CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Atlanta Braves legend Chipper Jones made an appearance in the Queen City on Wednesday.
Jones spoke at the Charlotte Touchdown Club's luncheon at the Sheraton Charlotte Hotel in Uptown.
The event was part of the club's Legends of the Game speaker series.
"A little unusual for a baseball guy talking at a touchdown club," Jones said. "But obviously a lot of inner-city baseball kids here, and really excited about that. Come hang out, tell a few stories, have a few laughs. Just signed a bunch of stuff for charity and hope it does some good."
Jones was Atlanta's first-round pick in the 1990 draft and quickly rose to the Major Leagues.
He was a cornerstone player for the Braves for two nearly decades, mostly at third base, hitting 468 home runs with a lifetime batting average of .303.
Jones helped Atlanta to multiple division titles and the 1995 World Series title.
He retired after the 2012 season, and the 1999 N.L. MVP and eight-time All-Star was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
"Whenever you're introduced and they say 'Hall of Famer Chipper Jones,'" he said. "It still brings chills."
Jones has been to Charlotte, including Knights games, enough to know the support for baseball here, and he thinks the city could support a Major League team someday.
"I was talking about that with a buddy the other day," he said. "There's no reason why they shouldn't have a baseball team. I would love to see it. I don't know how the Braves would feel about it. I would love to see the city of Charlotte get one because they support their athletics very well."
The club's speaker series continues throughout the summer and fall, with the following guests.
- June 23: Marshall Faulk
- July 29: Tim Tebow
- Sept. 1: Carolina Panthers
- Oct. 21: Chris Berman