Embarrassed by Camden faithful- they boo Jim Johnson.

[Ohfan67]

Apparently the Oakland organization thinks booing in Oakland has affected Johnson and that's the main reason he stinks at home. If booing affects his pitching, then by all means O's fans should let him have it. I personally wouldn't have booed him, but it is not a national tragedy when it happens and if it helps the O's then the boo'ers should go for it with gusto!

[SilentJames]

I agree with the sentiment but who are the "people"?

Should've said some people. But my friends who aren't very into sports, as with most non-sportsy people I have met, point to crap like this as a reason why.

[SilentJames]

By and large, sports fans are "what have you done for me lately" people. Obviously not all of them. I like JJ and respect him, but if he could have stayed with the O's by taking less money, and chose to leave for the money, I might be inclined to boo that decision.

He didn't choose to leave, he was traded.

[OsEatAlEast]

Orioles fans are down playing the boos. It was noticable and inappropriate - imho

Either that or it could have been louder in your section.

[Can_of_corn]

He didn't choose to leave, he was traded.

He did chose not to sign an extension (for which I am grateful).

[SerenityNow]

I think the x-boxing of American sports is a much bigger problem then the "pussification". I think the only things worthy of being booed is poor effort, stupidity and being an a-hole. The x boxing has caused a bunch of "fans" that never were good at anything, judging failures by absolute elite athletes. JJ has lost something and he is not doing well but his effort still deserves respect. If you had ever competed beyond little kid ball you might understand that. The zero sum nature of big time sports will end his career soon enough and at least in Baltimore he deserves the fond memories of the extremely productive time he had for us.

As much I hate hate the every gets a trophy mentality I think you are absolutely incorrect that video games have caused kids to "not be good at anything". I think more than ever kids excel at one thing with the rise of AAU leagues and sport specific exercises and video feedback.

I personaly wish more kids would play multiple sports but that seems to be something that is going away as they try to stand out in one sport.

[atomic]

Maybe they don't attend a lot of games and didn't get to boo him last year. Bobble head games bring out people who might just watch on TV. I saw JJ blow 4 games in person last year...I got my boos in then.

[BMann]

I think the x-boxing of American sports is a much bigger problem then the "pussification". I think the only things worthy of being booed is poor effort, stupidity and being an a-hole. The x boxing has caused a bunch of "fans" that never were good at anything, judging failures by absolute elite athletes. JJ has lost something and he is not doing well but his effort still deserves respect. If you had ever competed beyond little kid ball you might understand that. The zero sum nature of big time sports will end his career soon enough and at least in Baltimore he deserves the fond memories of the extremely productive time he had for us.

Yea you have the right to get your rocks off booing him, but at least he will have to live with the knowledge that he was better at something than you will ever be at anything. He earned the respect of the fans in Baltimore. Booing hims is something that the pink hats would do. In the dark years I really hoped that we would be immune to the pink hats but more and more of them show up every day.

Climbs off soap box.

While you put this a little more harshly than I would've (and I'm one of those "never competed beyond little kid ball" guys), I pretty much agree with your sentiment. I almost never boo the home team. I specifically remember booing TE Eric Green during a Ravens game when he fumbled 3 times, when it was evident to me that his head was simply not in the game. Otherwise, I save my boos fro the opposition. Hell, I never even booed Kyle Freakin' Boller, cuz I thought he was a good guy who gave his best effort: He just couldn't play.

I certainly wouldn't have booed Johnson last night. He was a stand-up guy who seemed (to me, anyway) to give his all every time he took the mound. I know it sounds crazy to say that a guy with 100 saves over 2 seasons lacked the mental fortitude to be a closer, but I do believe that to be true in JJ's case, especially after his troubles in the 2012 Division Series. But that's nothing to boo him over; it was Buck who insisted on continuing to send JJ out there... Not saying I'd have cheered loudly when he took the mound last night (although, here at home, I did smile when he came in, envisioning exactly what happened (the O's adding to their lead against him)), but I'd have given him a polite Golf Clap.

[weams]

I was there last evening. There were some As fans. It might well have been them.

I will always have warm feeling for Jim. As long as he is an opponent.

[weams]

As much I hate hate the every gets a trophy mentality I think you are absolutely incorrect that video games have caused kids to "not be good at anything". I think more than ever kids excel at one thing with the rise of AAU leagues and sport specific exercises and video feedback.

I personaly wish more kids would play multiple sports but that seems to be something that is going away as they try to stand out in one sport.

As an entertainer, a baseball player is not judged against those who he might entertain. He is judged against his peers. Especially when making 5 times what those he entertains make in a lifetime, in one year.

[TonySoprano]

I clearly said when pressure got amped up in 2013. Getting 50 saves doesn't mean you a good closer. Pressure is coming in with a 1 run lead. You are good closer when you can shut it down with a 1 run lead. Something Johnson couldn't do last year. 8 of 9 blown saves were when he came in with a 1 run lead.

It's also those kinds of losses that causes problems for team morale.

He's out there in those circumstances because he's lost the plot.

You are entitled to your opinion, but not your own facts. Check his game log and you'll find these 13 saves where he came in with a 1 run lead, including 4 vs. Boston:

11-Apr @ BOS

16-Apr TBR

23-Apr TOR

4-May @LAA

7-May KCR

25-May @ TOR

10-Jun LAA

7-Jul @NYY

30-Jul HOU

29-Aug @BOS

17-Sep @BOS

26-Sep TOR

28-Sep BOS

When you use words like "every" without checking the facts, there's a chance you'll fail.

[weams]

Orioles fans are down playing the boos. It was noticable and inappropriate - imho

I trust those who you accuse of down playing. So I wonder where you are coming from with this.

[DrungoHazewood]

Pressure is coming in with a 1 run lead. You are good closer when you can shut it down with a 1 run lead. Something Johnson couldn't do last year. 8 of 9 blown saves were when he came in with a 1 run lead.

It's also those kinds of losses that causes problems for team morale.

In Mariano Rivera's career he came into 506 games where there were one or fewer runs separating the teams, and he allowed 190 runs in those situations. I can't imagine the Yanks' team morale over the past 20 years.

[MdSooner]

I trust those who you accuse of down playing. So I wonder where you are coming from with this.

Sorry, I should have said "some of the posters in this thread"

The boos were there and I was disappointed in our fans

[Ohfan67]

Gee whiz. I'm not really a boo'er, but some of you guys are too soft. Ever been to a game in NY? Philly? Ever sat near the field when Arod or Bonds played? Home fans in most places give opposing players bloody hell. I was at multiple games where the amount of crap heaped on bonds was unbelievable. And then he myomeres and shut people up for a while. Camden yards had the corporate, white collar reputation in the 90's, but I thought the crowd was more blue collar of late. I'm not a fan of booing per se, but if fans want to give the opposition hell then they should. If it rattled JJ, then that's great. As for the posters philosophizing about entitlement, effects of video games and other b.s. In this thread, you need to attend some football matches with the working poor in Latin America, England, etc. Good grief. The hand wringing in this thread is pretty pathetic.