Philadelphia Phillies: WHO IS Miguel Cairo?

May 8^th, 2009- As I sat in my seat in the bottom of the 6^th inning at Citizens Bank Park, I see a pinch hitter walk up to the plate for Cole Hamels. I, along with others around me, instantly try to guess the hitter’s identity. “Dobbs, it’s gotta be!”, “Stairs all the way!” Not this time. The name called by Dan Baker was none other than #9 Miguel Cairo. Already a good month into the season, I hear call-outs from my seat all asking the same question, “Who is Miguel Cairo?”

Yes, he is the back-up infielder for the Phillies who has played on 8 different teams in the last 13 seasons, but what else is there to his story? Cairo made a quiet entrance onto the Phillies’ roster when his contract was purchased on April 4^th. He has started off rather cold, batting only .118 (2 for 17) through 15 games this season. But before you are quick to judge the 35-year old Venezuelan, perhaps you should consider a little about his baseball background.

Cairo could very easily become the next beloved utility man of the Phillies. With a solid hitter in Dobbs, Stairs’ ability to crush the ball, and the consistent hard work demonstrated by both Coste and Bruntlett, Cairo fits in quite well. Cairo has played every position in his career other than catcher- quite the definition of a utility player. Cairo, over the course of his career, only strikes out once per every 8.5 at bats. Compared to Pujols (once per every 9 at bats) and Ichiro (once per 10 at bats), arguably the two toughest hitters to strike out in the game, Cairo proves he consistently makes contact while up at the plate. Although his numbers might not show it, Cairo is one of the few players in the league who have a full understanding on how to play the game.

Take for instance Sunday May 10^th- bottom of the 9^th inning. Cairo leads off the frame against Braves’ relief pitcher Rafael Soriano. Miguel fights off pitches, takes balls, and eventually lines a single to right field. Next up is Werth, who took a day off due to soreness, and ends up striking out on three straight pitches. Rollins, the king of first-pitch pop-ups, follows Werth by staying true to his name. Victorino follows the path chosen by Rollins and dribbles the first-pitch to the 2^nd baseman to end the game, stranding Cairo. Although he is no all-star, Miguel Cairo is a valued bench-player, and should be viewed as the epitome of a ball player.