Chipper Jones showed off his childhood hitting drill ... then Jim Thome showed him how it's done

Every baseball career started somewhere far away from the bright lights and television cameras of the Major Leagues. Whether it was in the neighborhood park, in the backyard with family or just in the street, a player's introduction to baseball is often lacking in glamour. That's just as true of Hall of Famers as anyone else.
During his induction speech on Sunday, Chipper Jones shared a memory from his early days as a baseball player where he and his dad would practice hitting with a tennis ball and a PVC pipe as a bat. Decades and an entire Hall of Fame career have passed since those days, so it's little surprise that Jones showed a bit of rust when asked to recreate those childhood scenes (with his father on the mound, of course):

Though fellow Hall of Famer Jim Thome presumably has never done this drill in his life -- and has certainly never tried to hit off Jones' dad -- he looked right at home with a PVC pipe in his hands. Clearly, Thome's power hasn't abandoned him in retirement.

Hopefully, we've witnessed the first annual Hall of Fame PVC Pipe Home Run Derby. Thanks to Jones for sharing this with us.