Chipper Jones has announced he will retire at the end of the 2012 season. Jones, who turns 40 next month, has played his entire MLB career with the Atlanta Braves.

Entering the 2012 season, Jones has a lifetime batting average of .304 and an OBP of .402 with 454 homeruns and 1,561 RBI. Jones had 100 or more RBI every season between 1996 and 2003. He is a seven time NL All-Star who won a World Series ring with the Braves during his rookie season of 1995 and won the NL MVP in 1999. Jones experienced a resurgence in 2008 when he won his only batting title with a .364 average. When most people think of the Atlanta Braves during the 1990s and early 2000s, they think (and justifiably so) of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. But Jones was every bit as valuable on the offensive side of the ledger.

Since there’s a scarcity of third basemen in the Hall of Fame, don’t be surprised if Jones get into Cooperstown on the first ballot in 2018.