As he took his first big step toward Cooperstown on Wednesday, Chipper Jones saluted a player essentially locked outside the Hall of Fame gates.
“I’ve said it publicly and often that Barry Bonds is the best baseball player that I’ve ever seen don a uniform,” the Atlanta Braves star said.
Jones spoke on a conference call about a half-hour after becoming a Hall of Famer on his first try. The eight-time All-Star was named on 97.2 percent of the ballots from the Baseball Writers Association of America and will join an induction class that also includes Vladimir Guerrero (92.