Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones made national news with his harsh comments about fans running onto the field, but now he might be under fire from the MLB.
An MLB spokesperson told the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday that the league would be “reviewing” Jones’ comments. They did not say what exactly that meant, or if they were looking to punish Jones.
If they were to take disciplinary action against Jones, it could set a bad precedent. His comments were over the top, but Jones brings up a legitimate argument about player safety. Players and team personnel have been injured by fans before — in 2002, a father and son rushed the field at Comiskey Park in Chicago and attacked Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa. Gamboa was not seriously injured, but a pocket knife was found on the field after the incident.
Jones continues to be unapologetic for his comments.
“Not sorry,” Jones told MLB.com. “I’m not going to say it if I don’t mean it. Obviously, I don’t want to inflict any pain on people, but if you put us in harm’s way, (I’ve) got to protect myself.”
Orioles manager Buck Showalter is also supporting Jones.
“Adam’s entitled to his opinion, and one a lot of people might agree with, but I think you’ve got to take it for what it’s worth,” Showalter told MLB.com.
