clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Jerry Hairston Jr. retires, joins Dodgers broadcast crew

The utility man had a 16-year major league career with nine different teams, including his final two seasons with the Dodgers.

By Eric Stephen
Rob Carr

The Dodgers reported broadcast team just keeps getting better and better. Jerry Hairston Jr., one of 13 Dodgers free agents, has apparently joined the Dodgers television crew, per Bruce Levine of WSCR AM in Chicago.

Hairston, 37, will reportedly join Nomar Garciaparra and Alanna Rizzo for pre- and post-game duties on SportsNet LA, whenever that actually launches in 2014.

It's really a perfect gig for Hairston, who had one of the best personalities in the Dodgers clubhouse and did well in his various appearances on MLB Network in the past few years. Here's a taste of what we might see from Hairston, aside from analysis, on the new Dodgers network:

That means the end of a 16-year career, including the last two with the Dodgers. Hairston hit .257/.324/.368 in 1,442 major league games, part of a third generation of Hairstons in the major leagues, joining brother Scott, father Jerry, uncle John and grandfather Sam. The family was honored in 2013 at the annual baseball scouts dinner with the Ray Boone Family Award.

"The biggest thing, and I get it everywhere I go, from players, scouts, coaches, managers, was how great they feel about my grandfather, and how they feel about my father and my uncle and my brother," Hairston said in spring training. "To have a good reputation and have that respect - we were never the Bondses as far as talent, never the Griffeys - but to be known as good teammates and good people, to hear that about your dad, uncle, and grandfather, that is very, very special to me. To be honored like that with such an award, from the Boone family, it was humbling."

More Hairston: 2013 preseason profile 2013 review

Hairston was a versatile utility man throughout his career, starting over 100 games at five different positions. He started 605 games at second base, 134 at third base, 113 at shortstop, 112 in center field and 100 in left field, in addition to 46 games in left field and seven more at first base. All seven of his starts at first base came in 2013 with the Dodgers.

Just Tuesday, Hairston was quoted by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

That humor and confidence will serve Hairston well behind the microphone. On Wednesday, Hairston tweeted news of his retirement:

Six Dodgers free agents have signed, with Hairston joining Brian Wilson (returned to Dodgers), Nick Punto (Athletics), Skip Schumaker (Reds), Ronald Belisario (White Sox) and Ricky Nolasco (Twins).

Seven free agents remain: Chris Capuano, J.P. Howell, Carlos Marmol, Edinson Volquez, Mark Ellis, Juan Uribe and Michael Young.

More From True Blue LA