CNATI: Cincinnati OH Sports Journalism

Spring Training 2010

Janish fighting for bench spot

By C. Trent Rosecrans, CNATI.com Posted March 10, 2010 7:18 PM ET

TEMPE, Ariz. - For six months, Paul Janish was the Reds' starting shortstop, the position he'd worked so hard to be in his entire career. Unfortunately for Janish, four of those months were in the off-season.

The Reds signed veteran shortstop Orlando Cabrera on the first day of February, ending the 27-year old Janish's stint as the heir to Leo Cardenas, Davey Concepcion and Barry Larkin.

"There's not a whole lot you can do. They're trying to make the tema better and that's the route they thought they had to go," Janish said before Wednesday's 6-0 victory over the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. "That changed my mentality to back being a utility guy and helping the team however I can. I've got to come into camp and make sure I make the team."

For Janish, making the team isn't guaranteed. He's an excellent defensive player, but has hit just .205 in 336 career at-bats in the big leagues. In the minor leagues, he's a career .261 hitter, but has never hit for better than .267 above the Class AA level.

Still, he became the Reds' starting shortstop last season following the trade of Alex Gonzalez to Boston in August, starting 42 of the team's final 48 games.

Janish hit .211 in 256 at-bats last season, and he knew his offense could keep the team from making a move at shortstop during the off-season. He worked all winter long on his bat and felt good coming into spring training. But that changed when the team signed Cabrera.

"I spent the whole three or four months working so I could show the rest of the team I was where I needed to be," Janish said. "Without a doubt I had more focus this off-season, but now it's going to be trying ot help the team in whatever way I can."

Janish will play not only his natural position of shortstop, but also in the other spots in the infield, battling Todd Frazier, Drew Sutton, Miguel Cairo, Chris Burke and Aaron Miles for a backup infielder's spot.

Janish played one game at third base last season, and he even made sure to get a first baseman's mitt last season and was able to break it in so that he's comfortable using it now.

"After I pitched, I figured anything's possible," said Janish, who pitched in two games last season, allowing 11 earned runs in two innings, making his career ERA 49.50.

Janish can joke about it, but he knows he has to do everything to make this team.

"He's playing. That's all you can do," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "All you can do is one at-bat, one play at a time and play ball. Things will fall as they may. We had a long talk before we got here. He's the same Janish, he'll be the same, you want him to be the same emotionally, but more determined. He had to make the team last year, he wasn't penciled last year. Until he gets a starting job, he'll be in that position."

Nobody has to tell the former Rice Owl that. Janish is smart enough to know he's got to hit to make the squad. He went hitless in one at-bat on Wednesday with a walk. He's 1-for-4 so far this spring with an RBI.

"He's worked at (his hitting)," Baker said. "He's worked all over the field. That's his value. In a perfect world, on a perfect team, you'd like to have a true shortstop backup, a true centerfielder backup and a true catcher backup. Those three you'd like someone who is true, not part-time. We're a team that relies on defense."

In the end, that could be Janish's way onto the roster, because few shortstops in baseball are as good defensively as Janish. He was hoping to be able to show that over the course of a season, instead, he'll show it in small doses, because Cabrera takes few days off. Cabrera has played in 150 or more games in eight of the last nine years. In his "short" season, 2005, he played in 141 games for the Angels.

"He plays 100-and-a-lot of games. But being in the National League and there can be double switches," Janish said. "Being a utility guy isn't just about playing short, it's about going wherever they need, short, second or third, first or even pitch in my case."

It's a role Janish won out of spring training and one he's not unfamiliar with.

"I spent the whole last year, until the last couple of months, in that role," he said. "If anything I'm more comfortable doing that this year because I know what to expect as far as my mentality. I wouldn't say too much has changed."

Even when he thought it had.

"You can't lose sleep over it," Janish said. "You just go out and do your best."

Categories: Cincinnati Reds, Spring Training 2010

Tags: Dusty Baker, Paul Janish, Reds