Jones Bases Loaded Drop

[Dodobirds]

Jesus, give me a break! It is just a reflex! If you think he is doing it for attention then you are wrong! He nonchalantly went after the ball and f'd up! Was anyone *****ing at the kid when he had the game winning hit last night? NO! He screwed up and I guarantee it won't happen again! To make anything more out of it is ridiculous!

Ride jocks much? Rather it's for attention or not, a coach needs to say something & the sycophants need to stop enabling it.

[murph]

Ok, I have caught up...the bubble blowing has nothing to do with anything. I mean a lot of these guys still run around with wads of chewable tobacco in their mouths and manage to not swallow or let it cause a miscue on a play. I agree with socal, it probably was the route he chose (not getting behind the ball) and looking away at the last second. Regardless, he will own up to it, he and the O's will make it right. We are past CC, lets take them apart for the next two games. We have only lost one series, lets keep it that way.

[jofalfa]

Absolutely. Look, I have no problem with the missed ball. The bubble is the issue. It's a "look at me" thing that needs to stop.

No one should be blowing a bubble as they do something requiring that kind of concentration. It's bad baseball. Period.

My apologies but I just lol'ed so hard while reading this. You're making bubblegum, yes bubblegum sound like it should be a banned substance. A "look at me" thing? Pleeeeeaaaaassse. Ok look, I've played the game my whole life and now play ladies softball which we all know is really important and comparable to MLB. I honestly can't play unless I'm chewing bubble tape bubblegum. And guess what? I blow bubbles! I like to live on the edge and show off.

Alright I'm done. He should have caught the ball. He didn't. It really, really, really made me mad. Win the next two games. #justsayyestobubbles

[murph]

20/20, man. 20/20.

He slowed down at the end just because he overran it...most likely due to the wind.

Yes, he drives people like you crazy who expect OF'ers to always use two hands and set themselves to facing the ball...but Jones makes a ton of those over the shoulder catches. That wind screwed with it severely, IMHO.

Have to disagree....the wind was there all game, looked calm enough at the time and Jones was jogging...he thought he had it all the way...IMO

Ride jocks much? Rather it's for attention or not, a coach needs to say something & the sycophants need to stop enabling it.

Eliminate bubble blowing, really?

[eddie83]

Not saying he should go towards RC, what I'm saying is that Jones never gets set up behind the ball when he has the time. Wherever he picks up the ball there should be an arc, and with his speed he should have enough time to get back on that play in better position. At the end of that play he was not running full speed he was slowing down. If that's so then he had time to run at full speed before the ball came down and get in position behind it.

To me he did take an arc on the play, slightly to his left. You could draw a straight line from where he was positioned to where that ball was hit. He could haul ass on that ball and the thing could drop in front of him and have to come back to it or run into the wall. He saw the ball and saw what it took to get there and dropped it. He had his body under control. It was a bad play that should have been made. I don't think he had as much time on this play as you did.

[Dodobirds]

Ok, I have caught up...the bubble blowing has nothing to do with anything. I mean a lot of these guys still run around with wads of chewable tobacco in their mouths and manage to not swallow or let it cause a miscue on a play. I agree with socal, it probably was the route he chose (not getting behind the ball) and looking away at the last second. Regardless, he will own up to it, he and the O's will make it right. We are past CC, lets take them apart for the next two games. We have only lost one series, lets keep it that way.

Watch the replay - he blows a large bubble literally the split second before the ball bounces off his glove. How can you possibly say that it has NOTHING to do with it?

Why does half the crowd in here WANT this player to continue poor fundamental behavior? When you don't tell someone they have a problem, how will they ever hope to correct it? If my friend has broccoli in his teeth, I tell him. Adam is my centerfielder. I want him on our team another 10 years. I do not want him to keep losing ballgames because of a stupid bad habit. It probably makes him feel like crap tonight, yet no one will call his attention to it.

[Dodobirds]

Have to disagree....the wind was there all game, looked calm enough at the time and Jones was jogging...he thought he had it all the way...IMO

Eliminate bubble blowing, really?

While you are making a catch? Yes. Absolutely. How hard is that?

[LookitsPuck]

You keep talking about the wind and everything and you keep ignoring the fact that he took his eye off the ball before it went in the glove. Why?

Probably something to do with the ball hit 400 feet and the wall was at 408 feet.

I'm telling you, the ball was hit to dead center, the arc changes slightly (most likely wind aided) which is why Jones reacts by cutting to the right. He judged that the ball was coming faster than it did...misjudged it..closed glove early..ball in and out of glove...braces for wall.

As for taking his eyes of the ball, not as pronounced as you think. Watched it about 20 times.

