th

It was a frustrating loss for the Atlanta Braves Monday night in the opener of a 4-game series in Colorado, and start of a 10-game road trip. Matt Holliday's 2-run homer off Braves' reliever Blaine Boyer in the 8th inning was the difference for the Rockies' 2-1 victory. It wasted another fine effort by starting pitcher Tom Glavine, who threw 6-and-a-third innings with 3 hits and no runs allowed. Chipper Jones delivered an RBI-double to account for Atlanta's only scoring.

The Augusta-area is now within Masters week. Tournament play starts Thursday morning. Yesterday brought crowds of near 40-thousand people to Augusta National Golf Club for practice rounds, as golfers got their first chance to assess the course. How the course will play for the week is the question, as last weekend brought three inches of rain. Isolated thunderstorms are forecast for this weekend with higher temperatures.

Georgia Tech has given women's head basketball coach MaChelle Joseph a new 4-year contract worth 1.3 million dollars. Joseph in 5 years as Tech's head coach has complied an 84-66 record. The women's team this season made its 2nd-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

Georgia sports for Monday, March 31st

The Atlanta Braves opened their season on the road last night in Washington D.C. with a loss to the Nationals 3-2. The Braves tied the game at 2 in the 9th, scoring on a passed ball. But in the Nationals' home-half of the 9th inning, Ryan Zimmerman wiht 2 outs launched a solo home run off reliever Peter Moylan for the winning difference. Earlier in the game, Chipper Jones drilled a solo home run, which represented the first HR to be hit in the Nationals' new stadium, getting its debut last night. For Braves' starting pitcher Tim Hudson, after a bumpy 1st inning allowing 2 runs, he settled down to retire the next 19 batters he faced. The Braves are back in Atlanta to open a 6-game homestand--home opener tonight against the Pirates. Tom Glavine gets the pitching call in his first game back in a Braves uniform.

If you missed it from the weekend, Augusta State's run through the Division II men's basketball tournament ended one win shy of a championship. The ASU Jaguars lost to the Warriors of Winona State Saturday afternoon 87-76 in action from Springfield, Massachusetts. For Winona St, it's the second championship in school history. Augusta State had its deepest run ever in the Division II tournament, ending their season 27-7.