Juan Pierre Leads Dodgers Without Manny Ramirez
Forgotten Dodger Having Career Year in Wake of Slugger's Suspension
May 29, 2009
The suspension of star left fielder Manny Ramirez for testing positive for a banned substance on May 7 left a smoking crater the size of Chavez Ravine in the middle of the Dodgers' batting order, torpedoed the burgeoning "Mannywood" advertising campaign their marketing department had trotted out just days earlier and created an embarrassment for owner Frank McCourt, whose front office had just resigned the slugger to be the second highest-paid player in baseball this season.
For LA, the prospect of being without Ramirez until he is eligible to return July 3 was akin to a flat tire on the road to an easy playoff berth in the toothless National League West, but this setback couldn't have been better timed for one Dodger.
Juan Pierre was tabbed to be Ramirez's everyday stand-in in left field, a proposition initially met with some ridicule given that the speedy, slap-hitting Pierre possesses neither the effortless power stroke nor the larger-than-life oddball persona of the Dodgers' most popular player. But, the result has been a remarkable renaissance for Pierre, one that could be the ticket back to baseball relevancy for this former big free-agent signing who had essentially become a forgotten man on the roster of the fastest-rising team in the league.
Juan Pierre Moves into "Mannywood"
When Ramirez's suspension was announced, the Dodgers had the best record in baseball. At 34-15, as of May 29, they still do. Many predicted the Dodgers would retain their lead in the NL West without Ramirez - they still lead comfortably by nine games - but that they've continued to win at a clip better than .700 has been a surprise. It's due in no small part to the play of Pierre, who's been a terror out of the leadoff spot.
Ramirez led the team with a .348 batting average when he was shut down. Since that time, Pierre has been the Dodgers' top hitter, batting a scalding .425 with 17 runs batted in and 20 runs scored in his 20 starts in left field and bringing his season average up to .407, as of May 29. In the time since he took over the starting role, no one in the National League has more hits or runs than Pierre and his season on-base percentage of .469 is currently a whopping 120 points above his career average.
Don't look for Pierre to be clearing any fences. He's got 13 home runs in his nine-year career and just one since 2007. But in the box scores, Pierre's bloops and bunts are as good as blasts. His slugging percentage on the year is up to .544 and he's worked the gaps well, legging out 10 doubles and three triples on the year. The Dodgers miss the run production Ramirez provided in the three-hole, but Pierre's speed still allows them to manufacture runs at the top of the order.
Now the catalyst of the Dodgers' offense, its easy to forget that Pierre began the season as a spare part watching games from the dugout after becoming a square peg in the team's outfield scheme.
Juan Pierre Has Revived His Career With LA Dodgers
When Pierre signed with the Dodgers for $44 million over five seasons in 2007, he was just four years removed from winning the World Series as a prominent member of the Florida Marlins. Pierre appeared in all 162 games in 2007 and batted .293 with 96 runs scored. But Pierre was often maligned for his low on-base percentage, reticence to draw walks and lack of pop, as well as his suspect defense and throwing arm in center field. When the Dodgers signed Andruw Jones to play center field in 2008 and homegrown outfielders Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp began to command full-time roles, Pierre's at bats dwindled from 668 to 375 and his perceived value dwindled. When LA traded for Ramirez in August, Pierre's full demotion to spot starter and pinch hitter was official.
Pierre, whose grinding, humble work ethic is as much a throwback as his baggy pants stuffed into high stockings, still remained a popular Dodger, largely for his refusal to publicly pout or grumble about his situation. He's now more comfortable defensively in left, as smart and dangerous a hitter as ever and starting to resemble the $8.8 million-per-year player the Dodgers once thought him to be.
Ironically, the end result of Pierre's comeback may be the end of his days with the Dodgers. Pierre asked the Dodgers to trade him prior to the 2009 season, a move that would be easier now with his trade value rising by the day. When Ramirez returns, Manager Joe Torre will likely try to find a way to keep Pierre in the lineup, but how long he remains with the team will ultimately come down to the Dodgers need for a starting pitcher before the trading deadline vs. the value of a rejuvenated Pierre.
