Bruce knows he has to earn his job back

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer 11:31 PM Wednesday, September 23, 2009

PITTSBURGH — Manager Dusty Baker, talking about next year, was emphatic that there would be a lot of competition for positions and when asked, "Where," his first response was: "The outfield."

As a follow-up, he was asked if he considered Jay Bruce the starting right fielder next year and he said, "It depends on how things go and how he looks. No. 1, that's kind of a loaded question. And No. 2, it's way down the line.

"It doesn't seem as if there is any room in baseball any more for the bad year," he added. "Sometimes you just have a bad year. You can make a sophomore adjustment and now you have to make the junior adjustment next year.

"I mean, Jay Bruce is ahead of schedule as far as being in the major leagues," Baker added. "There is a bigger adjustment between the minors and the majors than there ever was before."

Bruce missed eight weeks with a fractured right wrist, but even before then his average was dangerously close to the Mendoza Line (.200) and it is still there — .210 with 18 homers in 314 at-bat.

Bruce plans to play winter ball for a month in the Dominican Republic, "Just to get at-bats. No other reason."

And he said he is coming to camp next spring with the idea that he is the starting right fielder, but also knows he must prove he deserves it.

"I am not assuming anything for next year," he said. "I'll play and act like it is my job, my job to lose, but everyone who comes to spring training should come to camp with the feeling they are going to be the starter.

"Yeah, I'm coming in with the confidence to be ready to play and, for myself, yeah, I expect to be the right fielder," he added. "But I also know I'll have to earn it and nothing is going to be given to me."

Bruce will be in the Dominican from November 24 until December 23 to grab those at-bats.

"I normally would not play winter ball, but the situation I'm in, missing eight weeks, I need the at-bats," he said. "I couldn't care less about home runs. I want to be a hitter. I know I am going to be a hitter. It was a learning experience this year and I'm going to use it as a positive for next year.

"I understand what I need to do, what adjustments I need to make," he added. "I'll be better because of this year."

Quote to note

With 34 players clogging the clubhouse and dugout, manager Dusty Baker sees one positive: "We're playing most guys just enough to form a few opinions on them for next year."

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