Both Karin and Chipper said they did not realize what was ahead for them in October, when he admitted having affairs, fathering the child out of wedlock and vowing to change his lifestyle. They separated several weeks later.
"If I had this thing to do over again, I'd do it a lot differently," Chipper Jones said. "Going public was a decision Karin and I made together. It was as much my decision as it was hers. Obviously, if I had known what was going to happen a month later, I'd have kept it all private."
Chipper Jones said he is confident that his off-field problems won't affect his play.
"If it didn't affect me over the last two years, it's not going to affect me now," Jones said. "That's another reason I'm excited. Hopefully, I can get this stuff behind me and go through the season without any distractions."
In other news:
ROYALS: Sign draft pick
Pitcher Jeff Austin, the last first-round pick from the 1998 amateur draft to sign, agreed to join the Kansas City Royals for a signing bonus worth about $2.55 million.
ASTROS: Clemens deadline
Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane wants the Roger Clemens issue resolved this week. Toronto Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash had hoped to trade the five-time Cy Young Award winner in December, but it didn't happen, with Houston GM Gerry Hunsicker blasting Clemens's request for a $27.4 million, one-year extension, which would have essentially given him a $43.5 million, three-year contract.
ARBITRATION: Owners 6-1
The owners are 6-1 in salary arbitration, following the St. Louis Cardinals' win over lefthander Darren Oliver. Oliver, 28, was awarded a $500,000 raise to $3.55 million by the three-man panel of Richard Bloch, Jerome Ross and William H. Holly, rather than the $4.15 million he sought.
The owners' only arbitration loss was to the Yankees' Derek Jeter, who won a $5 million salary on Tuesday.
On another front, Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera asked arbitrator James Duff for a raise from $750,000 to $4.25 million. The team argued for $3 million. A decision is expected today.
BLUE JAYS: Stieb re-retires
Seven-time All-Star pitcher Dave Stieb, the 41-year-old righthander who came out of retirement last season to rejoin the Toronto Blue Jays, announced he's leaving baseball again.
