Jones regrets remarks

Braves third baseman Chipper Jones (pictured) said Monday he regretted his sharpest criticisms of umpire Mark Ripperger. Ripperger rang Jones up on two called strikes to end Sunday’s 5-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Jones starting walking to first base before Ripperger called a 3-1 pitch a strike. Jones returned to watch another called strike before flipping his bat in disgust. Jones said he regretted saying that work by umpires is substandard. “There’s some really good umpires in that crew,” Jones said Monday. “It just so happens that the game didn’t end real well for us, on two balls that shouldn’t have been called strikes. To say that the umpiring is substandard, that was probably wrong of me to say. I’m probably sorry, more than anything, of making that comment.” - AP