Possible Unfortunate Distraction For Chipper Jones

I do hate TMZ-style journalism, and blogalism, but sometimes a story needs to be pointed out simply for tracking purposes, or in case you wanted to discuss it. Also, it's a really slow news day today. And if the AJC is going to delve into the private lives of players, then we will too.

Chipper Jones and his wife Sharon have separated, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

This would be a second divorce for Jones, who went through a very public split with his first wife Karin, beginning in 1998, after he had admitted to an extramarital affair and having a son out of wedlock. Jones, 40, has four sons, and it appears his intent is to handle this situation privately.

When asked about it Thursday, Jones declined comment. Attempts to reach Sharon Jones for comment were unsuccessful.

Unfortunate for Chipper, his wife, and especially their kids.

Sometimes things like this can follow a player onto the field and adversely affect their performance. On the other hand, sometimes the ball field can be an oasis from all the problems off the field. I'd like to see Chipper exit on a high note, so hopefully this won't affect his playing ability.

No nasty comments in the comments section, please, this is probably not easy for anyone involved.