Juan Pierre looks back on his career and conversation with Charlie Manuel twelve years ago - MLB
Sitting on the bench, having conversation with players, trying to find ways to achieve glory and a penchant to become the Major League hitter are all what define early moments in the career of Juan Pierre.
The most memorable aspect of his career is a chat with his current manager Charlie Manuel 12 years ago.
By the time he signed a Minor League contract with the Philadelphia Phillies this season, first thing he wanted to know whether the discussion he had with him years ago was remembered by the manager.
Much to his surprise, as soon as he met with him, the first thing Manuel kicked off the discussion with was the same conversation.
As Pierre has come a long way from there with many laurels achieved in the intervening periods, manager will find him a changed person now.
“He told me he’d followed my career ever since then,” Pierre said. “He has some stories now, so I know his memory is good, but that time seemed so insignificant. And who would have ever thought that 12 years later I would be playing for him?”
Pierre now holds an amazing career batting average of .296, while not being the best of the players in terms of hitting homers, he has accumulated 488 career RBIs, never a bad statistic.
The fact he is among the few players Phillies’ offence will count on heavily in the season, as the manager will expect better than his overall career performance. To the happiness of manager, he has actually maintained above career average of .326 so far
with four RBIs in the season.
In the absence of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, his significance to the club has grown.
Among his best career times, being part of the current Miami Marlins’ World Series Championship back in 2003 is one. He cherishes those moments in seclusion.
He enters the club-house early, sits on the bench meditating all that has gone through his career.
As nostalgic as he has grown of his career, will he be able to make his present time with the Phillies worth growing nostalgic about is something he will look to focus on in the season.
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