Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers are nice and all, but Adam Jones wants a different piece of hardware for the Baltimore Orioles. A World Series ring.
“I’ve been talking to Showalter,” the Orioles centerfielder told Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun after winning his first career Silver Slugger. “We’ve been talking about the needs for this team.”
Hopefully Buck and AJ were talking about starting pitching. O’s starters pitched to a 4.57 ERA this season, 27th in Major League Baseball. They’re down around teams like the Philadelphia Phillies (73-89), Colorado Rockies (74-88), Houston Astros (51-111), Toronto Blue Jays (74-88) and Minnesota Twins (66-96). It’s a miracle the O’s won 85 games with pitching that poor. Could you imagine if they had just middle of the road starters?
Of course, the team struggled mightily with runners in scoring position down the stretch. Many blamed the construction of the Orioles lineup for those issues, I think a lack of bench depth had more to do with it. Either way, they struggled to get on base during the season’s most important stretch.
“You want to improve,” Jones added. “I think it’s a very big winter. I think our fan base wants to win. I think now you go into it where .500 isn’t good enough anymore, and as a player I like that.”
Sounds like Jones wants to see some cash spent. It won’t be easy with looming extensions coming up for Chris Davis and Matt Wieters, seven players on the 2013 roster hitting free agency and 11 becoming arbitration eligible.
Hey Jonsey, did you talk about your #3 hitter that swings at every ball thatcomes out of the pitcher’s hand. In the dirt, no problem. A foot outside, no problem. Up around the shoulders, no problem. Curve ball, breaking ball, big problem. Stop trying to manage and play a better center field and get with George Brett or Rod Carew this winter and take some batting tips from them. You are about 50 at bats from being a GREAT player.
ummmn 9″ he hit .285 33 hrs 108 rbi, while winning a gold glove. How many if those guys are around the league/, be thankfull!
Hey Harvey Korman, He could have hit .347 and 154 RBIs if he had not struck out 39 times with runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs or the 28 times he struck out with runners in scoring position with 2 out. You be thankful that Carol Burnett kept your sorry ass around even though Tim Conway was twice as funny. You know as much about baseball as Chow knows about men’s underwear, NOTHING! Keep wishing for spring so that you can go back to washing cars and selling peanuts at Lexington Market.
The incher is correct Korman,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,he knows of which he speaks,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jones is playing to 8o % of his capacity and could actually be our next Frank Robinson if he applied himself,,,,,,,,,,,,,,he is coasting his play and using his natural ability to produce , just think of the player he could be if he improved his knowledge of the strike zone and worked on his plate discipline,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,he could be a feared hitter in the middle of the lineup,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I will make a bold prediction ” If Jones works on these things and the O’s get an Ace it’s world champion time in Baltimore’…………….
“If he applied himself?” You’re making him out to be lazy, which is grossly unfair. I’ll admit that I don’t know what it takes to be a major league ballplayer. Moreover, I’ll admit that I don’t know what it takes to be a GREAT major league ballplayer. I work behind a desk, not at a ballpark (and weight room, and hitting cage, and media room, and… and… and…). Maybe you’re big enough to admit that, too?/
Your response comes across as arrogant and poorly informed. If you’re right that he hasn’t reached his full potential, effort is not the problem. Would I like Jones to have better plate discipline? Sure. I beat him up all season for it. Just don’t act like it’s a simple matter, and that he hasn’t fixed it because he hasn’t gotten around to it.
I was a desk jockey most of my life as well , does that make me a big man ? I did play semi=pro soccer and if I applied my self a little more maybe I could have been a full fledged pro , who knows these things,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I used this as my basis for Jones , none of us really know if he has fully applied himself in my opinion he has not and if he did he could make himself a better hitter …………you made my point when you said he lacked plate discipline , one with his ability who has completely applied himself would have achieved the plate discipline you speak of,,,,,,,,,,,I think Jones has room to grow , if he is satisfied with his place in baseball than he has reached his peak , if he is not satisfied he can use this as a prime motivator to achieve greater heights,,.,,, I hope he does,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bye………….got to go watch some Terp basketball………………….