Attention all New York Media: get your A-Rod dirt somewhere else. Chipper Jones is taking a vow of silence to all New York reporters. In response to the way New York newspapers twisted Chipper’s quotes into something badmouthing A-Rod, Chip had this to say “It’s a joke. But what more do you expect from people who follow high-profile guys around with camera phones so they can get them in trouble.”

“There’s been a lot of validation to some of the things that Jose Canseco has said over the years,” Jones told the AP on Wednesday. “… Unfortunately, this cloud is following probably two of the best players of the century,” Bonds and Rodriguez.

“… I’m playing in the steroid era. Everything that I do is going to be judged. It’s the same with a lot of good ballplayers that have put up a lot of good numbers in this era that did it the right way.”

I’ll take a shot at judging Chipper. How about that NL MVP season he had in 1999. He hit 45 homeruns (he hadn’t hit 40 before ‘99 and hasn’t hit 40 since) when all the rest of his stats stayed the same. Hits, runs, RBIs, and batting average were all online with his career averages. Only his homerun totals were out of whack. Coincidently, that’s the year following the McGwire / Sosa derby.

So you’re right Chipper. You will get judged along with every other player from this era, and rightfully so. The only thing Chipper can pray for is Jose not finding any dirt on him.