Is Jones overrated Defensively?

[waroriole]

"I failed [Chen] and I failed the team"

- Adam Jones

He clearly gets it. He's responsible. That isn't enough anymore though. He needs to get better out there.

He says the same thing every time. Stop saying it and start doing it.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I give him credit for standing before the cameras and telling it like it is. Hopefully, he gets it together. There's not much else to be done. He's not going anywhere. The bad thing is, that now it's not just a physical thing. It's gonna be, already is, in his head.

Yep. I'm starting to get worried about this. I never thought he was very good, but no way he's this terrible. The crowd was actually taunting him last night and you could tell it was getting to him.

[birdcrazy]

You might have a point if Jones wasnt usually jogging towards the ball.

His Jogging = other centerfielder's full sprint.

In all seriousness, for what he costs, and the production we get, I think Adam Jones is a good value. There are very few veteran centerfielders in the league on his level or better. His problem is his body language when he is in the field. He carries himself in a way that almost looks like he is trying to make it look easy, or showboat. As such, when he makes a basic mistake, it looks 10x worse to the person sitting at home.

For instance last game in Oakland..Manny Machado basically lost the game by thowing it as hard as he could at Hardy from 20 feet away. You shrug it off, and say even the great ones make mistakes. Adam Jones however makes the same mistake while blowing bubble, and trying to trying to get his swagger on, everyone will come down on him. Just how it is.

My biggest dislike with Adam in all honesty is how he always seems to strike out chasing outside breaking balls.

[Norfolk orioles]

Wow, I could have wrote that post myself. Exactly Bill.

This sums up my feelings as well.

Hustle your butt off, get to the spot and make the catch!!!

Far too often he's gliding back, making the catch while his feet are still moving so it makes it look like the catches he's making are actually tougher than they are.

I'm not going to speculate WHY he's doing that, but there really is no debate that he is doing exactly what we all described.

Poor fundamental fielding and it's showing. This isn't just the worst start of a season jones has ever had, it's the worst defensive start to a season ANY Oriole has ever had. He's looked flat out terrible. Not mediocre, not slightly below average, terrible.

He's dropping routine outs. He's not hustling. I don't think he's dived for a single ball in front of him this season. Lay out and try and make a play! Obviously the situation will dictate whether he should or shouldn't take a risk, but he hasn't done it once this season.

He's giving poor effort, making bonehead plays and playing flat out poor defense. The fundamentals he's lacking are disconcerting, he needs to stop striding under balls and hustle to get there before the ball and center himself under it.

Once was excusable, twice was bad.....three times and we've got a problem.....we're now going on four or five this season......Buck has to address this with him, it can no longer be ignored.

Very disappointing season defensively from jones so far. Yeah, he's been solid with the bat, but his 3 bb's are also very concerning. Not playing team first baseball AT ALL this year.

[Norfolk orioles]

His Jogging = other centerfielder's full sprint.

In all seriousness, for what he costs, and the production we get, I think Adam Jones is a good value. There are very few veteran centerfielders in the league on his level or better. His problem is his body language when he is in the field. He carries himself in a way that almost looks like he is trying to make it look easy, or showboat. As such, when he makes a basic mistake, it looks 10x worse to the person sitting at home.

For instance last game in Oakland..Manny Machado basically lost the game by thowing it as hard as he could at Hardy from 20 feet away. You shrug it off, and say even the great ones make mistakes. Adam Jones however makes the same mistake while blowing bubble, and trying to trying to get his swagger on, everyone will come down on him. Just how it is.

My biggest dislike with Adam in all honesty is how he always seems to strike out chasing outside breaking balls.

Disagree. Plenty of other CF's who hustle more than jones, are faster than jones and have more range than jones. He strides because he's tall and muscular, not because he's super fast. He's not making any more plays than your average major league center fielder and this year, he's been far worse than an average major league center fielder.

[FlaO'sFan]

This sums up my feelings as well.

Hustle your butt off, get to the spot and make the catch!!!

Far too often he's gliding back, making the catch while his feet are still moving so it makes it look like the catches he's making are actually tougher than they are.

I'm not going to speculate WHY he's doing that, but there really is no debate that he is doing exactly what we all described.

Poor fundamental fielding and it's showing. This isn't just the worst start of a season jones has ever had, it's the worst defensive start to a season ANY Oriole has ever had. He's looked flat out terrible. Not mediocre, not slightly below average, terrible.

He's dropping routine outs. He's not hustling. I don't think he's dived for a single ball in front of him this season. Lay out and try and make a play! Obviously the situation will dictate whether he should or shouldn't take a risk, but he hasn't done it once this season.

He's giving poor effort, making bonehead plays and playing flat out poor defense. The fundamentals he's lacking are disconcerting, he needs to stop striding under balls and hustle to get there before the ball and center himself under it.

Once was excusable, twice was bad.....three times and we've got a problem.....we're now going on four or five this season......Buck has to address this with him, it can no longer be ignored.

Very disappointing season defensively from jones so far. Yeah, he's been solid with the bat, but his 3 bb's are also very concerning. Not playing team first baseball AT ALL this year.

I don't know if it is the worst defensive start ever by an O's player, but Mark Reynolds last year at 3rd base to start the season was easily worse than Adam's start this year. Easily.

[Frobby]

I think his level of effort is fine. He's misplaying the ball by attempting to catch the ball a) on the run and b) to the side. He winds up reaching back for the ball and he can't see it hit the mitt. He's played a couple of balls a little differently since the error, turning his body more toward home plate as it gets to him.

I see this as a technique problem; a bad habit. It doesn't mean he isn't trying.

I agree with you. However, that habit is so ingrained, I really don't expect it to change, ever. That's the way Jones plays, so be prepared to be aggravated when he misplays a ball because of it.

[Frobby]

I don't know if it is the worst defensive start ever by an O's player' date=' but Mark Reynolds last year at 3rd base to start the season was easily worse than Adam's start this year. Easily.[/quote']

When your defense is being discussed, you don't want to be drawing comparisons with Mark Reynolds.

[DuffMan]

[Ruzious]

To be fair, the drop last night was a much tougher chance than the others. With the others, he could/should have used his bare hand to make sure he caught it. And this one, he had to prepare for hitting the fence. It wasn't cut and dry - like the others were.

[Gurgi]

I am getting tired of talking about Jones in center. The dude needs to pick it up and fast.

It is pretty obvious he might have the YIPS as someone suggested. Its in his head now. We might be in for a rough time of unknown length.

[SeaBird]

Wayne Kirby's famous last words last Saturday after a dropped Jones fly ball:

"That's' the last missed ball you are going to see. I know it," Kirby said. "That's the last one you're gonna see for a long time."

I guess it depends on what Wayne Kirby feels is a "long time".

[NewMarketSean]

He needs to sit a game or two and then DH. Get him out of center for about a week.

[Gurgi]

He needs to sit a game or two and then DH. Get him out of center for about a week.

Just DH him, I would keep his bat in there as long as I could.

[Gurgi]

I know pitchers cant do it but can Jones put stickum or pine tar into the palm of his mit? Maybe that will help a little?

I cant believe he is so bad now I even thought of such a thing.