CASPER
New member
ATLANTA (AP)—A drop of almost 100 points from his 2008 NL-leading batting average has Chipper Jones(notes) wondering if the end of his career is near.
Jones, 37, hit a career-best .364 last year, his third straight season over .320. But he has fallen to .269 this year and is hitting only .229 since June 9, when his average peaked at .335.
The three-month slump is a startling development for the career .308 hitter. He signed a three-year, $42-million contract extension in March that runs through 2012, but says he may retire if he can’t reclaim his hitting stroke in 2010.
“If I back up this year with the same kind of year next year, I don’t want to play the game,” Jones told The Associated Press. “The game is not fun to me when I’m not playing up to my standards.
Jones, 37, hit a career-best .364 last year, his third straight season over .320. But he has fallen to .269 this year and is hitting only .229 since June 9, when his average peaked at .335.
The three-month slump is a startling development for the career .308 hitter. He signed a three-year, $42-million contract extension in March that runs through 2012, but says he may retire if he can’t reclaim his hitting stroke in 2010.
“If I back up this year with the same kind of year next year, I don’t want to play the game,” Jones told The Associated Press. “The game is not fun to me when I’m not playing up to my standards.
