Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Bill Hall, throws to first base after forcing out Chicago Cubs Juan Pierre at second, Chicago, Ill., in 2006.
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Updated: Friday, 27 Jan 2012, 12:30 PM EST
Published : Friday, 27 Jan 2012, 12:22 PM EST
PHILADELPHIA - The Phillies announced Friday that they have signed outfielder Juan Pierre to minor league contract.
Pierre, a 34-year-old veteran of five Major League ballclubs, also received an invitation to Spring Training, according to the Phillies' Twitter account.
The speedy, light-hitting outfielder has a career batting average of .296, and his 554 stolen bases over 12 seasons leads all active players. He's got just 16 homeruns, but 234 doubles, 86 triples and more walks (428) than strikeouts (425).
The former member of the Rockies, Marlins, Cubs, Dodgers and White Sox is reliable, having appeared in all but six games over the past two years and every game of the 2003 through 2007 seasons.
In his last campaign in Chicago, he started 152 games in left field, batted .279, knocked in 50 runs and stole 27 bases, the lowest total since his big-league premiere in 2000. He was also caught stealing 17 times.
