Bill Plaschke: Dodgers’ Juan Pierre playing, and acting, like a pro

In this summer’s strange journey of swift Juan Pierre, the most compelling moment occurred when he was standing still.

It was the first day of the season. He was slumped over in the visiting clubhouse in San Diego. The hard bench awaited. A long summer beckoned.

He failed to convince anyone to trade for him. He failed to convince the Dodgers to play him. He was stuck behind one Hall of Famer and two hellacious kids.

“It ain’t right,” he said, and you thought, here it comes, a gushing of ego, a drenching of teamwork, the pathetic plea of the fallen.

Except Juan Pierre, for the first of many times, took a stunning turn.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel bad, I feel guilty,” he explained. “I’ve been thinking about it. I’m making $10 million and doing nothing. It’s like I’m just taking the Dodgers’ money.”

He shook his head.

“I owe this team something every night, and it ain’t right that I can’t do that, and I’ve got to figure out a way to fix it,” he said, and from that moment, I have openly cheered for Juan Pierre.

I root for him to beat out the bunt, to dig out the grounder, to startle the catcher.