Juan Pierre
Encyclopedia
Juan D'Vaughn Pierre is an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...

 in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...

.

Pierre, who was named after Hall of Fame pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

 Juan Marichal
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'...

, went to high school at Alexandria Senior High School in Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....

.

College

Prior to his professional career, he played at Galveston College
Galveston College
Galveston College is a comprehensive community college located on Galveston Island in Galveston, Texas, United States. GC is led by a president who answers to nine member publicly elected Board of Regents....

 and the University of South Alabama
University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. No other areas of the state were willing to support such a...

, where he was Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...

 Player of the Year.

Minor leagues

Pierre began his professional career with the Portland Rockies
Portland Rockies
The Portland Rockies were a minor-league baseball team that played in Portland, Oregon from 1995-2000. They were a rookie league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Their name and logo mimicked the mountain theme of the Colorado club, even though Portland is not located in the Rocky Mountains...

 of the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...

, after being selected by Colorado
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...

 in the 13th round of the 1998 MLB Draft. He won the league batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...

 and stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...

 titles in his first professional season, and was a fan favorite even at that level. Pierre moved on to the Asheville Tourists
Asheville Tourists
The Asheville Tourists are a minor league baseball team based in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. They play in the Class A South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Colorado Rockies since 1994....

 the following year, again batting well over .300, and began with the Carolina Mudcats
Carolina Mudcats
The Carolina Mudcats are a minor league baseball team based in the eastern suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina. The team, which plays in the Carolina League, are the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians major-league club beginning in 2012.-History:...

 before finishing the year in Colorado.

Colorado Rockies

Pierre made his major league debut on August 7, 2000, as a pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...

 for the Rockies against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...

. He made his first start in center field the following day and got his first hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....

 in the first inning off José Silva
José Silva (baseball)
José Leonel Silva is a right-handed pitcher. He currently plays for the Dorados de Chihuahua of the Mexican League...

.

Florida Marlins

On November 16, , Pierre was traded along with Mike Hampton
Mike Hampton
Michael William Hampton is a left-handed former Major League Baseball pitcher. During his career, Hampton was well known for being one of the best hitting pitchers of his time, as well as for his large contract and frequent injuries.-Early career:Mike Hampton was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in...

 and cash to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...

 for Charles Johnson, Preston Wilson
Preston Wilson
Preston James Richard Wilson is a retired professional baseball outfielder. He played in the major leagues from 1998-2007. He is both the nephew and stepson of former New York Mets star Mookie Wilson...

, Vic Darensbourg
Vic Darensbourg
Victor Anthony "Vic" Darensbourg is a journeyman Major League Baseball pitcher, who currently plays for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League...

, and Pablo Ozuna
Pablo Ozuna
Pablo José Ozuna is a retired Dominican Republic professional baseball utility player. During his major league career, he played for the Florida Marlins the Colorado Rockies , the Chicago White Sox , and the Los Angeles Dodgers ....

.

In the 2003 regular season, Pierre posted a .305 batting average, led the NL in games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...

 (162), at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...

s (668), stolen bases (65), and sacrifice hit
Sacrifice hit
In baseball, a sacrifice bunt is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base. The batter is almost always sacrificed but sometimes reaches base due to an error or fielder's choice...

s (15), and led the majors with the lowest strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....

 percentage (5.2%), During the post-season, he was a major contributor to the Marlins' 2003 World Series
2003 World Series
The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...

 championship. He batted .333 in the World Series and .301 overall in his first playoff experience.

In 2004, he led the National League in at-bats (for the second year in a row) with 678; hits (221); triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....

 (12); games played (162); bunt hits (24); infield hits (38); (5.2%). In addition, he was the only major league player to play every inning of each of his team's games.

In , Pierre led the National League in games played (162), and had the third-lowest strikeout percentage in baseball (6.9%).

Chicago Cubs

On December 7, 2005, the Marlins traded Pierre to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

, receiving pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

s Sergio Mitre
Sergio Mitre
Sergio Armando Mitre is a American professional baseball pitcher.-Background:Mitre is of Mexican American descent. He grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, where he trained in the arts of kenpo, boxing and wrestling due to frequent street fights.Mitre graduated from Montgomery High School in San Diego,...

, Ricky Nolasco
Ricky Nolasco
Carlos Enrique "Ricky" Nolasco is an American Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Miami Marlins. He is listed as 6'2" and 220, and made his major league debut on April 5,...

, and Renyel Pinto
Renyel Pinto
Renyel Eligio Pinto is a Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He made his major league debut on May 18, .-Career:...

 in exchange. The deal was motivated by the Marlins' need to cut payroll after finding itself unable to secure a new stadium deal in South Florida.

In 2006, despite batting only .292, Pierre led the NL with 204 hits, winning his second hit title, and in at-bats (699), games played (162), bunt hits (21), infield hits (30), and in lowest strikeout percentage (5.4%). He also tied for the major league lead in times reached base on an error (13), and played perfect defensive baseball, earning a fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...

 of 1.000. However, he also led the major leagues in outs made (532), the second-highest out total for a player since .

Los Angeles Dodgers

On November 22, 2006, Pierre signed a $44 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In , Pierre led the majors in bunt hits (19). He also led the NL in games played (162) for the 5th straight year, and singles
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...

 (164) for the second straight year, led the league in sacrifice hits (20), and had the lowest strikeout percentage in the NL (5.5%),. He was 2nd in the NL in stolen bases (64), 3rd in at bats (668) and plate appearances (729), 4th in hits (196), and 9th in triples (8).

Going into , the Dodgers signed Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...

 to a two-year contract to play center field. Because of this, Pierre shifted to left field
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...

