Q&A: Baltimore Orioles' Adam Jones, AL East rival, tips hat to the Yankees, but not their stadium

Major League Baseball has an emerging number of promising young center fielders.

Adam Jones, 25, of the Baltimore Orioles is among them. Two days after wrapping up his third full season, the 2009 All-Star and Gold Glove winner spoke with amNewYork about the MLB playoffs, which kick off tonight on TBS.

What are the Yankees’ chances of winning their second straight World Series? Their chances are very good. It all comes down to pitching. [But] if they hit, they’ll be in it. And they should hit.

Not many hitters fare well off CC. Why can you hit him (.333 avg. in 27 career at-bats)? He comes at me. I’m aggressive with him. I try to drive the ball to right-center field. Not try to pull him because he throws that change-up so much where it’s an easy ball to hit to Jeter/A-Rod. It’s better to stay on that [pitch] as long as I can.

What’s it like navigating Yankee Stadium? This prestige here is real low to me. The old place had everything. I miss that place. It’s the same outfield as it was there. One thing, the walls in right and center field now — the see-through glass — I’ve run into that a couple times. [Laughs] That fiberglass hurts. It doesn’t give — ever.

What’s it like playing in Minnesota’s Target Field? That park is really nice. It’s a big outfield. It doesn’t have all the nooks and crannies that Texas has, or Tampa in right-center field.

Does playing in cold weather make a big difference in baseball? Hell yeah. When it’s cold, that’s when pitchers throw inside more. You get jammed more. A lot of those hitters wear thumb guards. It’s not fun.