[OrioleParkatWrigley]

Adam himself was very clear that there are no excuses for this. It wasn't the wind, it wasn't the warning track. He flat out screwed up. This is inevitable at one point or another because he's human after all, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating in this specific instance, especially when it caused 3 unearned runs and the ballgame. Enough with the wind/gum/cold excuses.

From Roch: http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2013/04/revisiting-jones-dropped-ball-in-center-field.html

"Missed it," he said. "Trust me. Wish I could do it again, but hey, I missed it."

It was pointed out that somebody on the team thought Jones stepped on the edge of the warning track and momentarily lost his footing as he reached for Vernon Wells' fly ball with the bases loaded and two outs.

"Just missed it," Jones said. "Foot gave out, you could say it's rain, you could say it's cold, you could say anything - wind, you could say whatever you want. I was there. Didn't catch it. Cost my team the game. Trust me, it's quite frustrating.

"To make a mistake like that, big in the game, late in the game, you cost your team a game. It's not a good feeling, but the good thing about baseball you show up tomorrow with a better plan. Some days you're the hero, some days you're the goat."

[LookitsPuck]

Have to disagree....the wind was there all game, looked calm enough at the time and Jones was jogging...he thought he had it all the way...IMO

Eliminate bubble blowing, really?

That wind caused Steve Pearce's ball to die at the warning track rather than carry out any other night (especially if it's warmer).

When a ball is hit to dead center about 400 feet blowing in...it's going to knock the ball to the right. Jones slowed up because the ball has a little English on it because of the wind. He was running dead center and had to react. Which is most likely why he thought the ball was coming in faster than it really was.

[murph]

Watch the replay - he blows a large bubble literally the split second before the ball bounces off his glove. How can you possibly say that it has NOTHING to do with it?

Why does half the crowd in here WANT this player to continue poor fundamental behavior? When you don't tell someone they have a problem, how will they ever hope to correct it? If my friend has broccoli in his teeth, I tell him. Adam is my centerfielder. I want him on our team another 10 years. I do not want him to keep losing ballgames because of a stupid bad habit. It probably makes him feel like crap tonight, yet no one will call his attention to it.

Seen it, still disagree. Watch his head, it moves first, eyes lost sight, ball is gone. He thought he had it in his glove and didn't. IMO

What about the players who run around with chew in their mouths? Pretty sure that has been going for a bit longer....

[LookitsPuck]

Adam himself was very clear that there are no excuses for this. It wasn't the wind, it wasn't the warning track. He flat out screwed up. This is inevitable at one point or another because he's human after all, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating in this specific instance, especially when it caused 3 unearned runs and the ballgame. Enough with the wind/gum/cold excuses.

From Roch: http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2013/04/revisiting-jones-dropped-ball-in-center-field.html

Of course he's going to say that. That's Adam's personality, and good for him to own up. He's very prideful and knows he should have caught it. That's it. He's not going to blame it on something. I'm just breaking it down based on all the scenarios during that at bat, count and the way he changed direction slightly because he thought the ball was going to be slightly to the left...it ended up in dead center. Wind blowing in. Right handed hitter.

I don't like that he dropped it either. But I'm not going to blame it on the bubblegum, lack of hustle or concentration.

[murph]

Adam himself was very clear that there are no excuses for this. It wasn't the wind, it wasn't the warning track. He flat out screwed up. This is inevitable at one point or another because he's human after all, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating in this specific instance, especially when it caused 3 unearned runs and the ballgame. Enough with the wind/gum/cold excuses.

From Roch: http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2013/04/revisiting-jones-dropped-ball-in-center-field.html

This could be why he moved his head at the last second...but regardless, his head moving was the problem and still it doesn't sound like he was making excuses.

[LookitsPuck]

Seen it, still disagree. Watch his head, it moves first, eyes lost sight, ball is gone. He thought he had it in his glove and didn't. IMO

What about the players who run around with chew in their mouths? Pretty sure that has been going for a bit longer....

Yes, but he thought he had it in his glove because he anticipated it dropping faster which is why he closes glove too early. Turns because of wall coming up.

I think we're agreeing on this for the most part. Just small nuances we're disagreeing.

[murph]

That wind caused Steve Pearce's ball to die at the warning track rather than carry out any other night (especially if it's warmer).

When a ball is hit to dead center about 400 feet blowing in...it's going to knock the ball to the right. Jones slowed up because the ball has a little English on it because of the wind. He was running dead center and had to react. Which is most likely why he thought the ball was coming in faster than it really was.

I hear ya (and missed the Pearce play), but I saw the Jones play clearly and did not see the wind being a factor. He was there cleanly when the ball arrived.