"Adam Jones came to me" Jim Palmer interview w/Rob Long

[VTmook213]

Believed his own AS and GG status.

We have heard enough whispers and have seen his play and his off the field stuff to make you question where his head has been this year.

So ... players should not be confident and believe in themselves?

It's interesting that you think Jones believing in his own AS status has caused him to regress this year ... even though he is actively searching for help, because he knows he's struggling. How do you reconcile that?

[Lucky Jim]

Fortunately what you think you see and what is real isn't necessarily the same. I don't think you have one damn clue about what you're talking about here.

He's overhyped himself and that's what has caused his struggles? Nonsense.

Good luck with this line of argument w/ SG.

[Lucky Jim]

Well, I think I am a much better judge of this than you are and I also think that I don't care what your opinion is.

And that's what I meant when I said this:

Good luck with this line of argument w/ SG.

[Boy Howdy]

I listened to the interview. Palmer said Jones came to him and said something to the effect of, "This game is hard -- I have a lot of respect for guys like you who played it for such a long time."

.

I've asked hundreds of ex-big leaguers what they learned about baseball after turning pro, and the most common response is along the lines of "staying in the majors is even harder than getting there in the first place". That Adam Jones is cognizant of this at age 24 is a good thing, not a bad one IMHO.

[Hooded Viper]

Well, I think I am a much better judge of this than you are and I also think that I don't care what your opinion is.

Jones has some serious issues with his game that go a lot deeper than just struggling.

He isn't developing power..His defense has suffered...he won't take walks. He won't stop swinging from his heels. He refuses to go back to the approach that got him to where he was early on last year.

We have heard from Tony, schmuck, Roch, etc...all people who know some people and they have all hinted that Jones's attitude is different and not where it should be.

Everyone likes the kid...he has a ton of upside..but he obviously has issues between his ears.

He likes to showboat...He likes to twitter.

Well I guess it takes one Egomaniac to know another Egomaniac:):rofl:

[HititHere04]

Well, I think I am a much better judge of this than you are and I also think that I don't care what your opinion is.

Jones has some serious issues with his game that go a lot deeper than just struggling.

He isn't developing power..His defense has suffered...he won't take walks. He won't stop swinging from his heels. He refuses to go back to the approach that got him to where he was early on last year.

We have heard from Tony, schmuck, Roch, etc...all people who know some people and they have all hinted that Jones's attitude is different and not where it should be.

Everyone likes the kid...he has a ton of upside..but he obviously has issues between his ears.

He likes to showboat...He likes to twitter.

Clearly, an obvious sign of an egomaniac is the urge to twitter.

[Sports Guy]

Clearly, an obvious sign of an egomaniac is the urge to twitter.

Its just part of the overall situation and issue.

Twittering in and of itself is no big deal...But combining that with several other things makes it a bigger issue than it should be.

And it was also a small part of my post, so not sure why that is all you mentioned but whatever.

[Boy Howdy]

So ... players should not be confident and believe in themselves?

It's interesting that you think Jones believing in his own AS status has caused him to regress this year ... even though he is actively searching for help, because he knows he's struggling. How do you reconcile that?

One of the Yankee announcers was picking on Mark Teixeira last night for saying he had a "great May" despite hitting below his career average during that month.

Ken Singleton responded by pointing out that self-confidence is a pre-requsite to succeeding at the big league level.

Having Jones mope around while listening to Beck's first hit over and over again on his headphones might make some of the hangout peanut gallery feel better about him being less uppity (or whatever their problem with him is), but it's not going to make Jones a better Baltimore Oriole going forward.

He's got to keep working hard and believing in himself, and by all accounts he's doing just that. It's a tough game, and he's a tough guy. I'm confident he's going to be all right and shut a lot of people up.

[VTmook213]

Its just part of the overall situation and issue.

Twittering in and of itself is no big deal...But combining that with several other things makes it a bigger issue than it should be.

And it was also a small part of my post, so not sure why that is all you mentioned but whatever.

Because it was a ridiculous thing to mention. He tweets during his spare time, who the flip cares? At least he's not doing it during games, like other athletes have.

I can understand people complaining about Big Ben riding a motorcycle without a helmet on because of the danger involved ... but, really? We're complaining cause the guy has a Twitter account? Are you worried he's going to get Carpal Tunnel!? :rolleyestf:

[RShack]

Which, I believe, is contradictory to one having an obstructive ego. No?

