A LOT ON HIS PLATE
In Adam Jones’ opinion, a shut mouth catches no flies Castillo getting to know pitchers before WBC
SARASOTA, FLA. — Orioles center fielder Adam Jones clearly ruffled some front-office feathers at FanFest when he questioned whether the team had done enough over the offseason to improve its outfield defense.
So, baseball operations chief Dan Duquette ruffled back Monday, citing comments by retired outfielder and ESPN analyst Doug Glanville that one way the Orioles could improve their defensive range in the outfield would be if Jones gave a little more ground in center.
This is what makes for controversy during the pre-exhibition phase of spring training, and Jones didn’t pass up the chance to hold serve. He responded sarcastically when asked during his first interview session of spring camp whether he would entertain that possibility.
“We shall see,” he said Saturday. “I might be up in that center field [roof-deck bar] having a few pops during the game if that’s where they want me to play, but at the end of the day I’m going to do what I do and that’s just how it works.”
If you were looking for anything else, you haven’t been paying attention for the past nine seasons. Jones Exhibition opener
SARASOTA, FLA. — Much has been made about Welington Castillo’s crash course on the Orioles pitching staff before he leaves the team to play in the World Baseball Classic. And the new Orioles catcher realizes becoming comfortable behind the plate is a meticulous process that will continue well into the regular season.
But that won’t deter Castillo from getting as many looks at his pitchers as he can. On Friday, Castillo walked into manager Buck Showalter’s office asking to play a big part in the team’s intrasquad games Tuesday and Wednesday before the Orioles’ Grapefruit League opener Friday against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland.
“He said, ‘You know, I want to catch every guy I can catch,’ ” Showalter said. “He was talking, the hitting part of it, it’s not like he doesn’t have to worry about it, but he knows the whole focus here is about the catching part and getting to know the pitchers. You can tell he’s really seeking them out and I know they’ve been really impressed with him.”
Castillo, the 29-year-old backstop the Orioles signed to be the successor to longtime catcher Matt Wieters, will be with the club for two weeks before he joins the Dominican Republic WBC team. Castillo concedes he’s a little uneasy leaving the Orioles, but