Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Mar 29, 2008 4:51 am

A chat with Todd: Even Tigers closer not sure he has enough left

Todd Jones is a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps kind of guy. It is appropriate that he forces himself to pitch out of so many jams. To Jones, life is about pitching yourself out of jams, or pitching your team out of jams, instead of asking somebody else to come in and finish the job.

His one request for this column was that I mention his philosophy is “Christian-based.”

“I’d love if you print that,” he said.

Jones said he was baptized (“saved, I guess”) in 1991. But he said Christianity has become more prominent in his life the past few years.

In 2002-04, Jones pitched for four teams and struggled with every one. After a long run as a closer, he found out “what it feels like to be the long guy and the closer comes out in the fifth inning, and you’re done and he hasn’t even come out yet. I just had a lot of humble pie.”

Jones wondered whether he was finished. He made a stunning comeback in 2005 in Florida, thanks to the discovery of a cut fastball. “The first time in my career, I felt like I had a pitch where, even if you knew it was coming, you still couldn’t hit it,” he said.

He has been pretty good — better than a lot of people realize — for the Tigers the past two years. But Jones’ struggles changed him. He felt what it was like to consistently fail, to be told he wasn’t wanted. He swore that he would never take his role for granted again, like he did with the Tigers during his first stint (1997-2001).

“I’m learning more and more that none of this is about me,” Jones said. “From the team concept to why I’m on this planet to what I try to pass on to my kids, it’s not about you. It’s about doing something for somebody else.

“I still mess up all the time. I’m not perfect. But I try to be accountable. I try to reflect what I try to believe in.”

Reliever has good read on sports writers

The speaker is Todd Jones, and the subject is me. Well, not just me. The subject is sports writers. Jones probably pays more attention to sports writers, and sports writing, than any other Tiger.

“I don’t listen to radio,” he said. “I don’t waste my time. But I read what you guys say. Does it bother me? On any given day, what somebody writes about me, I don’t think bothers me as much as it used to.

“But why things get written bothers me. It’s just not that easy. The lack of understanding of you guys that this is our life … and you can watch me give up a jack and come in the next day with your Starbucks coffee like nothing happened, and say, ‘What’s going on?’

“I just gave up a jack last night. It’s killing me.”

Jones’ chief complaint is that sports writers can look at a forest fire and blame a single leaf. There is not enough nuance, not enough people saying, “Well, this could have worked but didn’t.”

This is why he has written columns for the Free Press and the Sporting News over the years.

“It’s therapeutic,” he said.

Who is he to judge?

The speaker is Todd Jones, and the subject is steroids. He says he never took them, and it’s easy to believe him — his body and velocity never improved dramatically. He also says he has never seen a player take them.

But he knows steroids were prominent in baseball, and his attitude about these drugs says something about him.

First, he will not point fingers; the last thing he wants to do is denigrate somebody’s accomplishments.

“To this day, you don’t want to chalk every six-pack (of abdominal muscles) up to steroids,” he said. “Just like you don’t want to chalk every voluptuous woman up to breast implants.”

And second: Jones judges nobody. He is a proud Christian but not a preacher.

He points out that until baseball banned steroids, “it was a moral decision. So is adultery. Until it contained a legal issue, you couldn’t call anybody out. Who are you to tell anybody how to run their own house?”

Hitters will tell him when time has come

The subject is Todd Jones, and the speaker will be you.

This will happen at some point this season, when Jones enters the game with a three-run lead and gives up five straight hits. Fans will say he should retire. He might even wonder himself.

Does he worry that he just won’t have it anymore?

“Yeah,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll have the brains to retire before that happens. What people don’t understand is your careers don’t conveniently end in September. You fully intend on playing, and your career leaves you in May, and you still have four months left.”

How will he know it’s time?

“The hitters will let you know,” said Jones, who will turn 40 on April 24.

If that happens this season, this much is assured: When the clubhouse opens after those games, Jones will be in uniform at his stall, waiting for reporters. He might not like what they write. He might not respect some.

But he will answer their questions and say it’s his fault. He always does.

And then, eventually, he will leave Detroit with fond memories, hoping Detroit has fond memories of him.

“There is no good way for players to retire,” Jones said. “Nothing good can come from it. You either stay in your city too long and get booed out of your city, or you don’t play long enough and they want you to keep playing.

“My whole pitching career has been an avenue to reveal to myself what I’m about. It’s not great, it’s not bad. Your whole journey reveals things about who you are.”
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bow

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:02 am

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:03 am

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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:10 am

Good job Todd. applaud

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:16 am

another teddy bear tiger

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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:09 pm

ok so u guys will applaud the article but not the player. why? he did have a supe-tacular outing the other night, didnt give up a hit, and even got a K, so i dont see why you never praise him, but you are all so quick to blame him and curse him. Pitchers wouldnt blow saves if the offense was a little more productive, Todd Jones just tries to get out of sticky situations, but you cant do something perfect every single time you try. If that is the case, I think i will start blaming maggs and miggy for everytime they dont get a hit
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"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:46 pm

Look, if the Tigers did not think Todd was a good closer yet, they would not have signed him for another year. And he did do well in the opener!

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:49 pm

thank you for agreeing with me! i think u might be the only one who would tho Laughing

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"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:20 pm

Never dis-ed him--just applauded
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:39 pm

lol well u still never praised him either as long as ive been here
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"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Thu Apr 03, 2008 12:15 am

Check my gameday thread posts! I have many GO JONESY! posts...
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:18 am

thats support, not praise lol
_________________
"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Thu Apr 03, 2008 6:57 am

just not into pitchers, I guess!
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:04 am

lol i find them more important than the hitters

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!
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"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:34 am

TOGETHER we win championships...
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:47 pm

all in all though, i find defense more important
_________________
"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:02 pm

you can't have one without the other!
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:11 pm

ok i see your point, dang, but i do see defense more important
_________________
"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:02 pm

how about we agree to disagree?
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:10 pm

sounds like a plan to me Laughing

_________________
"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:03 pm

ok so he did have a 6 pitch, 1-2-3 inning today, and hasnt given up a run in a while as far as i know, so hows about a major turn around this year for Jonesy?? no more roller coaster ride maybe...

but he did do great today.
_________________
"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:27 pm

Still no saves for him Crying or Very sad

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Coming soon: A better signature!

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:11 pm

it would help if the offense would be productive, and the defense wouldnt give up so many runs....
_________________
"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:48 pm

_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:10 am

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:39 am

what you said
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:49 am

oh, ok

ok well im gonna be off in about a half hour

doubleheader today!!
_________________
"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:55 am

hopefully it will be warm for you once the sun gets a little higher in the sky!
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:57 am

well its cold now, so im hopin it does warm up, but i doubt it so im just gonna bundle up and hope i can get some movement!
_________________
"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Todd Jones Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:59 am

supposed to be 60 here today. Maybe that will defrost our Tigs!
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971