Even the best have poor games…

As we continue to have that bad taste in our mouths after last night, a lot of fingers have been pointed at Adam Jones: “He shouldn’t have been blowing bubble gum” and “This is not a how team leader acts.”  Enough!  Everybody has a bad game.  It happens in baseball and that’s why it’s a long season.  We can’t live or die by one play in April.  Every great player has bad game including Mr. Oriole himself, Brooks Robinson.

Who me?

Yes, even Brooks had bad games every once in a while.  Let’s go back to July 28, 1971.  The Orioles are playing the Athletics who are the leaders in the AL West.  A game in Mid-July foreshadowing the ALCS for that year.  The Orioles send Mike Cuellar to the mound looking to do what the Orioles do and that’s win.  The game is 0-0 going into the Top of the 5th and a bunt single is attempted with two outs and a man on first.  Brooks picks it up and throws it away.  This puts runners on 2nd and 3rd.  On the next play, Brooks commits two errors in one play by bobbling the ball and then throwing it away.  This allows both runners to score and places a runner at 2nd.  The Orioles are now down 2-0 against one of the best teams in baseball.  At the plate, Brooks went 0-3 with two double plays.

Everyone take to Twitter and sick the Media on him…oh wait…nevermind.  Newspaper articles from that time don’t take a dismissive tone to the human vacuum cleaner, but just seem more surprised than anything else.  Than again, the Orioles won the game with a 3-run homer from Frank Robinson so that must have made it better.  With social media the way it is now, I think we are far to quick to react and shout down players than to just accept it as the bounces of baseball.  In addition, it’s not over until it’s over.  The Orioles showed that in 1971 with Frank bringing the Orioles back with the win.  The Orioles may have been able to accomplish that in the Top of the 8th prior to the triple play.  This was a team loss as is every game in baseball.  There are plenty of chances for the team to win.  One moment does not win or lose the game.  It can shape it though.