Dodgers News: Jerry Hairston, Jr. To Join SportsNet LA As Analyst

With the Winter Meetings quiet thus far for the Los Angeles Dodgers, it seems as if the organization has made a move, albeit one that won’t affect the team on the field.

The upcoming Dodgers’ network, SportsNet LA, has had a busy off-season with the hirings of Nomar Garciaparra, Alanna Rizzo and Orel Hershiser. According to Bruce Levine of 670 TheScore.com, the network has made their latest hiring of a former Dodger player:

Congrats to Jerry Hairston on new deal as pre and post game analyst on the Dodgers TV games. 14 years and a ring is a pretty good career.

— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) December 11, 2013

Many believed that Hairston would be signing with a new team after his tweet last night, not a television channel. The right-handed hitting Hairston said that his decision was to be made within 24 hours and it seems as if that decision has come. The 37-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Dodgers as a utility reserve and will retire as a member of the team. Last season, Hairston hit just .211 with two home runs and 22 RBI and was left off the playoff roster.

Hairston joins the network and could work with Garciaparra before and after games. He brings with him 16 years of major league experience, mostly as a utility and fill-in player. Hairston was often praised for his professionalism and clubhouse presence, evidenced by his accepting of being left off the postseason roster.

He retires with a .257 career average and 1,126 hits in the 16 years with nine different teams. The utility man won a World Series in 2009 with the New York Yankees. Hairston is a third-generation major league player, following his grandfather Sam Hairston and his father Jerry Hairston, Sr. His brother Scott also plays in the majors for the Washington Nationals.

It’s unclear how many more hirings will be made by SportsNet LA but its’ created a solid team filled with former Dodgers.

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ICYMI: The Dodgers and Brian Wilson agreed to a one-year deal last week