Juan Pierre is not pleased with his playing time (or lack thereof), telling USA Today's Bob Nightengale the Dodgers are mistaken if they think he'll be happy sitting on the bench this season. 

One thing I want to get out of the way: Some may twist Pierre's quote into him airing dirty laundry, publicly bashing the organization. I don't think that's the case here. (And many probably think the same thing.) The quote's perfectly innocent.

Good for Pierre for saying this. He is one of baseball's good guys. Pierre shows up to the ballpark hours before game time. He takes extra work and hustles whenever he does get a chance to play. More power to him for being a respectable person and wanting to take the field. There are many players who sign big contracts and just coast. No one can rightfully accuse Pierre of doing that.

Jon Weisman, a blogger with the Los Angeles Times, gives his take on the Pierre situation here. Weisman dispenses the following advice:

This might be easier said than done, but here's the choice I would recommend: Enjoy your financial good fortune, root for the Dodgers to do well despite being on the bench, and be prepared to contribute whenever called upon, however frequently or infrequently. In short, count your blessings.

Weisman makes a good point. Pierre is in the midst of a contract that will pay him $44 million, and he has made a lot of money previously and won a World Series ring with the Marlins in 2003. He's financially set for life. Pierre has received a lot of positives from his baseball life; he definitely should count his blessings.

However, you can't fault a ballplayer for wanting to play ball. Sure, he's not the best player, or even one of the three best outfielders the Dodgers have. But Pierre is an example of someone we should emulate, unlike a certain teammate of his. Let's congratulate Pierre for his desire to play, praise him for his work ethic and not effectively tell him to keep his mouth shut.

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