Can never post enough positive articles of Todd Jones. :thumbup

 

Sun-Sentinel story

...five years removed from being one of the game's most dominant closers -- and after being humbled while pitching for six teams since 2001 -- Jones has found his rapture with the Marlins.? In the words of catcher Paul Lo Duca: "If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be close to where we're at."

 

Consider Jones has converted 25 of 27 save opportunities, has been scored upon in only seven of his 48 appearances, and earned saves in four consecutive games between July 27-30. He's got a cutter and sinkers, and he's dropping curveballs off the table and over the plate.

 

No smoke, no mirrors. Jones has done it by using meticulous notes on every batter in the league and with the help of Lo Duca and pitching coach Mark Wiley, who Jones says has helped him "keep myself out of my own head."

 

Pitching in his 13th season, Jones, 37, has no secret agenda. He's candid and brutally honest. When asked what he thinks of being a candidate for comeback player of the year, he replies; "You can't get comeback player of the year because you suck [the previous years]."

 

.....

 

It has been five years since Jones was all the rage with the Tigers. He recorded a Detroit-record 42 saves in 2000 and received the Rolaids Relief Man Award while becoming a fan favorite, busting out of the bullpen and intimidating hitters while earning the nickname the "roller coaster."

 

"And it used to be a roller coaster ride," said Marlins pitcher Brian Moehler, a teammate of Jones' in 2000. "He might get two quick outs and then ..."? Moehler moves his hand like a wave. "You never knew what might happen after that."

 

Jones was at the top. And the following spring, the Tigers offered him a three-year deal that would set him up financially for life. But Jones left all the money and security on the table for free agency.

 

"I had to decide if I was going to be 65 years old and sitting at home wondering what it would have been like to be a free agent and not taken the easy road," Jones said. "I knew Detroit wasn't going to win.

 

"I rolled the dice, I guess, as far as my career. But I know in my gut that if I stayed in Detroit I wouldn't have been the pitcher I am or the person I am because it was all set up for me. Finished my career [in Detroit] ... that would have been it."

 

With Jones having made his decision not to stick around, and after he hurt his arm lifting weights that spring, the Tigers made plans to go in another direction. And for Jones? "That was it. That sealed my fate."

 

He was traded in July 2001 to Minnesota, then moved on to Colorado in 2002, Boston in 2003, and Cincinnati and Philadelphia in 2004. With closers already in place in those cities, Jones became a middle reliever. He went from leading the league in saves in 2000 to recording just three between 2002-2004.

 

.....

Know your opponent

 

Part of Jones' success is his notes, or as he calls them, "cheat sheets" on every hitter. In a small zipper bag, Jones pulls out the sheets with names of batters and abbreviations next to each. You can see him peek at these sheets in the bullpen.

 

"I don't know if I've ever had a closer who studies opposing hitters as much as he does," Wiley said.

 

"I feel like I have to have a game plan," says Jones, pointing to one hitter on the sheet. "This says he's a curveball over slider guy. What that means is he has more trouble with a curveball than he does a slider. So I don't want to throw him a slider, so I write it down and keep it straight."

 

 

There's a lot more.... read the whole article. Good stuff.

Todd Jones is the man.

So much hype for a guy whose job it is not allow between 4 to 12 total bases in 1 inning.

 

Good pitcher. He does the job he's asked to do. Just saying, he is not a key member of the bullpen and certainly not it's MVP. His playing time is too infrequent and rarely at crucial points of the game.

he is not a key member of the bullpen

904142[/snapback]

:blink: :blink:

So much hype for a guy whose job it is not allow between 4 to 12 total bases in 1 inning.

 

Good pitcher. He does the job he's asked to do. Just saying, he is not a key member of the bullpen and certainly not it's MVP. His playing time is too infrequent and rarely at crucial points of the game.

904142[/snapback]

Wow.

Can you think of more than 3 games we would have lost without Jones? You can't. He rarely pitches with the game on the line.

So much hype for a guy whose job it is not allow between 4 to 12 total bases in 1 inning.

