Bowhunters know Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones as the star of “Major League Bowhunter” and one of history’s greatest baseball players.
How great? Well, he recently became one of Major League Baseball’s 2018 Hall of Fame inductees.
Jones retired in 2012 after 19 seasons in the Major Leagues, most of them with the Atlanta Braves. The former Braves’ third baseman is the only switch-hitter in Major League history with a career .300 batting average. He also holds the MLB record for most career RBIs by a third baseman, and ranks third on the Braves’ all-time home run list. His impressive stats also include 468 home runs, 1,623 RBIs and 1,619 runs scored; and a .401 on-base percentage and .529 slugging percentage.
Jones was a perennial All-Star destined for Cooperstown when he became eligible this year. The Hall’s voting body made it a reality by a huge margin. The Baseball Writers Association of America approved Jones’ induction with more than 97 percent of the votes, the highest percentage of any inductee this year. That nomination earned him another elite spot as one of only 10 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees to receive over 97 percent of the votes. Jones will be inducted July 29.
Jones was a passionate ballplayer, but he’s been a passionate bowhunter just as long. Jones grew up deer hunting, something he never forgot despite his busy life in baseball. When baseball season ended each fall, Jones quickly traded his bat for a bow.
Just because he’s retired from the field, doesn’t mean you can’t catch him on one. Jones co-stars with fellow MLB player Matt Duff in “Major League Bowhunter” on the Sportsman Channel and CarbonTV. In his bowhunting show, Jones chases big bucks with his Mathews bow across the Midwest and on his Texas ranch.
With his Baseball Hall of Fame induction, Jones’ next goal might be to join the Bowhunter Hall of Fame. And even though your bowhunting passion might not take you so far, you’ll be one step closer if you visit your local archery shop today.
