OnBaseMachine
03-04-2006, 11:02 PM
Reds' Aurilia all right with utility role
Former All-Star shortstop happy to play just about anywhere
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- The daily commute to the ballpark this season will probably include an element of mystery for Reds infielder Rich Aurilia.
When he reaches the clubhouse on any given day and checks the lineup card, will Aurilia find his name slotted in at second base, or will it be third base --or perhaps even shortstop?
Or will he be coming off the bench, if, in fact, he sees any action at all that day?
Aurilia is prepared to go with the flow and accept whatever role manager Jerry Narron asks him to play.
"I've played too long to let my ego get in the way, or my pride -- to say, 'I have to play shortstop' or something like that," said Aurilia, who batted .282 with 14 home runs and 68 RBIs in 2005. "You know what? I played 10 years at shortstop. Can I still play there? Yeah. But we have a good shortstop here."
That shortstop is Felipe Lopez, who claimed the position outright last May when Aurilia went on the disabled list for 17 games with a hamstring injury. Lopez went on to earn All-Star honors and a Silver Slugger Award.
Aurilia, who was Cincinnati's 2005 Opening Day shortstop in his first season with the club, took on a utility role upon his return. He played 68 games at second base and 18 at third base and batted .306 with 11 homers over his final 89 games. His overall .343 on-base percentage led the club.
"I think I got used to last year, just coming in and looking at the lineup to see where I'm playing. If you asked me earlier in my career, would I like that? Probably not. Now, I think I know how to deal with it better. I know I've accomplished some things at different places. To me, it shows they have confidence in me to put me in these places without telling me. That makes me feel good, too."
Aurilia is a former All-Star starting shortstop himself and was a Silver Slugger Award winner back in 2001 when he hit .324 with 37 home runs and 97 RBIs for the Giants. After his nine-season run in San Francisco ended in 2003, he split the 2004 season between Seattle and San Diego before signing a Minor League deal with Cincinnati in 2005 and earning a spot out of camp.
The Reds declined Aurilia's 2006 option, but negotiated with him for several weeks on a deal. Narron promised him nothing in terms of a regular spot but, as someone who prefers veteran role players, provided sufficient assurance the 34-year-old would be well used in a variety of positions.
"Rich knows how to play the game,"(in other words...he sucks)Narron said. "He's an intelligent player, which I definitely like."
Aurilia re-signed with the Reds, inking a one-year, $1.3 million contract just before the deadline for big-league clubs to retain their own free agents.
"Am I happy I'm back here? Yeah," Aurilia said. "I love the guys on this team. I like the city of Cincinnati. It's a nice place to live. I like the new additions of [chief executive officer] Bob Castellini and [general manager] Wayne Krivsky. So far, it's been a great camp."
The starting second base job appears wide open, with Aurilia in the mix, along with Ryan Freel and Tony Womack. Third base is Edwin Encarnacion's job to lose to Aurilia if the kid struggles. Off to a 5-for-9 start with three homers this spring, Encarnacion appears focused on keeping the spot.
When a glove company representative recently visited camp, Aurilia ordered a first baseman's glove on Narron's recommendation.
"After the last year of playing a couple of new positions, I have confidence that I can do that and get the job done there," Aurilia said. "I think they have the confidence in me that if they needed to put me somewhere, that I would do the job."
No matter where he ends up being stationed this season, Aurilia believes he'll be happy as long as he's playing somewhere.
"I'm confident [enough in] the way I've worked this offseason and in my abilities to play well that things should take care of themselves," Aurilia said. "In the long run, whether it be at third, shortstop or second, my goal is to just play and help this team win, which I think I can do."
[i]Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060304&content_id=1334405&vkey=spt2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin
Former All-Star shortstop happy to play just about anywhere
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- The daily commute to the ballpark this season will probably include an element of mystery for Reds infielder Rich Aurilia.
When he reaches the clubhouse on any given day and checks the lineup card, will Aurilia find his name slotted in at second base, or will it be third base --or perhaps even shortstop?
Or will he be coming off the bench, if, in fact, he sees any action at all that day?
Aurilia is prepared to go with the flow and accept whatever role manager Jerry Narron asks him to play.
"I've played too long to let my ego get in the way, or my pride -- to say, 'I have to play shortstop' or something like that," said Aurilia, who batted .282 with 14 home runs and 68 RBIs in 2005. "You know what? I played 10 years at shortstop. Can I still play there? Yeah. But we have a good shortstop here."
That shortstop is Felipe Lopez, who claimed the position outright last May when Aurilia went on the disabled list for 17 games with a hamstring injury. Lopez went on to earn All-Star honors and a Silver Slugger Award.
Aurilia, who was Cincinnati's 2005 Opening Day shortstop in his first season with the club, took on a utility role upon his return. He played 68 games at second base and 18 at third base and batted .306 with 11 homers over his final 89 games. His overall .343 on-base percentage led the club.
"I think I got used to last year, just coming in and looking at the lineup to see where I'm playing. If you asked me earlier in my career, would I like that? Probably not. Now, I think I know how to deal with it better. I know I've accomplished some things at different places. To me, it shows they have confidence in me to put me in these places without telling me. That makes me feel good, too."
Aurilia is a former All-Star starting shortstop himself and was a Silver Slugger Award winner back in 2001 when he hit .324 with 37 home runs and 97 RBIs for the Giants. After his nine-season run in San Francisco ended in 2003, he split the 2004 season between Seattle and San Diego before signing a Minor League deal with Cincinnati in 2005 and earning a spot out of camp.
The Reds declined Aurilia's 2006 option, but negotiated with him for several weeks on a deal. Narron promised him nothing in terms of a regular spot but, as someone who prefers veteran role players, provided sufficient assurance the 34-year-old would be well used in a variety of positions.
"Rich knows how to play the game,"(in other words...he sucks)Narron said. "He's an intelligent player, which I definitely like."
Aurilia re-signed with the Reds, inking a one-year, $1.3 million contract just before the deadline for big-league clubs to retain their own free agents.
"Am I happy I'm back here? Yeah," Aurilia said. "I love the guys on this team. I like the city of Cincinnati. It's a nice place to live. I like the new additions of [chief executive officer] Bob Castellini and [general manager] Wayne Krivsky. So far, it's been a great camp."
The starting second base job appears wide open, with Aurilia in the mix, along with Ryan Freel and Tony Womack. Third base is Edwin Encarnacion's job to lose to Aurilia if the kid struggles. Off to a 5-for-9 start with three homers this spring, Encarnacion appears focused on keeping the spot.
When a glove company representative recently visited camp, Aurilia ordered a first baseman's glove on Narron's recommendation.
"After the last year of playing a couple of new positions, I have confidence that I can do that and get the job done there," Aurilia said. "I think they have the confidence in me that if they needed to put me somewhere, that I would do the job."
No matter where he ends up being stationed this season, Aurilia believes he'll be happy as long as he's playing somewhere.
"I'm confident [enough in] the way I've worked this offseason and in my abilities to play well that things should take care of themselves," Aurilia said. "In the long run, whether it be at third, shortstop or second, my goal is to just play and help this team win, which I think I can do."
[i]Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060304&content_id=1334405&vkey=spt2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin