Adam settles in

The Baltimore Sun has the story about ex-Rattler Adam Jones getting used to his new surroundings.

Meet Mr. Jones: The heart of the deal
Centerpiece of Bedard trade dazzles with talent while maintaining humility

He has been an Oriole for less than 72 hours, and fans are already envisioning Adam Jones growing up side by side with Nick Markakis and leading the downtrodden organization back to prominence.

Thousands of miles away from his new baseball home, Jones is wondering what his future holds, too. He has already talked to longtime Ravens star Ray Lewis about the linebacker's experiences as a professional athlete in Baltimore. He has met Jim Palmer and knows plenty about Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken Jr., though he's interested in learning more.

Any consequences for the premature announcement of the trade? Oh, yeah. But, not what you might think.

Jones is simply relieved this whole ordeal is over. It was his comment to a Venezuelan newspaper reporter, indicating that the trade was final when both sides said it wasn't, that stalled the deal for several days.

Both sides agree that Jones did nothing wrong, but the player paid a serious penalty nonetheless. The premature trade report pushed back his physical examination for almost a week and ultimately forced Jones to forfeit his ticket to the Super Bowl, which was being played close to his home in Arizona.

"They were 48-yard line seats on the Patriots' side," lamented Jones, who instead watched the game from his Baltimore hotel room. "What had to be done, had to be done. It's not the last Super Bowl there's going to be."

How would you get ready for life in Baltimore? Here's an idea.

Meanwhile, Jones continues to seek out more information on the city he will call home during the baseball season. When word came out that the six-player deal was finally completed, Jones fielded a call from one of his brothers, who suggested that he start watching The Wire, the HBO police drama set in Baltimore.

I would suggest Homicide: Life on the Street, but that's just me. Jones had a better idea.

Jones, though saying he has heard great things about the series, reminded his brother that it's a TV show and instead called Lewis and former Ravens cornerback Gary Baxter, both of whom are represented by the same sports agency as Jones. "They had some nice things to say about the city," Jones said.

Plenty more at the link up top. Also, there is a link to a picture slideshow at the top of the page called Meet the New O's. The pictures of Chris Tillman and Tony Butler are ones in which they are wearing their tie-dye Everett Aquasox uniforms.