Hairston excited to join "winning team"

USA Today Sports Images

PHILADELPHIA — Scott Hairston signed a two-year contract with the Cubs in February, wanting to spend the entire time in Chicago but always aware of the possibility of a trade sometime before it expired. And when that trade happened late Sunday night, when he found out he'd been dealt to the Nationals, the veteran outfielder had one immediate reaction.

"Winning team," he thought.

Nearly 24 hours later, Hairston was in the Nationals clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park, having just watched his new team lose 3-2 to the Phillies but no less excited to be a part of a Washington club gearing up for a pennant race.

"I know this is going to be good for me, to be in this environment," he said. "I haven't been in a winning environment in quite a while, so it feels good."

Hairston has played for only two winning teams in his 10 big-league seasons: the 2007 and 2010 Padres. He has never reached the postseason.

The Nationals hope the 33-year-old can help be one piece to a puzzle that propels them back into the playoffs for the second straight October, believing he'll provide a more productive, right-handed bat off the bench than the inexperienced Tyler Moore (who was optioned to Class AAA Syracuse yesterday) did.

"We need a veteran presence on the bench, not some youngster," manager Davey Johnson said. "He knows the pitchers. and he knows what he needs to do to hit."

Once a highly touted, power-hitting prospect with the Diamondbacks — he was originally drafted by Mike Rizzo, then Arizona's scouting director, in 2001 — Hairston has learned over the years how to succeed coming off the bench.

It's a role Hairston has grown to embrace.

"I'm very comfortable with that," he said. "I've been used to that the last few years. Coming over here, I expected the same thing."

Hairston also is excited to return to the NL East, where he spent the last two seasons with the Mets. He particularly has a strong track record against the Phillies, sporting a .985 OPS in 84 career plate appearances against pitchers currently on Philadelphia's staff.

He could get a chance to face one of them, Cole Hamels, tonight. Hairston's career numbers against Hamels: 12-for-30, five doubles, five homers.

"When you see pitchers that you've seen before and the way that they've pitched you, it makes things a little easier mentally," Hairston said. "Going to a different division, sometimes you're hard on yourself and try to do too much against pitchers you haven't seen. But I played in these ballparks. I've faced these pitchers. They're tough, but it's still nice to face pitchers you're familiar with."