It's break-up season in Alaska. That doesn't mean I'm now on the market. Break-up is a time when the snow and ice starts to melt around town and makes for horrific traffic. Pot holes that were once covered in ice are now lakes of water ready to pounce on the unsuspecting motorist. Naturally my alternator went out on me and instead of taking it in to get fixed I decided to do it myself. Let me first say that I didn't get it done but not because I couldn't.
We have had a pretty consistent leaky faucet in our tub. It escaladed yesterday and I had to fix it. By the time I was done it was the 6th inning. So I thought I would tune into justin.tv or sopcast to watch the end of the game. Lets just say that it's good to know that Gamecast has updated their player. (Im watching the 86 playoff game between the yanks and sox on espn classic. I guess I never realized how bad those old uni's for the sox were. I have better looking pajamas!) Anyway, it was a dissappointing day/ night.
LOS ANGELES -- Juan Pierre signed to be the Dodgers' everyday center fielder two winters ago. So did Nomar Garciapaara, Jason Schmidt, and Luis Gonzales. What's your point? When Andruw Jones was signed this past winter, Pierre learned that he was no longer the center fielder. The rest of LA including the current players on the Dodgers shouted for joy!
On Sunday, Pierre might learn he's no longer an everyday player, too. On Sunday? Are you telling me that he had no idea that his job may be on the line after the last 3 seasons? That he didn't know that playing badly might qualify him to be the highest paid batboy ever?!?!
"If they're going by the spring, I'll probably be sitting on the bench," said Pierre, who despite hitting .169 said he hasn't been pressing. That's comforting. Despite putting up putrid numbers that Michael Jordan could have beat, Pierre decided to take it easy. And if were only looking at the spring numbers something is wrong with the Dodgers staff. His numbers for the last 3 years have been discussed here adnauseum, and to think that all he has to do is get on base to be a starter... he doesn't even have to play good defense, or hit for power, or drive in runs, or be a good clubhouse guy.... all he has to do is get on base!!! Thankyou Juan Pierre for not being able to do anything good at all.
"It is what it is. It's a tough situation for me. I can understand being dissappointed in your play... But it really sounds like he is dissappointed that he isn't starting. Which makes no sense at all. I go out and play hard every day. But you're no good. You do realise that playing hard has nothing to do with talent right? But when you sign a five-year contract and you think you'll be in one spot and they go out and sign somebody to play your position and I certainly didn't have a horrible year. Only the worst year ever!!! I come in and everything's changed, well, it's the cards I've been dealt." Good on you to fold that crappy hand Pierre. Way to make lemonade, not out of lemons, but out of LEFT FIELD! When the Dodgers signed Jones, they backed you and said you would be the starting LF'er. No questions asked. You played your way out of a starting job.
Manager Joe Torre all spring has put off deciding who will flank Jones in the outfield among Pierre and young outfielders Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp. Ethier leads the club in home runs with six and is batting .365. Kemp had three hits Saturday night and is batting .307. Both have stronger throwing arms than Pierre. That's not just it. Throwing arms? That was an obvious difference between Pierre and Kemp/ Ethier. Some of the even more obvious differences is SLG, RBI, RS, OBP... just pick a stat other than steals and Kemp and Ethier blow Pierre away. Does that not spell "bench" to you?!?!
"It's a tough situation they created and put me in," batting 176 is the Dodgers fault? Look at what Bill Plaschke has started. When my brother and I were kids growing up and we'd get in trouble, what was literally the first response out of our mouths? "It's not my fault!" said Pierre. "It's one thing to move to left field, but now I don't even know if I'm going to play. And I'm at a point in my career, my game isn't diminishing. I don't know if you have checked out your stats over the last 3 years but... that's the definition of dimishing. I'm not 38 or 39 (he's 30). I'm not an old man."
Pierre, who hit .293 last year with 64 stolen bases, spent most of this Spring batting leadoff. But in recent games, Torre has dropped him to the bottom of the batting order, while Ethier and Kemp have remained in the middle of the batting order and Rafael Furcal has led off. Looks like Torre is doing what any normal, thoughtful, smart, baseball understanding, person would do.
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Ken, maybe you should start the approval thing.
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