. After a trip to the DL
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...

 in July, Pierre was moved into a platoon in center field with the struggling Jones. When the Dodgers traded for Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...

, Pierre moved to the bench and saw limited action, primarily as a pinch runner the rest of the season.

Manager Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...

 said of Pierre on MLB.com. "I've delivered bad news to him two years in a row -- first with Andruw Jones, then when Manny came on board. He's more understanding about being a backup. He's been a pro through this whole thing."

After nearly 2 years without hitting a home run, Pierre hit a ball into the right field seats at PNC Park
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, after the controlled implosion of the Pirates' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium...

 in Pittsburgh on September 15, 2008. It was Pierre's first traditional fly ball home run since August 28, 2006, also in Pittsburgh.

Prior to the 2009 season started, the Dodgers gave Pierre and his agent permission to talk to other teams in hopes of working out a trade, since Ramirez's re-signing with the Dodgers pushed Pierre to the backup role in left field.

When Manny Ramirez received a 50 game suspension, Pierre once more became the Dodgers' regular left fielder. During Ramirez's suspension, Pierre delivered a stellar performance that drew praise from fans and critics alike. However, once Ramirez returned, he resumed his previous role of a backup player. In recognition of his hard work, Dodgers fans gave him a standing ovation on July 16, the same game where Ramirez had his first home game since returning from suspension.

Chicago White Sox

On December 15, 2009, Pierre was traded to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...

 for two minor league pitching prospects to be named later (Jon Link
Jon Link
Jon Paul Link is a right-handed pitcher who is a free agent.-Professional career:Link was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 26th round of the 2005 MLB Draft out of Bluefield College...

 and John Ely
John Ely (baseball)
John Daniel Ely is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made his Major League Baseball debut with Dodgers in April 2010.-Early years:...

). The Dodgers will reportedly pay $10.5 million of the remaining $18.5 million owed in salary to Pierre for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Pierre led Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 with 68 stolen bases, the second-most in a single season in franchise history after only Rudy Law
Rudy Law
Rudy Karl Law , is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1978-1986. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Kansas City Royals. In 1983, he stole 77 bases, setting the White Sox single-season record.-External links:...

's 77 in 1983. On August 3, 2010, he hit his first and only home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...

 of 2010 off of Rick Porcello
Rick Porcello
Frederick Alfred "Rick" Porcello III is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....

. On August 5, 2010, he stole his 500th career base against the Detroit Tigers.

In 2011, Pierre led the major leagues in sacrifice hits (19) and at bats per strikeout (15.6), and was caught stealing a major-league-leading 17 times (while stealing 27 bases). On defense, he tied for the major league lead in errors by a left fielder, with 7.

Accomplishments

  • Member of 2003 World Series
    2003 World Series
    The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...

     champion Florida Marlins, and was named the Marlins' most valuable player by the South Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America
    Baseball Writers Association of America
    The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...

  • Received the Cool Papa Bell Award from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
    Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
    The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was founded in 1990 in Kansas City, Missouri.-History:The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was founded in 1990 by a group of former Negro Leagues baseball players, including Kansas City Monarchs outfielder, Alfred Surratt, Buck O'Neil, and Horace Peterson...

     in 2003
  • Led the National League in stolen bases in 2001 (46) and 2003 (65)

  • Pierre was the only player in baseball to play every inning of all his team's games in 2004, and was only the third player to do it since .
  • On May 9, 2006, Pierre robbed the San Francisco Giants
    San Francisco Giants
    The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

    ' Barry Bonds
    Barry Bonds
    Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...

     of a career 714th home run
    Home run
    In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...

    , which would have tied Bonds with Babe Ruth
    Babe Ruth
    George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...

     for second on the all-time list, by catching the ball right before it topped the fence.
  • Was the first Marlin to record 200 hits in a season
  • Set the record for the lowest batting average (.292) in a season (2006) while collecting at least 200 hits (204).
  • Has the most stolen bases of any active player (554), which is currently 26th all-time.
  • On July 29, 2008, Pierre stole his 100th base with the Dodgers, becoming only one of four players in MLB history to steal at least a hundred bases with three different teams. He previously stole 100 with the Colorado Rockies
    Colorado Rockies
    The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...

     and 167 with the Florida Marlins
    Florida Marlins
    The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...

    . Tommy Harper
    Tommy Harper
    Tommy Harper is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder and third baseman. He played with the Cincinnati Reds , Cleveland Indians , Seattle Pilots , Milwaukee Brewers , Boston Red Sox , California Angels , Oakland Athletics , and the Baltimore Orioles .-High School...

    , Brett Butler, and Otis Nixon
    Otis Nixon
    Otis Junior Nixon, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. He was a center fielder and switch-hitter who played from 1983 to 1999...

     are the only others to have accomplished this feat.
  • Pierre tied former Dodger Steve Sax
    Steve Sax
    Stephen Louis Sax is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. He was a right-handed batter for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , and the Oakland Athletics ....

     on the top fifty career MLB stolen base leaders list with 444 on June 12, 2009, against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. The next day, June 13, he pushed Sax out of the top 50 with his 445th steal, again versus the Rangers in Arlington. Today, Pierre is 30th on the all-time steals list (and the active leader).
  • On June 13, 2010, Pierre broke up Ted Lilly
    Ted Lilly
    Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed...

    's Crosstown Classic no hitter with a hard hit line drive up the middle with no outs in the top of the ninth.
  • Led the American League in stolen bases in 2010 (68)
  • On September 8, 2011, Pierre picked up his 2,000 and 2,001 hits against the Cleveland Indians
    Cleveland Indians
    The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

    .

See also


External links

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