Adam Jones Wins the Gold Glove: First for the O's since '99

by Stacey on Nov 10, 2009 3:58 PM EST in News Comment 30 comments

This is Jones' first GG, and the first for an Oriole since Mike Mussina won in 1999. The Orioles haven't had a GG in the outfield since Paul Blair in 1975. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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Congratulations to Adam Jones. It's very exciting to have a Baltimore Oriole recognized for anything positive, especially when the accolades are so few and far between these days. Adam is an exciting young player and I couldn't be happier to have him on my team. According to the Bill James Handbook and Fielding Bible, he had the highest range factor of any center fielder and led in home run saving catches and outfield arm saved runs. Adam Jones is a very good defensive baseball player and I believe he'll only improve. Here are some of his great plays from 2009:

August 29th: Two great catches against the Indians

August 18th: Hauling in Reid Brignac's drive

August 16th: Stealing a Grand Slam from Mike Napoli

July 31st: Throwing out Big Papi

July 29th: Helping out Chris Tillman

July 12th: Robbing Alex Rios

June 29th: Robbing Youk while Gary Thorne makes a fool of himself

May 19th: Not so fast, Robinson Cano

May 7th: Diving catch against Justin Morneau

May 3rd: Blowin' bubbles, making leaping catches, it's what he does

April 28th: Take a seat, Chone

He's amazing, right?

However.

There is a reason the Gold Gloves are considered a joke by a lot of people. Anyone who pays attention to baseball knows that the best outfielder this year was actually Adam Jones' replacement in Seattle, Franklin Gutierrez. He was the best and it wasn't even close. Additionally, Carl Crawford has been one of the best defensive outfielders for years but he's never won a Gold Glove. That guy playing next to Crawford in Tampa Bay, B.J. Upton, is also deserving.

Torii Hunter and Ichiro Suzuki have had the two-thirds of the OF Gold Gloves locked down for years. If Adam had won instead of Hunter I'd feel a lot better about the award. If Crawford or Gutierrez had won instead of Hunter or Ichiro, I'd feel a lot better about Adam Jones winning.

I really hate that I can't feel awesome about this. But I can't. I love Adam Jones and there is no doubt in my mind that one year, probably in the near future, he will play centerfield at such a level that he deserves the GG. But this year isn't it.

Here is your complete list of American League Gold Glove Winners.

C	Joe Mauer
1B	Mark Teixeira
2B	Placido Polanco
3B	Evan Longoria
SS	Derek Jeter
OF	Torii Hunter
OF	Adam Jones
OF	Ichiro Suzuki
P	Mark Buehrle

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Actually

after watching all those highlights I’m feeling more like, “ADAM JONES IS THE BEST WHEEEEE!”

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Nov 10, 2009 4:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The Morneau catch

makes me tingle.

by PhilR8 on Nov 10, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Right?

Sure, a bunch of deserving outfielders got shafted. But you know who else gets shafted all the freaking time? The Orioles. Yeah, it’s our own damn fault sometimes that we get ignored, what with the sucking, but we have a talented and promising outfielder in Mr. Jones and he got recognized for it. Let’s be happy!!!! :)

by O Nina on Nov 10, 2009 4:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yea but it feels so yankee-ish

to win stuff you don’t deserve. sure he was good, but he was not among the top 3 OFs in the AL last year. it feels hypocritical to cheer for his GG when derek jeter undeservedly wins the SS GG most likely cuz he plays for the yankees…..

by twistedlogic on Nov 10, 2009 4:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hm

but the Yankees get applauded for crap they don’t deserve all the time… I mean, AJ wins an award and we have to feel bad about it?

by O Nina on Nov 10, 2009 6:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think we have to feel bad

as long as we keep perspective. If the award always went to the most deserving, then it would mean that much more when AJ did win.

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Nov 10, 2009 6:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

and...

Kakes would have won one by now. Screw it. AJ kicks ass. I’m gonna enjoy it.

by daveh873 on Nov 10, 2009 8:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

thanks for posting all this!

n/t

Librarians are hiding something

by dfa on Nov 10, 2009 4:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It helps to play on a big stage

Never underestimate the value of Jones’ All-Star appearance in raising his profile. Give Nick Markakis an All-Star berth and I bet he wins a Gold Glove as well. Although that didn’t work for Carl Crawford, who won the All-Star MVP award for his defense.

The point is, it helps to play on a big stage. Every time Jeter makes a great play it gets replayed endlessly.

by Roarfrom34 on Nov 10, 2009 4:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I feel awesome about this

I think Nick deserved it more last year than AJ,S does this year. But Jonesy has ridiculous range and makes it look easy. Congrats AJ,S!

