"I Like Competing"--Peralta

Last year, for the first time since becoming an everyday player in 2005, Jhonny Peralta failed to play in 100 games in a season.

“You know, I tried to forget about last year,” said Peralta. “It was really tough for me. Thank you God, I’m ready for 2017 and I’m here now to see what’s going on.”

Peralta tore a ligament in his thumb last March that required surgery and kept him out of action with the St. Louis Cardinals until June. Even then, he never fully regained his stride at the plate.

“It affected a lot,” admitted Peralta.

He talked a lot about the injury with Yadier Molina, who had dealt with the same issue. “He said don’t worry about it, you’ll come in next year and do what you do. For me, it was really tough because it had never happened to me. Played for 20 years and it happened last year for the first time–it was kind of tough.”

He finished the season with just 289 at-bats with eight home runs and 29 RBIs. But a new season brings new hope.

“Yeah, the swing is doing pretty good,” said Peralta. “My hands don’t bother me. I feel strong, so that’s very important.”

That is particularly important as Peralta finds himself in a competition for the starting job at third base with Jedd Gyorko.

“I hear that, about the competition and everything,” said Peralta. “But this is baseball. In baseball, you need to have competition–there’s not only one guy. When you know you’re only at one position by yourself, you don’t worry too much. I like to worry. I like to go there and have more people behind and see what happens.”

Gyorko got the first crack at starting and had a pair of hits in Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener. Peralta will be starting at third this afternoon in the second game of the exhibition schedule.

“I like competing,” said Peralta. “I like competition. It’s good that they said that, it made me ready to go. Like I said, whatever’s going to happen in Spring Training, that I’ve got the job or do something else, it’s going to happen. I’m ready for whatever happens.”

The fact that he’s competing for the job at third base, rather than shortstop, doesn’t bother Peralta.

“You know, it’s not a big deal,” he shared. “I knew in my career, that someday it was going to happen. I know that I’m getting older–34, for a baseball player is getting more time. Aledmys Diaz is a young guy. He’s coming in now and is a good shortstop. So, I know in my mind that someday it was going to happen–moving to third or first base. I’m set to go to third base and maybe I can play for a little while over there.”

To prepare for the move, Peralta spent the off-season in the Dominican Republic concentrating on work at third base.

“It’s a little different,” he compared. “It’s more reaction at third base. At shortstop, you have more time to read the ball and at third base, it’s more reaction. But at the same time, you don’t have to move too much to the side.”

“I’m ready to go to third base and be positive.”

Whether or not he wins the job or even plays for St. Louis at all the rest of the season is also in question, as this is the final year of Peralta’s contract. Besides the impact his play could have for the Cardinals, he could also prove to be a sought after player in a trade this year.

“It doesn’t affect me–I don’t worry about what people say, what can happen,” said Peralta. “If something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. I only try to concentrate on what I need to do and come ready to go.”

The mild-mannered Peralta has been a good fit with the Cardinals since signing as a free agent in November of 2013. If possible, he would like to continue the relationship. But as a veteran, Peralta also understands the business side of the game.

“Right now, for me, I try to prepare myself, try to come here and do my job,” he said. “If I’m not here, there’s someplace else I need to be. I’m only trying to do my job. Trying to do good and work on what I need to work.”

“Yeah, I’d like to be here. It’s a good team, good people here. If I could play a couple more years here in St. Louis, that’d be really good for me.”

photo credit: STLBaseballWeekly.com