Absurd Commentary Regarding Andruw Jones' Defense

Not often am I bothered by sports' commentary, because in the grand scheme of thing, what does it really matter? An opinion I disagree with on a sports-related subject is about as important to the world's functioning as the flavor of Gatorade I'm currently drinking. But, a comment I overheard tonight by my brother's friend made me shake my head a time or two in utter amazement at the absurdity of that statement.

The Top Ten catches of the evening were being shown on Baseball Tonight. Atlanta Braves' centerfielder Andruw Jones made a terrific catch at #8, when this young man said, "The only reason Andruw Jones makes all those catches is because he's the laziest outfielder in the game. He doesn't get a jump on the ball at all. He's probably the worst in all of baseball at that, doesn't run hard, so he has to dive for the ball on a consistent basis. He's the biggest waste of talent in the game."

Let it be known for the record that I am an Atlanta Braves' fan and have been for quite some time and let it be known for the record that this other fellow doesn't follow professional baseball very closely. But, I try to be as unbiased as I can be when it comes to any topic of discussion.

Could he have said that Andruw Jones has underachieved somewhat on the offensive end during his career? Yes, he could have and I would have been able to see his point. Andruw's power numbers have always been solid, but he has lacked a stout batting average throughout the majority of his career. In this being his 11th season (10th full), Jones has a career .263 batting average, with 1,655 hits, 325 doubles, 34 triples, 366 home runs, 1,105 RBI's, 138 stolen bases, and 1,031 runs scored, with an OBP of .342 and a slugging percentage of .500. His power numbers are splendid, but that .263 batting average is very mediocre and this year, that average has plummeted to .219. While overall, one can't gripe much about Andruw's career offensive output, one could honestly say that Jones hasn't consistently lived up to his potential on the offensive end. So, if this young lad wanted to make that statement, then I could completely understand. But still, if Andruw plays another few years, which he should, the guy will ecclipse the 500 and perhaps the 600 home run mark, end with 2,000+ RBI's, 150-200 SB's, 1,750 runs scored, a chance at 3,000 hits, 500+ doubles, 50-75 triples, all while batting in the .260-.270 range. Those numbers alone would probably place Andruw on the border when it comes to he being Hall-of-Fame bound.

But, one area that I can't understand this argument is when it comes to Andruw's defense in centerfield. The guy has been a full-time centerfielder for nine seasons ('98-'06), this being his tenth, and how many Gold Gloves does he have to show for it? Nine, with #10 likely on the horizon after this season comes to a close. Former Giants' centerfielder, Willie Mays, regarded by many to be the greatest centerfielder of all-time, leads outfielders with 13 Gold Gloves throughout his career. If Andruw obtains his 10th straight after this season, he could legitimately tie and even become the all-time leader in Gold Gloves obtained by an outfielder, even ecclipsing the mark set by Mr. Mays. There was one time, during Andruw's first full season as a centerfielder, when he was extremely lazy. Guess what Manager Bobby Cox decided to do after Jones' lackadasical play? He pulled him, right in the middle of the game! Quite the embarrassment for Jones and I haven't seen the guy by lazy in the outfield ever since that one play.

The funny thing is that I don't see Andruw make quite as many diving catches as some other centerfielders. Why is that? Andruw plays more shallow than any centerfielder in the game (he has the most range) and he gets the greatest jump on the ball of any centerfielder in the game. While the camera may only focus on Jones at the tail-end of the play when he's in cruise mode and almost appearing to be lazy, viewers miss the great jump he gets and miss why Andruw can set himself in cruise control so frequently. Without those great jumps on the ball, he'd have to dive with more regularity such as the likes of Jim Edmonds and Ken Griffey Jr. (before he moved to right field). Two of the greatest outfielders in the modern era, centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr. and left fielder Barry Bonds have been asked time and time again who the greatest outfielder is in baseball? They both said, without hesitation, Andruw Jones. While I can understand this guy's argument with Mr. Jones' and his inconsistencies at the plate, I can't understand him making such remarks about his spectacular defense. If only he had the opportunity to actually watch Jones play centerfield on a consistent basis, his attitude and viewpoint would change drastically. Bobby Cox has said time and time again that Andruw Jones is the best outfielder he's ever seen and yes, that includes Willie Mays. It's very difficult for me to believe that a guy who's obtained 9 Gold Gloves in his 9 seasons of playing a position and a guy who has received such high praise from the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Bobby Cox and numerous others, is the "laziest" outfielder in baseball and I'll take the words of Griffey, Bonds, and Cox over this guy's any day.