Jones Bases Loaded Drop

[murph]

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.

No doubt and we are all tearing apart a .1 second moment, but I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

[LookitsPuck]

Poor hand/eye coordination? What do you blame it on? You think the wind blowing is an excuse for dropping that ball?

Quite simply he misread how fast the ball was dropping. That's it. As an outfielder, you go with your read. He misread it...which is why he's not blaming it on anything else. It's not because of his bubble gum, concentration, or any of that nonsense. I think he read the ball one way off the bat, he ran slightly left of dead center...had to cut right because of the wind..thought it was coming down faster than it was..misread it.

That's it.

[ChuckS]

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.

I'm with you 100 percent. Buck needs to step up and tell him he can't chew bubble gum on the field anymore. This is a guy who has shown a pattern of losing his focus in the outfield in CRUCIAL situations and ANY possible action that could lead to him having improved concentration needs to be taken. Now I'm sure Buck is a different guy in front of the camera. Obviously he is not going to throw his guys under the bus in an interview or press conference, but for a manager that apparently sees everything, he needs to lay the hammer down with Adam in the locker room.

If I see Adam blowing bubbles in the outfield again then in my opinion, Buck did not do his job.

[murph]

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

I imagine nearly impossible unless you take the gum out of his mouth while he is running by....good luck with that, Jones is pretty fast.

[murph]

I'm with you 100 percent. Buck needs to step up and tell him he can't chew bubble gum on the field anymore. This is a guy who has shown a pattern of losing his focus in the outfield in CRUCIAL situations and ANY possible action that could lead to him having improved concentration needs to be taken. Now I'm sure Buck is a different guy in front of the camera. Obviously he is not going to throw his guys under the bus in an interview or press conference, but for a manager that apparently sees everything, he needs to lay the hammer down with Adam in the locker room.

If I see Adam blowing bubbles in the outfield again then in my opinion, Buck did not do his job.

No one has answered the question about the guys running around with chew in their mouth....still happens, right? Seriously, just because you cannot see it, it is still there, why is this any different? Plus bubble gum is a bit better for you...or not as bad for you at least....

[LookitsPuck]

I imagine nearly impossible unless you take the gum out of his mouth while he is running by....good luck with that, Jones is pretty fast.

Bingo.

At this point I think Jones's bubble gum chewing/blowing is habit. No different than someone sticking their tongue out slightly when trying to make a hard catch or something like that. Not a nervous tick, just habit. It could even be something that helps Adam slow the game down for him, i.e. not get in his own head. Which is a good thing, IMHO.

[OrioleParkatWrigley]

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.

I completely agree that he would own up no matter what. Adam would never make excuses about something like this. But it sounds like you're willing to accept wind conditions as an excuse when he clearly had his glove right on the ball. Perhaps a more convenient explanation than lack of focus, but it would worry me more accepting the fact that our pro center fielder can't judge the wind properly as opposed to a more simple explanation (IMO) that he simply was playing with 90% effort (not uncommon for Jones, or even most players).

[Dodobirds]

If it's so involuntary, why does he never blow a bubble while swinging the bat? It's not involuntary. He mentally decided he had the ball tracked & relaxed to blow his bubble. If bubbles don't affect your concentration at all, why not do it while swinging the bat too??

[LookitsPuck]

I completely agree that he would own up no matter what. Adam would never make excuses about something like this. But it sounds like you're willing to accept wind conditions as an excuse when he clearly had his glove right on the ball. Perhaps a more convenient explanation than lack of focus, but it would worry me more accepting the fact that our pro center fielder can't judge the wind properly as opposed to a more simple explanation (IMO) that he simply was playing with 90% effort (not uncommon for Jones, or even most players).

I'm not accepting it. I'm merely saying it played a part in it. I'm explaining the why, not condoning the result. Totally different.

[OrioleParkatWrigley]

And to answer the chew question:

[LookitsPuck]

If it's so involuntary, why does he never blow a bubble while swinging the bat? It's not involuntary. He mentally decided he had the ball tracked & relaxed to blow his bubble. If bubbles don't affect your concentration at all, why not do it while swinging the bat too??

Jones definitely blows bubbles while he's at bat.

[El Gordo]

I find this microanalysis of a dropped FB hysterical. Brooks made 3 errors in one inning. AJ is no Brooks. S#@% happens. Get over it. He's right we'll get them tomorrow.

[murph]

I find this microanalysis of a dropped FB hysterical. Brooks made 3 errors in one inning. AJ is no Brooks. S#@% happens. Get over it. He's right we'll get them tomorrow.

Pretty sure the board didn't exist when Brooks made his errors. It is over the top, but still, something to be discussed...it did (partially) cost us a game.

[OrioleParkatWrigley]

I'm not accepting it. I'm merely saying it played a part in it. I'm explaining the why, not condoning the result. Totally different.

Fair enough. I'll agree to disagree on the cause: mis-read versus taking eyes off the ball at the last second. In the end, doesn't matter why. Next game in 16 hours.

[LookitsPuck]

Lo and behold, an article from 2010 about Adam Jones and bubble gum:

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-07-21/sports/bs-sp-cowherd-column-0722-20100721_1_bubble-blowing-dubble-bubble-adam-jones

It's subconscious, guys. For some people, it actually helps them concentrate.

Anyways, from that article:

"Honestly, I don't even know I'm doing it," Jones said Wednesday before the Orioles' 5-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards. "I just chew it. I think it's the last thing on my mind."

And blowing bubbles.

Which he does relentlessly from the moment he steps onto the field.

Are you kidding? This guy blows bubbles making diving catches. He blows bubbles running the bases. He blows bubbles even as he swings at the plate.

"I've made contact, and there's a bubble at the same time," he said, shaking his head. "It's nuts. It's crazy."

Jones says he has been blowing bubbles during baseball games since his days at Morse High in San Diego.