During the last Orioles homestand we had two more MASNSports.com live chats. We had another one with outfielder Adam Jones and one with first baseman Chris Davis.
The players are generous to come in for a period of time that is usually at least a half hour or so and answer fan questions that come our way through social media.
They come up to our nifty looking web studio on the fifth floor of the warehouse at Camden Yards and we get a chance to hear from the players in a non-clubhouse interview setting.
The questions are usually very wide-ranging and sometimes very light-hearted and often not even about baseball. It is a time for the player to talk to the fans in a very casual setting through a forum provided here.
Jones has been great at these live chats for a while now and Davis, to no surprise really, was outstanding. He had fun and he seemed to enjoy it and I know I sure did.
I realize he is struggling offensively right now, and some may not be able to look past that at this moment, but here are just a few of the questions and his answers from the live chat. It's hopefully entertaining and interesting reading and another way to look at one of the team's key players.
What is the best advice you ever got from Buck?
"The best advice was probably what he said when I got traded here and that was to be myself. Not worry about pleasing anybody or acting a certain way. Just be myself.
"That is kind of the identity of our team. We have plenty of guys that, I don't want to say they are rejects from other teams, but they are guys that were with other organizations and got a chance to come over here and play. We have a good time. We wear each other out. We have a lot of fun and I think that shows on and off the field."
What is your favorite part of being with the Orioles?
"You know what, I really enjoy playing here. Growing up in Texas and being a Rangers fan, that was all I knew. And Texas is a football state.
"So to be traded to a team with so much history. And really the fans understand the game and that was something I thought was really cool. The fans' knowledge of the game and being part of a town that is a baseball town.
"Really 2012 was one of the best years I've had. Going to the postseason and seeing what this town was like in a postseason atmosphere. We definitely want to get back to that."
If you could play with one Hall of Famer, who would it be?
"That is a really good question. I think it would be cool to play with Brooks (Robinson). Seeing Manny (Machado) right now and some of the the ridiculous plays he makes. For a guy that won 16 Gold Gloves, I can't even imagine that. I think he would be a fun guy to play with."
Have you met Brooks?
"I have, a couple of years ago. I heard he was just an unbelievable person. To find out he was just a first class human, it made me like him that much more."
What happened to the handshake you and Adam Jones used to do last season?
"I'll tell you exactly what happened. I saw David Ortiz and Jarrod Saltalamacchia do it and I said, 'No more. Never again.' We will have to come up with our own thing.
"I've had a lot of people ask me that question. They loved the handshake. In baseball, you have so many guys doing so many things when they hit homers - some of them are warranted, some of them aren't.
"But I thought that was something we had that was special, that Adam and I shared. And I can't say this without smiling, but I saw those guys doing it. Be a little original."
So a new one could be in the works?
"Yes, Nelly (Nelson Cruz) has brought his Latin swag here. They've got the handshake and the noises. I don't have as much time to sit there and think about that," he said laughing.
These are just a few of the questions that Davis answered. There were many more. Watch the entire live chat with Davis in the video chat.
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