A take on Adam Jones batting second

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

May 20, 2011, 4:14pm

Comments

I don't think he did it to tick off those that revel in stats, but manager Buck Showalter is batting Adam Jones second tonight for the second time this year. Jones came up with a solid single in the first tonight off Jason Marquis and then grounded out in the third. He is now 3-for-7 on the year when batting in that spot. Is that what they mean by small sample size? Yes, that is incredibly small. But I like Jones batting second and probably mentioned that two, 20 or a hundred times this winter in discussions on this blog. Those fans against the move point out correctly that Jones doesn't take enough pitches or walk a lot. But I like the combination he has of speed and power in that spot. I like having someone that fast getting on base ahead of the middle of the order. I think Jones enjoys hitting there although he seems to be careful to never express a preference for that spot in the order when asked. I also like Nick Markakis batting third. Even with his average at just .249, I still see him as the best all-around hitter on the team and it's never a bad idea to have your best hitter batting third. Will we see Jones batting second more? Maybe so, and I don't have a vote on it either way. If I did, you know how I'd vote.