Jones Bases Loaded Drop

[primetime]

It might be subconcious but it also appears to be taking away from his concentration....Big Time. Players just dont drop flyballs this easy and this often. I also think a high pressure situation also plays into it. There have been other times when I thought Jones looked very akward while making an easy catch, and his positioning looked shaky on this flyball too. Jones was only one step onto the warning track. Jones could not have been thinking about the wall.

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=26182077&topic_id=players&query=type%3Djson%26player_id%3D430945%26start%3D0%26src%3Dvpp%26sort%3Ddesc%26sort_type%3Dcustom%26hitsPerPage%3D60&c_id=bal&playerName=Adam Jones

It didn't appear to affect his concentration here. No one mentions it though when AJ makes a nice grab on the run.

Here's the deal....we lost to the Yankees, which always sucks. We basically gift wrapped a win for them, which also sucks. We walked too many guys, Adam made a big mistake at a bad time, we ran into an unbelievably bad triple play to kill a potential comeback.

AJ owned up to it because that's the kind of dude he is.

We're back after it in about 4 hours and let's get it done.

[markakis8]

I'd be more worried about taking the gum and bubbles away from him b/c he's been doing it for so long. It probably gives him a sense of calmness out there.

[tntoriole]

One point being made on here by the "let him do whatever he wants" side is that AJ has been reportedly doing this for so long that it is OK. Do any of you know for sure how long he has been doing this? Or just speculating because it fits the argument that this is just a harmless, calming habit and not a more recently added behavior to his professional repertoire? If AJ says, hey this gives me a sense of calm and I have been doing it forever, then that is one thing, but otherwise this is UNNECESSARY. If he is doing it for any other reason, it is more of a problem. And all the arguments and pictures that show him or others doing this successfully miss the point altogether. I could show many pictures of people texting going down the road and they are able to do it perfectly fine and without accident 99% of the time. But that one time that there is a perfect storm of other factors and it causes just that much more loss of concentration, then that is when accidents happen. I think that AJ needs to have a justifiably good reason to be blowing bubbles in these situations because it is NOT NECESSARY. My boss would likely have a problem with me if I blew a big bubble right at a critical part of my job, even if it went well 99.9% of the time.

[sevastras]

I am not going to read through all of this, I am going to just state my opinion. Blowing a bubble has nothing to do with the play, he simply thought he had it and let down his concentration. When people do the same thing all of the time, they get comfortable and mistakes happen. I am very upset with this mistake, but this kind of thing happens from time to time and there is nothing you can do about it. Some point this year, Adam will make an incredible play and save a game. Now just get back out there and win a few in a row. No sense in crying over spilled milk.

[MDK02]

Win today.. and lets move on, Adam will make up for that mishap. I've definitely calmed down and am ready for a new game with winning on my mind.

[Dodobirds]

I don't like my mother so you are welcome to say anything you like about her. And if you can't figure out that bubble gum has nothing to do with the play, I'm sorry but you're a moron. The major factor in the play IMO, was AJ's looking at where he was in relation to the wall. But it's not worth all the mishegas of this thread.

You could have stopped at "I don't like my mother."

I guess a bubble in the line of sight could just never distract AJ. Your hero worship won't even allow for the possibility. Maybe you can win the scratch off sweepstakes & meet Adam. Maybe he'll give you a sweaty jock to keep under your pillow! How cool would that be Gordo?!?!

[El Gordo]

You could have stopped at "I don't like my mother."

I guess a bubble in the line of sight could just never distract AJ. You must be right. Another tool with internet muscles...

This is simply stupid. Can you show how AJ's bubble was in anyway in his line of sight? Good Lord did anybody here ever watch a baseball game before? Did they ever chew bubble gum before? Players make physical errors. It's that simple. The loss was painful, but why lash out in pain and attack someone as though they did something to you on purpose.

[Frobby]

You could have stopped at "I don't like my mother."

I guess a bubble in the line of sight could just never distract AJ. Your hero worship won't even allow for the possibility. Maybe you can win the scratch off sweepstakes & meet Adam. Maybe he'll give you a sweaty jock to keep under your pillow! How cool would that be Gordo?!?!

That would have to be one enormous bubble to be in Jones' line of sight on a fly ball dropping towards a glove that's above his head. What are you talking about?

I've concluded that arguing about whether bubble blowing distracts Adam Jones is about as useful as arguing about whether God exists. People are going to believe what they believe, and you aren't going to talk them out of it.

[isestrex]

I am not going to read through all of this, I am going to just state my opinion. Blowing a bubble has nothing to do with the play, he simply thought he had it and let down his concentration. When people do the same thing all of the time, they get comfortable and mistakes happen. I am very upset with this mistake, but this kind of thing happens from time to time and there is nothing you can do about it. Some point this year, Adam will make an incredible play and save a game. Now just get back out there and win a few in a row. No sense in crying over spilled milk.

The mantra of the ordinary, every-day message board poster

[weams]

That would have to be one enormous bubble to be in Jones' line of sight on a fly ball dropping towards a glove that's above his head. What are you talking about?

I've concluded that arguing about whether bubble blowing distracts Adam Jones is about as useful as arguing about whether God exists. People are going to believe what they believe, and you aren't going to talk them out of it.

And to think, I mentioned it as an aside. I had no idea it would come to this.

[Gurgi]

That would have to be one enormous bubble to be in Jones' line of sight on a fly ball dropping towards a glove that's above his head. What are you talking about?

I've concluded that arguing about whether bubble blowing distracts Adam Jones is about as useful as arguing about whether God exists. People are going to believe what they believe, and you aren't going to talk them out of it.

The bubble was about the size of a baseball when the ball got to his glove. With his head tilted back and the play already somewhat difficult having a pretty damn big bubble right near or in the line of site surely cant help.

[Frobby]

The bubble was about the size of a baseball when the ball got to his glove. With his head tilted back and the play already somewhat difficult having a pretty damn big bubble right near or in the line of site surely cant help.

How can you look at this gif and tell me the bubble was in Jones' line of sight, or anywhere close?

[OFFNY]

Does Strop's crooked hat cause him to be wild at times? I see Patton's hat isn't centered either. Does Nicky's tobacco cause him to lose a step in RF? Does Davis' gum cause him to lose concentration at 1B? Do sunflower seeds cause Manny to run into triple plays?

Ouch. I want Markakis to stop chewing tobacco, regardless of his play on the field.

[Malike]

Lol, blame the bubble. I'm going to email Tango and Bill James and find out if they can create a stat to track how many errors are caused by blowing bubbles. He flubbed the catch in no part due to the bubble. Just move on.

[OrioleParkatWrigley]

Just to throw some numbers out there, what do people think of this:

Jones Fielding Pct (errors)

2008 - 0.991 (3)

2009 - 0.986 (5)

2010 - 0.984 (7)

2011 - 0.980 (8)

2012 - 0.982 (8)

Meaningless trend, or sign of ever-slightly growing complacency? Also as a side note, he's been top 3 in the majors in errors by center fielders every year since 2009.