Baltimore Orioles Jim Johnson talks about media, World Baseball Classic- MLB News
Jim Johnson was the best closing pitcher in 2012 with a whopping 51 saves. His good wok also got him on his first All-Star team. He was also seventh on the list of Cy Young Award candidates in voting in the American League and 14th in the voting for the
Most Valuable Player.
His spring training numbers, however, were pretty out of shape and there was little expectation of such good work that he did from the fans and the experts. He had a back injury at the start of the year and that did not help matters either.
There were even doubts if he would be able to make the team at the start of the season. Jim said that he learned a lot of lessons in the spring training in 2012.
The pitcher whose diminishing speed was often a topic of discussion, bounced back quite well. At one of the post-game press conferences, he even joked about the issue and quite clearly said that anyone who brought up the topic would get a punch.
"The first person who asks about my velocity, I'm going to punch them in the throat," Jim said.
He sees baseball as a funny game where many unusual and unexpected things can happen. Johnson thinks that sometimes too many numbers are on display and they may not necessarily be showing the true picture.
"You can find some weird numbers; you can find some weird trends. What you guys talked about a lot last year was the one-run games and how that's going to play out again. Who knows? It's just one of those silly things," Jim said in an interview recently
to the “Hot Stove Baseball Show” on WBAL Radio.
He accepted that the press too has to report and they need to find issues for that purpose. Johnson said that finding all kinds of questions was the part of the job so he can understand about being bugged earlier about the velocity issue.
"You guys have to write a story. I know that. We play so many games; you've got to find something. I understand it. It's part of the job asking those kinds of questions. But it's a funny game. It really is,” he said.
Keeping his health in mind, he has decided not to participate in the World Baseball classic that will be taking place in March this year. Jim says it would have been an honour to represent his country in the event but for now; he is looking to focus on the
upcoming spring training.
Jim Johnson has become an important part of the Orioles and the team can trust him with their main closing duties. It is important that he carries his form in the 2013 season as the team will benefit loads from a good show by Jim.
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