Outfielder Andre Ethier just wants to do his job and contribute to the Dodgers, or whatever team will value his contribution.
Andre Ethier and I have a lot in common. We are both Aries (me April 8, him April 10), we are both team players, we both have a curious mix of confidence and insecurity, and we have both felt under-appreciated by our employers.
My last year at the L.A. Times, I was not utilized to my full ability by the powers that be in charge of design at the paper. I, like Ethier, considered myself (and was considered by many other people at the Times) to be one of the best at my position, but I was relegated to filling in for others or doing work that I wasn’t used to, and I wasn’t particularly happy about it. (Unlike Ethier, I did on occasion complain loudly, which probably didn’t help my case any.)
I did what I was asked because I thought I needed the job. (I didn’t have $56 million waiting for me one way other other.) I also did it because I truly enjoyed the work I was good at for the time I was allowed to do it.
What I found out after leaving the Times was that A) my other teammates there missed me (like Ethier, I had opportunities during my many years with the paper to pull the shit out of the fan with a timely home run), and B) that I could find fulfillment elsewhere.
Although I would miss Captain Clutch (there was one year when he hit, like, 10 walk-off game-winners), I hope he will find a situation with a ball club that will appreciate his effort, talent and true team-player attitude. If the Dodgers are too stupid to see his value, I hope he too finds his fulfillment elsewhere.
Dodger Dilemma: Andre Ethier May Be Man Without Position
Piewalla's Dodger Blues 