 

Good pitcher. He does the job he's asked to do. Just saying, he is not a key member of the bullpen and certainly not it's MVP. His playing time is too infrequent and rarely at crucial points of the game.

904142[/snapback]

 

/me rubs eyes :blink:

 

In the words of catcher Paul Lo Duca: "If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be close to where we're at."

 

You can honestly tell me you would trust Mota to close out a one run game in the 9th? I sure as hell wouldnt aswell as anyone else in the bullpen. Its bad enough most of our bullpen cant keep a lead in the 7th or 8th let alone in a pressure cooker like the 9th. I think Todd is great at this slot for his maturity alone. He doesnt let anything get into his head like most young pitchers. He goes out, focuses on the task at hand, and gets the job done without any bells and whistles. I honestly feel noone else in the bullpen can be doing what he is doing this year.

^^^What he said.

You can't get comeback player of the year because you suck (the previous years)

 

 

:lol :lol :lol

 

Gotta love Todd. That statement is almost as funny as seeing him get an at bat.

LoDuca said it best: "If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be close to where we're at."

:lol :lol :lol

 

LoDuca's quote? You are all tools.

:lol :lol :lol

 

LoDuca's quote? You are all tools.

904217[/snapback]

lol... You just love playing the devils advocate don't you? You looove being so different? God youre a dork.

 

I guess I'm not one that thinks any pudwhack can come in and close a game.

 

 

I hope this doesn't lead to more of your PMs in which you lecture me for not agreeing with you. Those are always fun.

 

 

 

...not a key member of the bullpen. Now that deserves a :lol :lol :lol

I guess if Persiho were still here, he'd be a "key" member. De "Loss" Santos, he was a "key" member also, right?

 

Todd has done a fantastic job.

RFerry, your the same guy who jumps all over the other members of the bullpen when they stink and now one succeeds big time and you say he's not big?? You've clearly lost your mind. You don't like Lo Duca, you jumped all over lenny harris....next thing i know you'll say that Miguel Cabrera isnt an MVP either. Todd Jones is humongous because the 9th inning is no longer worry time. Who do you want to close??? Mota? De Los Santos???

A key member is a player who takes the ball when the game is on the line. Players who take the ball with a huge margin of error and racks up a statistic that is overrated by fans and overemphasized by today's managers are not.

 

Players like Mota, Bump, DeLosSantos, Riedling, Perisho (who I disliked greatly, btw, while others were fawning over his great ERA and above-average inflated inherited runner rates), Alfonseca, Mecir, everyone in the pen is capable of throwing 1 inning of ball without letting one run score. Jones (or Graves or Herges or Baez or Guardado or whatever closer someone was fawning over earlier this year) is considered to have a good night if he nearly let the entire game get away. What is it that you expect from middle relievers? There seems to be no set standard for them, and their accomplishments slighted and their failures blown up. The game is won and lost in those innings, and it seems very few recognize that. Those are the key members of our bullpen. Some may have hurt, some helped. In any case, they've contributed more to the team's won-loss record than Jones has. It's sad that so few get that.

i cant count on both hands and feet how many games the middle relief has blown. yes that part of the bullpen "should" be the most important but its not b/c its failed for most of the season. so honestly if our middle relief can bring a win into the 9th, then I feel Jones has to be the most important man to finish that game off.

 

all in all i think the most important part of the bullpen is which part gets the key stop, save, hold in the game. i would judge it game by game. if alfie comes in with bases loaded and no outs in the 7th or 8th inning and gets out of it without sparing a run, then by all means that is the most important part of the bullpen that day. but if AJ brings a 2-1 lead into the 9th and needs Jownz to close it out then he becomes the most important part of the bullpen that night.

 

not sure if that makes all much sense since im doing some end of the day rambling but it made sense to me.

 

I hope this doesn't lead to more of your PMs in which you lecture me for not agreeing with you. Those are always fun.

 

hahaha you get those too? and i thought I was special

So much hype for a guy whose job it is not allow between 4 to 12 total bases in 1 inning.

