Rainiers season preview: Loaded at some positions, team will mix and match in the field

By Ryan Divish | The News Tribune • Published April 09, 2009

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Unless you're a top prospect being groomed and coddled for big league stardom, little things such as what position you are playing matter little to baseball players exiled to the minor leagues.

Because to a man, their goal is to reach the big leagues, and it doesn't matter where they bat in the order, what position they have to play or what uniform they have wear to get there.

Whatever it takes, whatever is asked, that's what they'll do.

So when Tacoma Rainiers manager Daren Brown looks at the roster of players that will open the 2009 Pacific Coast League season for him today in Sacramento, he may see five guys that now play, have played or need to play some first base, and really only three true outfielders. Yet Brown isn't panicking, or at least letting panic come through his thick Oklahoma drawl.

"I thought we had eight first basemen on this team," he quipped. "Nah, it'll be fine."

Why?

Well, sometimes that's how you have to do it in the minor leagues. If a player has to play out of position, you adjust. Besides, if learning to play another position will give a player the slightest edge in reaching the bigs, most will do it, gladly.

"We've got guys that are comfortable playing more than one position," Brown said. "Which is good, cause they are going to have to."

So of the group of normal first basemen � Bryan LaHair, Chris Shelton and Mike Carp � both LaHair and Carp will see some time in left field.

"LaHair is going to see quite a bit of time out there; he's played there before, and Carp is fine out there," Brown said.

Shelton could play a little third base if needed, and all three could DH. Mike Morse spent all offseason working at first base and will need to see some time there to stay sharp, but he'll also have to see some time in the outfield as well as playing third and shortstop.

The fifth member of the group is catching prospect Jeff Clement. The Mariners have decided to work him into games at first base to help his chances of returning to the big leagues.

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