Chipper Jones has never been one of my favorite players. I can't even put my finger on why I've never been a fan of his- chalk it up to my derision for grown men being named "Chipper".

Be that as it may, Mr. Jones has earned much respect from me in recent days. His contract restructuring has really impressed me for a couple of reasons.

Reason Number One: In today's world of over-inflated free agent contracts, Mr. Jone's desire to remain a Brave (and quite possibly end his career in Atlanta), rather than chasing the big bucks elsewhere is really admirable.

Reason Number Two: The fact that Chipper's desire to remain in Atlanta and continue to play for a top-notch team resulted in him actually losing money with his new contract. Who the hell does that?! A guy with team loyalty and the desire to win, that's who. His actions will possibly allow Atlanta to re-sign Furcal, and/or find a reliable closer.

I just may be a fan of Larry Wayne in '06, after all.