Quote Originally Posted by atlantabraves.com
ATLANTA -- When Chipper Jones was last able to look across the diamond and see another legitimate 30-homer threat, he was coming off his MVP season and feeling much younger than he does today.

That was back in 2000, when Jones and Andres Galarraga served as Atlanta's corner infielders. Galarraga had missed the previous season while battling cancer and he fell just two homers shy of once again joining the reigning National League Most Valuable Player in the 30-homer club.

It's a club the two had joined together in 1998. But since that season, the Braves haven't seen their first baseman and third baseman reach that mark together. But that could easily change this year, when Adam LaRoche and Jones both return to fill the corner infield roles.

Somewhat surprisingly, there's more doubt surrounding Jones' ability to reach the 30-homer mark for the seventh time in his career. His recent injury problems have put even more of an emphasis on guys like LaRoche, who is coming off a career-best season in which he hit .285 with 32 homers and 90 RBIs.

"Defensively, [LaRoche] is awesome," Jones said. "When you start throwing 30 homers, 100 RBIs and a .290-.300 average in the mix, you're elevating yourself into elite status."

Entering just his fourth Major League season, it's hard to throw the 27-year-old LaRoche into elite status. With Ryan Howard and Carlos Delgado present, it's even difficult to put him among the top two first basemen -- from an offensive perspective -- in the NL East.

But while hitting .323 with 19 homers after the All-Star break, LaRoche provided reason to believe that he has the potential to be one of the game's best first basemen. Among NL first basemen after the break, LaRoche's .655 slugging percentage trailed only that compiled by Howard (.751), whose success enabled him to capture the 2006 NL MVP Award.

"I wish I was better at looking back on the year and focusing on what I did good, instead of looking back and thinking about all of the missed opportunities," LaRoche said. "I've still got a lot to learn."

After Brian Jordan was lost in mid June, the Braves learned that LaRoche could indeed hit left-handed pitchers and serve as an everyday first baseman. When June came to an end, LaRoche was hitting .242 with 13 homers and a .483 slugging percentage.

During the sesaon's final three months, when he was no longer being used in a platoon role, LaRoche produced 19 of his 32 homers.

"The biggest thing for Adam LaRoche was getting to play every day," Jones said. "Once you've proved that you can hit lefties, you're an everyday first baseman. Once you've hit 30 homers and have as good a season as he did, then you start elevating yourself into the upper echelon of first basemen."

It wasn't too long ago that Jones was consistently regarded among the upper echelon of third basemen. But with injuries preventing him from playing more than 110 games either of the past two seasons, he's almost found himself to be a lost threat.

But while matching a Major League record with an extra-base hit in 14 consecutive games in 2006, Jones at least provided a reminder that he's capable of doing special things when he's able to play.

While appearing in just 110 games last year, Jones hit .324 with 26 homers and a .596 slugging percentage -- the third-highest mark of his career. His greatest success came after the All-Star break, when in just 138 at-bats, he hit .341 with 15 homers and a .746 on-base percentage.

Even though Jones spent three stints on the disabled list, Chicago's Aramis Ramirez and Colorado's Garrett Atkins were the only NL third basemen to end the season with more homers.

Two of Jones' trips to the disabled list in the season's second half were caused by a strained left oblique. His first trip came just seven games into the season, when he sprained both his right knee and right ankle, after slipping on wet grass in San Francisco.

But the biggest concern regarding Jones are his troublesome feet, which occasionally bothered him last year and forced him to miss nearly six weeks during the 2005 season.

With this in mind, the Braves will likely give Jones any needed rest and spell him with Willy Aybar, who hit .343 in the 70 at-bats he compiled in September. Aybar, who was acquired from the Dodgers on July 28, is a capable switch-hitter who has proven to be reliable in the field.

The Braves also could occasionally use veteran utility man Chris Woodward at third base. Woodward, who hit just .216 with the Mets last year, can be used at each infield position and both corner outfield positions.

While Woodward could provide the Braves a right-handed-hitting option at first base, LaRoche's primary backup will likely be Scott Thorman, who hit .234 with five homers in the 128 at-bats he compiled with Atlanta last year.

If the Braves were to trade LaRoche to one of the handful of teams that have shown interest, they feel confident in Thorman's ability to fill the void. The 25-year-old Canadian batted .298 with 15 homers in 309 at-bats with Triple-A Richmond last year.

"He's got a huge upside," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He's a good-looking kid. [He] probably wouldn't do as well initially as [LaRoche]. Roachy is more experienced. But he's there and I've got him penciled in to play a lot of left field this year and spell Roachy occasionally."
Chipper has to stay healthy. I am getting to the point where I ask myself, Will Chipper ever stay healthy in a complete season again?

LaRoche proved last season that he has the ability to hit the ball pretty good. I hope to see him do the same this year.