Betrayal courtesy of an Atlanta Braves icon shocked many of us yesterday afternoon. It reminded us of when wrestling superstar Stone Cold Steve Austin teamed up with Vince McMahon. How could our beloved hero shake hands with the rival he spent so many years battling.
In the baseball world that it all translates to one Chipper Jones and the New York Mets. The greatest third baseman in Atlanta Braves history has done the unthinkable...compliment his former rival.
Braves legend Chipper Jones has high praise for Mets Francisco Lindor
The same man who named one of his children "Shea" after the Mets old stomping grounds, is now campaigning for an MVP award to head to New York.
Francisco Lindor has been an amazing player all season, and he's come up huge for the Mets in the playoffs. He's a big reason why the Mets are set to play in their first NLCS since 2015. His latest brilliant playoff moment is likely what spurred this public support from Chipper Jones.
Wanna take this opp to congratulate the Mets on advancing. But more importantly, shout out to Francisco Lindor! Not only an MVP type season and series clinching grand slam, but the grace and class upon doing so was refreshing. Been a big fan from afar for a long time. Big time…
— Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) October 10, 2024
For those that missed it, Lindor belted a grand slam that proved to be the NLDS clincher against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night. With the Citi Field crowd going bananas, Lindor calmly trotted around the bases hardly cracking a smile in the process.
That bit of MVP level action combined with the nonchalant reaction is likely what got Chipper so excited. As we know, Chipper isn't a big fan of the flamboyant and fire-raising celebrations that are common in todays game.
We have see some of that in Padres' superstar Fernando Tatis Jr.'s scorching hot playoff run. Tatis loves to fire up the dugout and crowd. However, Lindor took a much more measured approach when he had his moment Tuesday night.
Still it's just odd to see these former heated rivals exchange pleasantries. Chipper was notoriously hated in New York for his long-term production against the Mets. Maybe he's trying to win some fans back in Queens.
Whatever the case Braves fans shouldn't lose too much sleep over it. Francisco Lindor is an amazing player who's shining on baseball's brightest stage. He's rightfully earning praise from many around baseball, so it shouldn't matter that one just so happened to be a Braves Hall of Famer.