by Nick Piecoro - Sept. 18, 2012 10:21 PM
azcentral sports
On the day Gerardo Parra arrived at Salt River Fields for the start of spring training, he was upbeat and positive about the new role in which he found himself.
Forced to become the fourth outfielder, he said all the right things. That he was a team player. That he would do whatever was asked. That all he wanted was to win.
But nearing the end of a disappointing season for the Diamondbacks and in the middle of what has been a frustrating month for him, Parra sounded worn down by the way things have transpired and uncertain about what lies ahead.
"It's really hard," Parra said. "It's up to the manager to put me in the lineup."
That hasn't happened very often lately for Parra, who was on the bench again for Tuesday night's series opener against the San Diego Padres. Parra entered the game in the first inning when Chris Young reinjured his right quad.
Parra has started just four games in the month of September, largely a byproduct of the Diamondbacks giving an extended look to rookie outfielder Adam Eaton.
Throughout the season, Parra has been unwilling to talk about the difficulty of sporadic playing time, but he acknowledged it Tuesday.
"It's not easy when you're not playing every day," he said.
"Everything (is harder). Your timing (at the plate). Your legs from running. Defense in the outfield. It's not easy."
When asked about next season, Parra said he hopes the Diamondbacks find a way for him to play more regularly.
"But that's not in my hands," he said. "I don't know what will happen next year. I'll be ready for everything."
And what if they don't create a spot for him, would he want to be traded?
"I want to stay here, but if they trade me to another team where I can play every day, I'll be happy, too," he said. "But I don't think about playing for another team. I'm just thinking about playing for the D-Backs."
Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said he's aware of Parra's frustration; the two met last week while the team was in San Francisco, not long after Eaton was summoned to the majors.
"He was disappointed," Gibson said.
"We've had four really good outfielders all year and now we have an additional one with Adam Eaton," he continued. "We want to see the difference in our lineup with (Eaton) in there. My opinion on Parra is as high it's ever been. And he's always ready to play."
The Diamondbacks are widely expected to explore trading right fielder Justin Upton and/or Young in the off-season. It's unclear whether Parra fits into their long-term plans.
After all, after Parra hit .290 last season and won a Gold Glove, the Diamondbacks still felt compelled to sign free-agent outfielder Jason Kubel to a two-year deal to take over in left field.
Parra's numbers have fallen off across the board. In 354 at-bats, he is hitting .271 with a .332 on-base and .390 slugging.
"He's pretty much never been on the bench in his career, and he comes into this season as a fourth outfielder, it's just tough for him," catcher Miguel Montero said. "He's had a great attitude. If you look at him, if he's mad or disappointed, he doesn't show it. That's a great thing. He's a great teammate. You always see him cheering for everybody."
19 Sep, 2012
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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/2012/09/18/20120918arizona-diamondbacks-gerardo-parra-having-hard-time-limited-play.html
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