It is contradictory at the level of what the person is trying to do. The problem is that sometimes the person with the ego problem doesn't know he has an ego problem, does not realize that it might affect how he processes and uses what he hears from others. Now, I'm not saying AJ does or does not have an ego problem, I don't really know. I think he doesn't *mean* to have one. But if he does have one, I think it's because he got to where he is by being himself, not by giving over to what other people think, so he may have some trouble doing a good job of soaking up advice and fully assimilating it. Not so much that he can't, but more like he never had to do it before, so he doesn't know how... yet...

[Frobby]

Well, I think I am a much better judge of this than you are and I also think that I don't care what your opinion is.

Jones has some serious issues with his game that go a lot deeper than just struggling.

He isn't developing power..His defense has suffered...he won't take walks. He won't stop swinging from his heels. He refuses to go back to the approach that got him to where he was early on last year.

We have heard from Tony, schmuck, Roch, etc...all people who know some people and they have all hinted that Jones's attitude is different and not where it should be.

Everyone likes the kid...he has a ton of upside..but he obviously has issues between his ears.

He likes to showboat...He likes to twitter.

First, on the point about not developing power, he's on pace for about 20 HR and so with just a slight uptick he could end up in the 25 range which is pretty good for a 25-year old.

I see him trying pretty hard to alter his approach at the plate. It's not easy for him, and probably never will be. I think he's going to be one of these guys who can sometimes go 40-60 games where he's seeing the ball really well, staying back on pitches, not swinging at too much garbage, but at other times he is going to fall into bad habits. You just have to hope that at the end of the year the streaks where he's seeing it well are longer than the streaks where he's not.

I feel he's a kid with good intentions, and as he matures, he will grow into his job. He's not the first guy to go through these kinds of struggles.

In 1968, we had a 24-year old CF who had won a gold glove and posted a .799 OPS the year before as a 23-year old. In '68, at age 24, he posted a .595 OPS and lost his gold glove, too. His name was Paul Blair; maybe you've heard of him.

[SilentJames]

First, on the point about not developing power, he's on pace for about 20 HR and so with just a slight uptick he could end up in the 25 range which is pretty good for a 25-year old.

I see him trying pretty hard to alter his approach at the plate. It's not easy for him, and probably never will be. I think he's going to be one of these guys who can sometimes go 40-60 games where he's seeing the ball really well, staying back on pitches, not swinging at too much garbage, but at other times he is going to fall into bad habits. You just have to hope that at the end of the year the streaks where he's seeing it well are longer than the streaks where he's not.

I feel he's a kid with good intentions, and as he matures, he will grow into his job. He's not the first guy to go through these kinds of struggles.

In 1968, we had a 24-year old CF who had won a gold glove and posted a .799 OPS the year before as a 23-year old. In '68, at age 24, he posted a .595 OPS and lost his gold glove, too. His name was Paul Blair; maybe you've heard of him.

Well Blair's ego obviously got in the way.

[El Gordo]

I don't have to know him...I can tell what I see and what I see is a guy that has a huge ego that has overhyped himself and his abilities.

I am a big Jones fan and feel he will be fine...but it doesn't mean he doesn't need "an adjustment" right now.

As someone who works in show business, I am more than a little familiar with huge egos. Take it from me, Jones' may have gotten a little inflated from his early successes last season, but it is the size of a pea in comparison to the truly huge egos of Broadway and Hollywood.

[Sports Guy]

First, on the point about not developing power, he's on pace for about 20 HR and so with just a slight uptick he could end up in the 25 range which is pretty good for a 25-year old.

I see him trying pretty hard to alter his approach at the plate. It's not easy for him, and probably never will be. I think he's going to be one of these guys who can sometimes go 40-60 games where he's seeing the ball really well, staying back on pitches, not swinging at too much garbage, but at other times he is going to fall into bad habits. You just have to hope that at the end of the year the streaks where he's seeing it well are longer than the streaks where he's not.

I feel he's a kid with good intentions, and as he matures, he will grow into his job. He's not the first guy to go through these kinds of struggles.

In 1968, we had a 24-year old CF who had won a gold glove and posted a .799 OPS the year before as a 23-year old. In '68, at age 24, he posted a .595 OPS and lost his gold glove, too. His name was Paul Blair; maybe you've heard of him.

He also wouldn't be the first guy to believe his own hype and need an "attitude adjustment".

[Sports Guy]

As someone who works in show business, I am more than a little familiar with huge egos. Take it from me, Jones' may have gotten a little inflated from his early successes last season, but it is the size of a pea in comparison to the truly huge egos of Broadway and Hollywood.

I am sure you are right here.

My issue is that he gets into bad habits because he feels its his way or the highway and that the AS appearance and GG validates that for him.