Joe Torre proves he is not Grady Little

[realmofotalk]

Ethier wins left-field job

03/30/2008 4:13 PM ET
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com

LOS ANGELES -- Andre Ethier won the Dodgers' starting left-field job from veteran Juan Pierre and will start Opening Day vs. the Giants on Monday, Los Angeles manager Joe Torre announced Sunday.
"I just feel I want to start that way and see," said Torre. "He had an outstanding spring. Sometimes you don't make enough of Spring Training, sometimes you make too much of it. I'm curious. I want to see more. He's had a number of home runs, he's hit off left-handers and right-handers."

Torre said the 30-year-old Pierre, in the second year of a five-year, $44 million contract, was disappointed.

"He's a professional," Torre said of Pierre, who was displaced from center field by the signing of Andruw Jones. "Before it's all said and done, he'll be contributing. I wouldn't want anybody on the bench accepting of it."

Torre said Pierre would start the season as a bench player pinch-hitting, pinch-running and being available to spell a starter. Jones, for example, reported a leg cramp Sunday.

"I'm starting the season this way," Torre stressed. "I have a feeling, I'd like to believe there will be playing time for everyone to contribute and keep sharp."

Pierre had a disastrous spring offensively, hitting .169 with six stolen bases in 24 games. Ethier, 25, hit .365 with six homers and 16 RBIs. Right fielder Matt Kemp, 25, hit .307 with a team-high 18 RBIs.

General manager Ned Colletti, who signed Pierre, downplayed the significance of Torre's decision.

"Is he a bench player or is he not starting tomorrow?" Colletti asked. "It's a long season. You've got to compete, you've got to play. I understand the build-up to Opening Day. But you look at a lot of Opening Day rosters and there are players you can't even recognize. It changes day by day."

That said, Joe Torre will find a way to put Pierre into the game to keep his bullshit consecutive games played streak alive, but at least Ethier will be getting more than 1 at-bat in the game, barring injury of course.

[browntown653]

Thank goodness.

[love_that_reefer]

Somehow I knew Joe would make the right decision. Ethier is the best man for the job and should be starting.

[Halladay_is_God]

go JOE!!!

[realmofotalk]

Pierre's consecutive games played streak ends at 434. Cal Ripken Jr. breathes a sigh of relief.

[realmofotalk]

Ugh, I should have known better about crusty old **** baseball managers like Joe Torre and Grady Little. If Pierre isn't stealing playing time from Ethier, he is stealing it from Kemp. If Pierre is to steal playing time from anyone, it should be Jones. If you want to go with more speed in the lineup, you go with Ethier-Pierre-Kemp. If you instead want to go with better defense, you go with Ethier-Jones-Kemp. No cute mix and match here.

[love_that_reefer]

Kemp really hasn't done well this season thus far. You knew Pierre was going to get some playing time. Either looked good last night and should be the one fixture in that OF.

[realmofotalk]

Andruw Jones hasn't done shit with the bat thus far. He is the one who should be benched for Pierre.

[love_that_reefer]

I know that but Jones is in there for his defense. Only problem I have with Torre regarding Jones is his place in the batting order. Jones should be dropped down until he starts to hit.

[realmofotalk]

I know that Jones is in there for his defense, and I'd rather have Jones starting in CF for his defense over Pierre starting in CF for his speed, but if Torre wants a defensive approach, why even put Pierre in the outfield? The platoon ought to be Jones/Pierre in CF for offense/defense strategy, not Pierre/Kemp for the righties/lefties splits, which is bullshit considering Kemp is not worse than Pierre is against righties.