When Adam Jones and Dan Duquette got into a verbal sparring match a few weeks ago over the Orioles' outfield defense, or lack thereof, it looked like what most politely could be termed "a minor dustup" between the center fielder and the club's executive vice president of baseball operations.
In reality, it may have merely highlighted a tendency not only of the Orioles, but just about every other team in baseball: playing outfielders, especially those in the middle of the field, too close to the action. It is the classic case of "when is 'deep' too deep and 'shallow' too shallow?" And it's not exactly as easy as deciding whether to let your 4-year-old jump into the pool.
When Jones pointed out the obvious, that the O's had done little to improve their corner outfield defense, Duquette was quick to mention that former MLB outfielder and now-MLB Network analyst Doug Glanville had not-so-subtly suggested Jones should play a little deeper, thereby helping the overall defense by cutting off the angles.
