JuanP for 2B

The time has come to find Juan Pierre a permanent spot in the Dodgers lineup while making sure that Andre Ethier AND Matt Kemp get their everyday at bats. Pierre, never known for his arm, won’t be missed in the Dodger outfield. Furthermore (and least importantly) the little speedster just looks like a second baseman.

Now the Dodgers currently have MLB veteran and clubhouse curmudgeon Jeff Kent manning the territory between first and second, but at what point do we move on from the 40-year old who is batting .188 on the season? Much of last year’s clubhouse tension seemed to begin with Kent who couldn’t get along with the young Dodgers. Well, with Russell Martin, Andre Ethier, James Loney and Matt Kemp the future of the Dodgers, why alienate them in any way for a guy that hasn’t gotten along with a single teammate since he went hunting in Houston?

Kent aside, Pierre’s ability to play everyday, steal bases and generally distract an opposing pitcher from his game plan is an invaluable asset to have in your lineup. Now these types of defensive switches are best made in Spring Training to work out the kinks before it counts, but it’s never too late to get a guy you gave $44 million to last Spring back into the everyday lineup. Especially a guy who scored 96 times last year, into an anemic offense.

So the question becomes, what to do with Kent? As I see it, there are three options:

1. Wait for inevitable DL stint and make the transaction
2. Trade him to a veteran team that needs a solid bat in the 7 or 8 hole (if Jeff Kent is your cleanup hitter, you have problems.
3. Move him to third until Andy LaRoche or Nomar can play, and keep him around as a solid bat off the bench.

The current situation with Pierre is disgraceful and reminiscent of a few years back when Dodgers GM Ned Coletti ruined Gold Glove Shortstop Cezar Izturis’ career by rendering him obsolete. Izturis deserved better (and I was happy to see him traded so that he could play every day again) and so does Pierre.

Already Looking Forward to the Offseason

Let me start this off by saying I love baseball, I have no children of my own (that I’m aware of) and I’m not a pedophile. With that out of the way, I watched a Little League game today to really get into the groove of Spring.
For me, the game’s highlight had to be the home plate Umpire yelling to both the Braves’ and A’s’ dugouts: “Does anybody on either team have any balls?”
My first instinct was to giggle, because in many ways, I’m still a Little Leaguer myself. Neither team had any balls – although this was no softball game. A number of fouls had depleted the Umpire’s stash.
After a delay, play was resumed, but not before the parents gave it to the Umpire.
“Stay on top of the game Blue!”
An agitated Umpire motioned to the Pitcher to play ball.
The Braves, sensing a rally, turned a boombox in their dugout on full blast belting out “We Will Rock you.” Their players, showing a bit more heart than Chipper Jones, began singing along. After hearing their cracking voices, I thought I might need to reconsider the Umpire’s initial balls question…
The A’s cocky pitcher was unaffected by the enthusiasm spewing from the opposing dugout. Armed with a full arsenal, including a fastball, curve, knuckball and even a submarine gyro pitch, this flamethrower had all the tools to dominate Little League (although he was also on the fast track to Tommy John surgery by the age of 11 – never a good sign). His team was up 3-0, runner on third.
The windup and the pitch – it gets behind the cather!
The player on third rushes in to score as the Catcher heaves the ball to the oncoming Pitcher. And wouldn’t you know it, after the fender-bender, the runner lay on the plate. Safe. Crying. Maybe that was Chipper Jones out there after all.
Again, the parents let the Umpire have it for the teary heap, although, as far as I could tell, he had absolutely nothing to do with the play.
“He didn’t do it on purpose,” the Umpire finally shouted to the parents while clearly imagining the tall jug of moonshine he would purchase following the game.
This whole inning got me thinking – while parents seem to let any rational thought leave their head when it comes to kids and tears, it was fun to watch a game where the fans lived and died with each pitch AND so did the players.
My beloved Dodgers have played .500 ball this Spring. The players seem to be going through the motions already. Hopefully, they’re dusting off the Winter cobwebs rather than planning their next fishing trip already. Gone are the days when Jose Lima skipped off the mound and Cezar Izturis and Alex Cora made defense their offense. Our lone playoff victory since 1988 is a long way away.
This year’s team gets to look forward to Mr. April-June, Brad Penny, Rafael Furcal’s insufferable slow starts and Jeff Kent’s mustache and its continuing effects on clubhouse chemistry.
I can’t quite put my finger on it – but they just don’t seem to have “it.” That Little League fire is gone. It’s just business out there. And that doesn’t bode well for 2008.