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It’s a fitting weekend to tip your cap – and raise your glass – to Chipper.
Foley’s Pub and Restaurant, a Midtown sports bar, has renamed itself Chipper’s for the weekend in honor of Atlanta Braves third baseman and longtime Mets adversary Chipper Jones.
Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones, 40, is in town this weekend for his final series against the Mets in his 19-year career. He’s retiring at the end of the season.
Jones has terrorized the Mets for 49 career homeruns – his most against any team, tied with the Phillies – along with a .314 average. His Braves have also reached the playoffs 11 times, stonewalling division rival New York in the process.
Jones enjoyed playing at the Mets’ former home, Shea Stadium, so much that he named his son Shea.
Despite the long-standing tug-of-war, this is a weekend of respect, a weekend for Chipper.
“While Chipper has broken the hearts of many Mets fans over the years, New Yorkers are as knowledgeable as anyone and they know greatness when they see it – even when it resulted in disappointment for their hometown team,” Foley’s Pub and Restaurant employees wrote online.
The Mets also honored their rival, presenting Jones with a commemorative painting before Friday’s game.