Although I still wish he’d play back a few steps.

(I’m with you on Crawford/Guti, BTW)

"I feel like I learned more in eight major league starts than I did in three years of college," -- Brian Matusz

by CoachOfEarl on Nov 10, 2009 4:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It's pretty clear that the GG is a joke

just by looking at the fact that Jeter won it. Apparently you’ll get a GG if you jump and spin on every routine ground ball.

by NickMarkaces on Nov 10, 2009 4:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

HAHA

true….ichiro is a beast but nicky shoulda gotten his this year with his 16 or some outfield assists.

by huggie on Nov 10, 2009 5:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

count the ringsss!

Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?
Man in Black: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons.

by birdman on Nov 10, 2009 6:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

K. . .

I mean I don’t want to trash Adam, but he was not even close to being an elite centerfielder this year.

"There's only one cure for what's wrong with all of us pitchers, and that's to take a year off. Then, after you've gone a year without throwing, quit altogether." -Jim Palmer

by Baltimo on Nov 10, 2009 5:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think we've had this debate about the meaning of the word elite

But to me he’s clearly an elite defensive centerfielder. He wasn’t the best in the league and so he probably didn’t deserve the gold glove, but he’s very much elite.

by O'sFan21 on Nov 10, 2009 10:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't agree with that

But it’s a fair point.

"There's only one cure for what's wrong with all of us pitchers, and that's to take a year off. Then, after you've gone a year without throwing, quit altogether." -Jim Palmer

by Baltimo on Nov 10, 2009 11:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Adam probably didn't derseve it

But Cesar did, we’ll call it a wash.

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on Nov 10, 2009 5:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Adam probably didn't deserve it

But ~~Cesar~~ Nick Markakis did, we’ll call it a wash.

/FTFY

"I would approve signing a pitcher that ate kitten tacos if he won 20 games a year." -BPinOK

by duck on Nov 10, 2009 9:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Nick Markakis didn't deserve it either.

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Nov 10, 2009 9:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

thats debatable

IMO, he deserved it more than jones did. considering jones won it, then clearly markakis should have

by twistedlogic on Nov 10, 2009 10:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

that's silly logic

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Nov 10, 2009 11:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

some may say...

twisted, perhaps?

by daveh873 on Nov 11, 2009 9:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

can't be

if one guy won and another deserved it more, than clearly guy number 2 also deserved it. they teach you that shit in kindergarten.

by twistedlogic on Nov 11, 2009 11:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

the logic that’s silly is using a silly benchmark (jones winning the GG) as a reference point to make another decision (markakis winning the GG).

Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?
Man in Black: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons.

by birdman on Nov 11, 2009 1:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

But you've seen him THROW!!!

"I would approve signing a pitcher that ate kitten tacos if he won 20 games a year." -BPinOK

by duck on Nov 11, 2009 6:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think the picture is funny

Like how Mr. Jones is right under a photo of Guthrie, who TOTALLY threw the pitch that just got launched.

The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST

by the fix is in on Nov 11, 2009 12:10 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Derek Jeter is the Most Storied Gold Glove Winner in the History of judas priest am I tired of this kinda crap...

Or maybe this is a Gold Glove for Pointless Ballet Jetes While Wearing a Yerkee Uniform.

Please. His range is limited and his arm is somewhere in the middle of the pack among league shortstops. My favorite Derek Moment this year was watching him exuberantly field a grounder and throw home with Captain-esque panache…only to discover that his catcher was, um, backing up first base. (For reasons that are still being examined by team attorneys, the home plate umpire inexplicably refused first to catch the ball and then to apply the tag to complete Derek’s putout.)

Congrats to Dr. Jones!

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.

by Titov on Nov 11, 2009 1:45 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well, instead of Jones OR Markakis..

I’m gonna go ahead and hope for Jones AND Markakis next year. We must dominate in something after all.

by Y Not on Nov 11, 2009 6:47 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

GG to AJ, Nobel Peace Prize to Obama

Seems like the same thinking at work, to me. Hopefully, someday soon they will both be deserving. I find it interesting that AJ was rewarded for his range, while Jeter was rewarded for not having any. Anyway, if it was going to be an O, it should have been Nicky. But WTF, congrats Adam, and good on you for having the grace to be suitably humble about it.

by fishoutawata on Nov 11, 2009 7:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

If you wanna go there...

Actually you could say AJ was more deserving of the the GG than Obama was of the Nobel Peace Prize, lol. Personally I’m just a happy a Oriole got recognized for something and I’ll enjoy it knowing that hopefully AJ will deserve it more next time.

"We don’t have any rearview mirrors in our car,"- John Harbaugh

by purpleonblack86 on Nov 11, 2009 9:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs