Is Adam Jones the new Luis Matos?

[Moose Milligan]

I'm very worried about Jones. I just don't think he's able to recognize pitches--he can't tell balls from strikes and he can't pick up the spin on a breaking ball. Crowley can talk to him about approach until he's blue in the face, but if he can't recognize and react to pitches quickly enough to execute a good hitting approach, no amount of coaching is going to help. I wonder if Lasik would help.

I see where you're coming from and agree to a certain extent but....what about the hot start he had last year? He was recognizing breaking pitches then and laying off them when they were out of the zone. What's changed?

I do think he swings for the fences...but that shouldn't play into whether he can recognize a breaking ball.

[Old#5fan]

Oh, for heavens sake. Jones is just in a slump. He looks like Wigginton did last year and look at ole Wiggi now!:clap3: Why all the Jones bashing and such ludicrous comparisons to the crappy no-talent Matos and even Bigbie? And SportsGuy you are so far off base in stating they only failed because of injuries it isn't funny. Niether Matos nor Bigbie in their whole body, had the talent that Adam Jones has in his little finger.

This thread and most of the comments on it deserve below a one star as in a negative star. (Too bad we don't have that available). When did Luis Matos ever make the Major League All Star team or win a Gold Glove? :scratchchinhmm:The idea of comparing Jones to that no-talent imposter is beyond absurd.

[webbrick2010]

Does anyone have stats on AJ per his location in batting order.

It seems he was red hot early last year when they were batting him near the bottom of the order. As he progressed up the order he seemed to go into that post all star game funk that he has never returned from.

I really think his problem is mainly mental. He puts too much pressure on himself.

I'd love to seem him in the 8 hole for about a month.

and someone needs to explain to him that the book on him is to thow a breaking pitch way out of the strike zone when you have him down 0-2 or 1-2. If he would just lay off those pitches that are bouncing in, things may improve a little.

[Burg]

Oh, for heavens sake. Jones is just in a slump. He looks like Wigginton did last year and look at ole Wiggi now!:clap3: Why all the Jones bashing and such ludicrous comparisons to the crappy no-talent Matos and even Bigbie? And SportsGuy you are so far off base in stating they only failed because of injuries it isn't funny. Niether Matos nor Bigbie in their whole body, had the talent that Adam Jones has in his little finger.

This thread and most of the comments on it deserve below a one star as in a negative star. (Too bad we don't have that available). When did Luis Matos ever make the Major League All Star team or win a Gold Glove? The idea of comparing Jones to that no-talent imposter is beyond absurd.

The only thing that would have made this thread more predictable was if a gratuitous shot at Nick was thrown in.

It is in NO way certain that Jones will succeed in the bigs. His pitch recognition is ATROCIOUS and I'm not sure that's something that you can really fix. Maybe it is, but if he can't fix it, he will continue to look like lost.

[Frobby]

I still believe Jones will come around. He looks awful right now, but if he's able to get hot at some point, he's the kind of player who can make up ground in a hurry. It does seem odd that his selectivity and pitch recognition seem to have gone backwards, though.

What Crowley should do is stick Jones in the video room and have him watch every at bat he had in April and May of 2009. I feel like Jones has his head in a very negative place right now. He needs to think positive and remember what he's capable of doing when he plays within himself.

[blid]

I think Jones needs laser eye surgery

[Burg]

I still believe Jones will come around. He looks awful right now, but if he's able to get hot at some point, he's the kind of player who can make up ground in a hurry. It does seem odd that his selectivity and pitch recognition seem to have gone backwards, though.

What Crowley should do is stick Jones in the video room and have him watch every at bat he had in April and May of 2009. I feel like Jones has his head in a very negative place right now. He needs to think positive and remember what he's capable of doing when he plays within himself.

What's to say that this, or something similar, isn't happening now? Does AJ really need a coach to tell him to stop flailing at breaking balls and to be patient at the plate? Hell, I learned that in high school baseball.

AJ's issue will only be fixed by AJ learning to recognize pitches and fixing his mental approach at the plate. That's on him, not on any coach. It should be common sense to cut down your swing and go the other way until you get your mojo back. The fact that it's not is very troubling to me.

[Going Underground]

Jones needs to get more walks. He has 68 BB's in 1,213 at bats. He also has struck out 273 times.

[Sports Guy]

Oh, for heavens sake. Jones is just in a slump. He looks like Wigginton did last year and look at ole Wiggi now!:clap3: Why all the Jones bashing and such ludicrous comparisons to the crappy no-talent Matos and even Bigbie? And SportsGuy you are so far off base in stating they only failed because of injuries it isn't funny. Niether Matos nor Bigbie in their whole body, had the talent that Adam Jones has in his little finger.

This thread and most of the comments on it deserve below a one star as in a negative star. (Too bad we don't have that available). When did Luis Matos ever make the Major League All Star team or win a Gold Glove? :scratchchinhmm:The idea of comparing Jones to that no-talent imposter is beyond absurd.

For almost a year? That is more than a slump.

And Bigbie and matos put up some very good stats at times...I agree Jones was more talented but noth of those guys could have been good contributors had they been able to stay healthy...Never AS level guys but solid, league average performers.

[Sports Guy]

I think Jones needs laser eye surgery

People have joked about this but there may be something to this.

If I am the Orioles, I would be checking his eyes.

[Ooooooohhhh!!!!]

I thought I heard a quote from Jones where he said he was trying to hit a grand slam every at bat. I get the sense that he started to press, the problem got worse, and now it's really in his head.

[Slappy]

The best thing for Jones would be to spend a couple weeks at Norfolk, tear it up, get some confidence, and get back up. He seems like an emotional roller-coaster. When he gets going, he's unstoppable, and when he starts going down... What did Yogi say, 90% of the game is mental, the other half is physical?

[Sports Guy]

I thought I heard a quote from Jones where he said he was trying to hit a grand slam every at bat. I get the sense that he started to press, the problem got worse, and now it's really in his head.

And DT continues to bat him first...Amazing.

[Mackus]

the last 4-5 games have been brutal for Jones. Its a shame because he started looking like he was turning things around during the Red Sox series. He had a 4-5 game stretch where he looked much better. Disappointing that he couldn't capitalize on that momentum.

[Ooooooohhhh!!!!]

And DT continues to bat him first...Amazing.

I think leading off is making the problem worse. Getting him more ABs only magnifies that he is struggling so badly. Move him down and let him relax.