CHICAGO -- In Juan Pierre's Miami home, he has an oversized photo of himself at Wrigley Field, holding a piece of ivy with the bleachers in the background.
"I always said that Wrigley Field was my favorite field to play in," Pierre said Wednesday. "I'm just pumped now to be able to call this my home."
Pierre, whom the Chicago Cubs acquired from the Florida Marlins last week during the Winter Meetings, met the Chicago area media on Wednesday at snowy Wrigley Field. He was the center of attention from the minute he stepped off the plane as people greeted him with "Welcome to Chicago." He'll be in center next season for the Cubs and leading off, filling a large void in the lineup.
"I'm just going to be me," Pierre said. "I'm not going to try to do any more than that and just be me. I'm really excited about it. I'll be playing for a team with history. I have to admit I had an Andre Dawson throwback jersey and I put it on just to see how I looked in a Cubs uniform. I looked pretty good."
Pierre has played for two expansion teams, the Colorado Rockies and the Marlins. He's not used to sellout crowds, baseball savvy fans and a sense of history.
"It's definitely a place I'd like to be for awhile," he said of Chicago. "I think this is probably one of the top three cities to play baseball in. As a baseball player, this is what you dream of."
The slender center fielder has something the Cubs dream of -- a World Series ring. It came at the expense of his new team. The Marlins beat the Cubs in the 2003 National League Championship Series, as Pierre batted .303 with two triples and one double.
"I know Cub fans will remember it, and I definitely won't forget it the rest of my life," Pierre said. "I'm just happy to be a part of everything here. Playing against them, they've always been a top organization."
Plus, Pierre is reunited with Derrek Lee, who was the Marlins' first baseman in 2003. Now, Lee is coming off his first batting title and will certainly benefit in the RBI column with Pierre batting in front of him. The two talked often during the past few weeks when Pierre's name was mentioned in trade rumors.
"After it was done, I called him and all I said was, 'Yes, sir,'" Pierre said. "We're back together and hopefully we can take it to the next level here."
When the Cubs acquired Pierre, Lee predicted he would steal 60 bases.
"Whatever it takes to get to the World Series, I'll do that -- if it's stealing 30 or 40 or 60," Pierre said. "Maybe it's just the threat -- stolen bases are good, but you have to do it in the context of trying to help the team win and not necessarily going out and saying, 'I want to get 60 bags.'"
Pierre is coming off a season in which he stole 57, and batted .276 with 96 runs scored. It was the lowest season average of his young career. He expects better.
"I didn't have a good year like I have," he said. "I don't think [a strained calf in Spring Training] was the reason I did. I just had an off-year. You won't hear me mention the injury as being the way I played. The numbers weren't Juan Pierre like, but they weren't too bad also."
An off-year for Pierre would be an improvement for the Cubs leadoff hitters, who batted a collective .245 in 2005, scoring 83 runs. Having an impact player at the top of the lineup will definitely give the Cubs a boost.
"It's the ability to change the whole game, knowing you can shake things up right from the first pitch -- that's the great thing about leading off," Pierre said. "We shared a complex with the Cardinals in Spring Training, and [Lou Brock] was talking about that. It's just the mentality. As a leadoff hitter, you have the ability to change the game right off the bat. You get the most at-bats in the game, and it's just the mentality to get on base. Once I get on base, I try to create as much havoc as possible."
First, he has to get used to all the attention. Whenever the Cubs played the Marlins, there were more Chicago fans in the stands than Florida fans.
"This is blowing my mind right now, standing here with the media and all the attention on me," Pierre said during his news conference. "I'm the guy who usually slips through the weeds and gets my job done and goes home. I'm a country boy from Louisiana, and I've got to get used to the city and the weather. I'm definitely willing to make that change. I don't usually get this much attention, even if I go 3-for-3 with three stolen bases. Usually the media goes to the guy who went 1-for-4 with one home run and three ribbies."
Chicago will definitely be a different experience.
"I'm excited about being in a baseball town and having people behind you," Pierre said. "I know I've got a job here to do and I'm not going to get caught up in the hoopla, good or bad. I realize what I came here to do and what I'm here to do is help the Cubs win."
