Juan Pierre is crying like a lil baby...

[J.D. Wykid, Esq.]

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Juan Pierre was back in the starting lineup in left field on Friday, one day after coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter, then meeting with manager Joe Torre after the game.

Torre, who has acknowledged that the Dodgers outfield jam presents his most difficult decision of the Spring, said he met with Pierre on Thursday night after sensing that the veteran "was not happy about not starting."

"It's one thing about not playing. It's another thing about not playing and pinch-hitting," said Torre. "I asked him to be patient with me. When we got Andruw, nobody talked to him. I wanted to go out of my way to let him know what my thinking was."

Pierre went 1-for-5 with an RBI single and was caught trying to steal a base on Friday. Afterward, he would not elaborate on his situation or his meeting with Torre.

"It is what it is and I've got no comment on it," he said. "I won't even try to tackle that."

Pierre earlier expressed disappointment at not being told that the free-agent acquisition of Andruw Jones not only meant he would be moving to left field after playing center field most of his Major League career, but also that he was in a competition with Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier for the final two outfield starting spots.

Pierre signed a five-year free-agent contract before the 2006 Winter Meetings to play center field and has the longest current consecutive games played streak in the Major Leagues at 434.

"I don't expect him to be happy about it," said Torre. "He just wants to know my thinking. I told him when I know, I would let him know before somebody else does."

Entering Friday's game with the Diamondbacks, Pierre was batting .200, Kemp .304 with three homers and Ethier .352 with five homers. Kemp started in right field and Ethier was on the bench.



look, this guy is getting paid something like $9M/year, if we want him to sit on the bench, or clean up the stadium after the games, or sell peanuts during the games, he needs to do it!  stop crying like a lil bitch, and just do whats best for the team - Ethier (LF), Jones (CF), and Kemp (RF) is whats best for the team...someone needs to teach Pierre how to be a team player.

[MoreSwaggerThanMickJagger]

What a bitch.

[Javier]

I saw this coming from before he was signed.  This is why it was a mistake to sign the fucker. 

[MoreSwaggerThanMickJagger]

I saw this coming from before he was signed.  This is why it was a mistake to sign the fucker. 

Yeah I remember that,  you were against that signing from day 1.

[J.D. Wykid, Esq.]

yeah man, i hear ya.

i wasnt really against him, i just want Ethier to start..but now that this has come out i dont want him on our team. his attitude is JUST LIKE luis gonzalezs' attitude last year...and look where that got us - a rift between the young guys and the vets.  we dont need that bullshit this year.

larry bowa needs to smack some sense into this cocksucker.

juan pierre needs to: cash his very generous check, do whats asked of him, and do it with a god damn smile, and just shuuuut the fuuuuck up.

[Halu Sination]

I saw this coming from before he was signed.  This is why it was a mistake to sign the fucker. 

word, gettin him on the team is just one mistake, but throwin all that money at him... damn

[Don Jacob]

he better steal 2 bases a game from opening day pitch til the world series to make up for that bull shit.

[OG Hack Wilson]

hahahaha Juan you suck.

i remember the Yankees had a chance to get him and I actually thought it may be a good pickup at that point in time but i'm so glad they never did

[Man On The Moon]

Fuck this guy.

I would say trade him, but I doubt anyone wants him.

[J.D. Wykid, Esq.]

Fuck this guy.

I would say trade him, but I doubt anyone wants him.

i say we should try to sell him to japan...a lot of people are saying that he "just wants to play", well if thats true he should have no problem with going to japan..coz god knows that no other team in the MLB wants this guy on their roster.

[J.D. Wykid, Esq.]

SPRING REPORT / KANSAS CITY 10, DODGERS 9
Ethier believes he should start for Dodgers
Richard Hartog / LAT
Andre Ethier hit his sixth home run of the spring, tops on Dodgers.
Outfielder has had a productive spring and now must wait to see what Torre decides for his outfield spots.
By Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 25, 2008

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Joe Torre calls it the toughest decision he has faced all spring. And he may not have it resolved until Monday morning, when he makes out his opening-day lineup.

"Then I'm going to have to write somebody's name down," he said.

At issue is who will start in the Dodgers' outfield, specifically left field, alongside center fielder Andruw Jones and right fielder Matt Kemp.

Andre Ethier says he believes he has done all he can to make Torre's pick a no-brainer, reaching base four times, hitting his National League-leading sixth home run of the spring and raising his batting average to .359 in the Dodgers' 10-9 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

"It's kind of funny," Ethier said with a smile. "Everyone says 'Let's wait and see what happens in spring training.' But at the same time, some people come back and say 'Well, it's only spring training.'

"I was told to come into spring training and show what I've got. And I did what I was asked. It's management's choice who they're going to put out there."

Ethier's competition for the job, veteran Juan Pierre, is batting .188 with a .253 on-base percentage after reaching base only once in his last 12 at-bats. But Pierre has an established track record, having averaged more than 200 hits, 95 runs and 57 stolen bases over the last five seasons.

But Ethier, 25, has more power, a better arm and will drive in more runs, tools that would make him more valuable off the bench. And that fact, ironically, could wind up costing him the starting job.

"They bring different things to the table," Torre said. "Obviously, Pierre is that guy who's going to put the ball in play. He's going to be a threat on the basepaths."

Torre asked the players to be patient as he searches for a solution, but it hasn't been easy. Monday, Pierre slumped, head down, in front of his locker long after the rest of the team had taken the field. Coaches Bob Schaefer and Larry Bowa went into the clubhouse to talk to Pierre while Torre had a 14-minute talk with Pierre in the outfield during batting practice, then kept him on the bench.

"It's a tough part for the three of us to be in right now," Ethier said.

In addition to Ethier, Rafael Furcal also homered in support of Hideki Kuroda, who gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

But the bullpen faltered behind him with Joe Beimel, Ramon Troncoso and Mike Myers giving up six runs in the span of two outs.

------------------------

it really seems like pierre is becoming a club house cancer...all his moping and pouting...fucking aye.

and what the fuck does Hartog mean when he says that Ethier would be more valuable off the bench? a guy who hits for more power, drives in more runs, and is a better fielder IS WAAAAAAAAAYY more valuable playing everyday than just playing about 8 times a month.  if Ethier continues to hit in the reg season like he is hitting in ST, and gets at least 450 AB, he is slated to hit around 40 HR...yeah, a guy who has the potential to do that is better off coming off the bench. 

how much clearer can it get that Dr. Dre DESERVES to be the starting LFer?

i dont care about pierres streak, he is NEVER going to even come close to Ripkens streak, who is he kidding?  he needs to suck it up and AT LEAST pretend like he is OK with being on the bench.

[Man On The Moon]

If Pierre starts instead of Andre, I'm gonna be really upset.

[J.D. Wykid, Esq.]

me too dawg..me too. 

pierre simply needs to go, ned needs to find a club thats willing to take him, and remove this cancer before the rest of the club gets infected.

[Man On The Moon]

me too dawg..me too. 

pierre simply needs to go, ned needs to find a club thats willing to take him, and remove this cancer before the rest of the club gets infected.

Yeah, I agree. The thing is who the fuck would want to take on his contract?

[J.D. Wykid, Esq.]

if we eat about 18-20M of his remaining contract, i think SOMEONE would bite, especially if we dont ask for much in return..maybe a mid level pitching prospect or something. 

the white sox seem like a good fit..they desperately need a lead off hitter.