 

Good pitcher. He does the job he's asked to do. Just saying, he is not a key member of the bullpen and certainly not it's MVP. His playing time is too infrequent and rarely at crucial points of the game.

904142[/snapback]

 

Is this sarcasm ???? OK so Todd Jones is NOT the MVP of the bullpen, so who is ? Don't answer by telling what an MVP or key member of a bullpen does but who is the MVP of the bullpen ??

 

Uness of course I am just missing some great comedy in your post, and you are not serious.

So much hype for a guy whose job it is not allow between 4 to 12 total bases in 1 inning.

 

Good pitcher. He does the job he's asked to do. Just saying, he is not a key member of the bullpen and certainly not it's MVP. His playing time is too infrequent and rarely at crucial points of the game.

904142[/snapback]

 

 

WOW....I never thought I would see so much ignorance from a so-called Marlins Fan....

 

Saying that Jones isn't a key member of the bullpen is like saying that Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Delgado aren't key members of the offensive unit of this squad.

 

If it were not for Jones this team would be 12-15 games below .500 compared to the 6 games above .500 that they are.

 

Jones has done a job that he wasn't expected or counted on to do when spring camp broke this year. You can't ask for anymore from Jonesy...case in point last week Jack had him pitch 2 INNINGS...not many "Closers" can do that. But when the game is on the line I would take Jones out of the pen over anyone else in the NL East, with one exception being Chad Cordero, but even he has been lucky ALOT this season.

Chad Cordero, but even he has been lucky ALOT this season.

 

excellent point!!

So much hype for a guy whose job it is not allow between 4 to 12 total bases in 1 inning.

 

Good pitcher. He does the job he's asked to do. Just saying, he is not a key member of the bullpen and certainly not it's MVP. His playing time is too infrequent and rarely at crucial points of the game.

904142[/snapback]

I don't get it. Why haven't you taken that post back? You actually trust other people in the bullpen to close out 1 run games in the 9th? Wow, what a Marlins fan you are. Todd Jones deserves a lot of credit. Don't get on him just because he barely pitches, and when he does, he only pitches 1 inning. That 1 inning is huge. I believe that our record would be atleast 2-3 games worse than it is now without him. He himself doesn't get the credit for winning games on his record, but he in reality DOES win games, and he wins them for us, by saving them.

Saying that Jones isn't a key member of the bullpen is like saying that Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Delgado aren't key members of the offensive unit of this squad.

Are you sure that is the best example? Really now.

 

If it were not for Jones this team would be 12-15 games below .500 compared to the 6 games above .500 that they are.

Jones has not pitched 20 games that the result weren't all but decided.

 

Jones has done a job that he wasn't expected or counted on to do when spring camp broke this year. You can't ask for anymore from Jonesy.

904262[/snapback]

Great point. I'm in absolute agreement.

Chad Cordero, but even he has been lucky ALOT this season.

excellent point!!

904270[/snapback]

Not at all. He's pitched more times with a 1-run lead than Jones and I bet anyone. As a result his shaky outings, which Jones has had too, seem more dangerous.

Chad Cordero, but even he has been lucky ALOT this season.

excellent point!!

904270[/snapback]

Not at all. He's pitched more times with a 1-run lead than Jones and I bet anyone. As a result his shaky outings, which Jones has had too, seem more dangerous.

904287[/snapback]

 

id say it IS a good point. i dont see anything more special in chad cordero then i do in todd jones. the only difference is chad has had more chances then todd.

Todd Jones has been the best member of the bullpen hands down. His stats are ridiculous. This guy has exceeded all expectations and arguing that he isn't a key member or reason for our success is silly. He has done his job and more.

Anyway, getting away from all this pointless bickering since nobody here agrees with him and back to the point of this thread which was celebrating Todd's success:

 

12 for 12 in save chances since the AS Break.. 0.62 ERA, 14.2 IP, 14 K/1 BB - wow

 

That's almost Mariano Rivera-esque (22 K/0 BB)