Juan Pierre Sees Potential in Darling Miami Franchise

Sees perfect niche for baseball in South Florida 

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

You’re probably one of those lunatics who thinks that just because the Miami Marlins are watching their hopes and dreams turn to ash and blow away in the wind, they’re going to default into some kind of awful hibernation full of twisted, serpentine nightmares.  And if you are, then you are one of many people who think this way.

But not Juan Pierre.

You don’t get to be Jack McKeon’s favorite son by being a thoughtless slacker with a shitty attitude.  Juan Pierre has the most steals of any active player, hit over .300 at the age of 35, and can play an entire outfield position without using his arm correctly.  Throw in that the Marlins’ new manager was backing up Ivan Rodriguez for the Fish when Pierre was the starting center fielder, and you have that current outfielder/former second platoon backstop bond that is damn near unbreakable.

Yes, there’s a lot of promise in Miami for a noodly-armed outfielder pushing 40.  He might even get to start in center.  Hell, he might even lead off.  And that’s why Juan signed a one-year contract with Miami to keep Christian Yelich’s spot warm for him while he finishes bettering himself in Double-A.

This makes the Phillies’ outfield situation a bit less complicated, because with each potential cast off, we get that much closer to giving Darin Ruf the chance he might not even really deserve in left.  And if we don’t do that, then he’ll never get that shot to become the next Ryan Howard, which, shut up, is a good thing.

So Juan Pierre’s highly productive 2012 with the Phillies was all a play to get noticed and snatched by the Marlins.  The old man pulled one over on us all.  I’d feel betrayed by this… this sorcery, but… it’s Juan Pierre.  May he travel to the next city and again be the bright spot in someone’s doomed season.