Paul Janish: "I feel like I've done what I can do"

SARASOTA, Fla. - Infielder Paul Janish isn't accustomed to the media hovering around his locker unless it's to make small talk. He's one of the nicest guys in baseball. But he was a popular figure this morning after collecting three hits in yesterday's 6-5 loss to the Pirates.

The single and double were interesting. The home run was newsworthy, at least by Grapefruit League standards.

Janish's last major league home run, his seventh in 1,242 plate appearances over seven seasons, came on Sept. 3 in St. Louis against Jamie Garcia. He crushed a pitch yesterday from Pirates left-hander Jeff Locke, sending the ball soaring over the left field fence.

I joked with Janish today about pimping the home run, knowing that he ran hard out of the box.

"That tends to not be a huge part of my game, the bat flip. But it was nice to get into one," he said, smiling.

"It was good to have a good day. It's that time of spring where you're trying to make a push and see how things unfold."

Janish's spring has been filled with good days. Besides being a plus defender, his skills at shortstop compared favorably to J.J. Hardy, he's 11-for-34 (.324) with a double, home run and five RBIs.

We're talking about a career .216 hitter in the majors.

"I've kind of got a running joke that I try to do 1 1/2 good things a day. More than just one good thing. But I've played well this spring," he said.

"I don't know exactly how things are going to unfold, but I feel like I've done what I can do."

Including yesterday's flash of power.

"Surprise might not be the right word, but I hit it better than I had in a while," he said. "It kind of felt good, to be honest with you."

Janish, 33, has been a better hitter with the Orioles. He went 10-for-35 with three doubles in 14 games last season.

"I think it's just like a fine wine, right? Just get better with age," he quipped. "No, there's no rhyme or reason."

Maybe it's his sessions with hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh. There seems to be a connection.

"I know we talk about it with Cooley, just trying to stay aggressive as opposed to, I spent a lot of my career trying to maybe hit the ball up the middle or go the other way just because that's what I was told would lead to success," Janish said.

"Really just being a little bit more aggressive and taking better swings I think has been a formula that's worked."

Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't shoot down the idea today that he could carry two utility infielders on his opening day roster, making room for Janish and Ryan Flaherty. Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard can back up at all three outfield spots.

It may not work out that way, but Janish has at least a glimmer of hope. Otherwise, the stands are filled with scouts and one from outside the organization today was heaping praise upon Janish. The Orioles want to keep him in the system if he doesn't break camp with them, but they know he could go elsewhere if a major league deal is available.

"From a selfish standpoint and at this point in my career, that's kind of, like it or not, that's how I have to look at it, right? Because you're trying to provide for your family and that kind of stuff," said Janish, whose minor league deal includes opt-out clauses.

"Obviously, I love it here in Baltimore. I got back to the big leagues last year. I know what I bring to the table is valued here. But at the end of the day, for lack of a better way to say it, you really don't care who's writing the checks as long as somebody's writing them. But that's out of my hands.

"I showed up and tried to play good here in spring training, which I think I have. If another team has any (interest), I would assume that the Orioles are aware of that kind of stuff. I don't really know what else I can do other than show up and play."

As I wrote over the winter, the Orioles and Astros were finalists to re-sign Janish. He could have stayed home in Houston.

"I had a few teams call, but there were only two teams that were legitimately serious," he said. "There was here, because I know how they feel about me and what I bring to the table they value here, and the other was Houston. And really the part of that was, I mean, they were serious. I talked to their manager and stuff, too. I live in Houston, that's home, my wife's pregnant right now. She's going to have a baby in May. There were some other variables that were going on, but it was really just the Astros and the Orioles.

"I had the previous relationship here. I know how they feel about me, I know how Buck feels about me. For me at this point in my career, I wasn't really trying to get in a situation where I was uncertain about what I was dealing with. And I knew what I was dealing with here."

Janish, whose wife is expecting their third child and first daughter in May, can glance down the row of lockers and see former Orioles outfielders L.J. Hoes and Xavier Avery and infielder Steve Tolleson back in camp. He can look across the room and spot pitcher Todd Redmond, who also returned to the organization over the winter.

Outfielder Julio Borbon signed another minor league deal earlier this month and has made a few trips from Twin Lakes Park.

"Because (the Orioles) are loyal for the most part to guys they have a good relationship with," Janish said, "and I think for that reason you get a lot of repeat offenders."