Adam Jones on the Home Run Derby and Chris Davis on his advice for Jones

Adam Jones said his invitation to participate in the All-Star Home Run Derby came a few days ago and once he cleared it with manager Buck Showalter, he wanted to take part. "I'm just having some fun, man," Jones said this afternoon. "It's not anything important. I'm just having some fun. That's all it is." Any concerns about it hurting his swing? davis-jones-handshake-white-sidebar.png"No. It might help," he said. "I don't know the format. I'm going to go there and have fun and swing out my (butt) as usual." He did say it was an honor to be asked. "Yeah. It's fun. All you guys are getting into it a little too deep," he said. "It's fun. Raise some money for some good charities and watch some guys in the derby hit some home runs for the fans." Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said he did talk to Jones and provide some advice. Davis took part last year. "Swing really hard. Try to throw out your back and mess up all your mechanics so you have a really bad second half," Davis said. "No, I just want him to enjoy it. "We talked about it a bit yesterday. It's a very unique experience. I think it's something he's obviously wanted to do for a long time. "The derby is built for a guy like him. He backspins the ball really well. He's one of those guys that can get in there and get hot in a couple of swings. I'm anxious to see him compete and see what kind of numbers he puts up." Davis was asked if the post-derby slump is a myth. "I don't know. I don't really care either to be honest with you," Davis said. "Adam is a good player and has been for a long time. One of our most consistent players. "You know, if he goes in a slump after the Home Run Derby, I'm not going to blame it on the Home Run Derby. Unless you hurt yourself, slumps are going to come and go, and I don't necessarily think people should blame it on the derby." Davis hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning Monday to give the Orioles a 4-2 lead at Washington. A few moments later, he was seen getting a hug in the dugout from teammate Nelson Cruz. Just another sign of O's team togetherness, Davis said. "That's what we do. We are like brothers in here," Davis said. "We give each other a hard time. When we have success, we celebrate together. The bromance was strong at that point. Nelly and I go way back. We've seen each other struggle and succeed and we root for each quite a bit."



McLouth: "I had so many great memories"
Orioles lineup vs. Nationals
 

By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.masnsports.com/