By Larry Fine
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Vladimir Guerrero will be in the starting lineup for the Texas Rangers in Game One of the World Series even though his regular starting position as a designated hitter is not used in National League ballparks.
Loathe to lose the hitting power of Guerrero, a long-time outfielder before injuries coaxed him to focus on mashing the ball as a full-time designated hitter, the Rangers said he will play right field on Wednesday in San Francisco's AT&T Park.
"It was an easy decision to get Vlad to start because ... we talk about a guy that can make a difference in a ballgame, (with) his bat," Texas manager Ron Washington told reporters on Tuesday.
"Vlad played right field for 14 years. He's not a slouch out there. When he came to Texas he ended up being our DH because we wanted to keep him healthy."
A designated hitter is not used in National League parks in the World Series because a pitcher takes his turn at bat.
Nine-time All-Star Guerrero batted .300 with 29 homers and drove in 115 runs this season. He also started 16 games this season in the outfield.
"He has an idea what is going on out there. He works hard at his outfield play every single day. So that wasn't a tough decision to make," said Washington.
"I know there's some nooks and crevices out there that's pretty tough. We're going to go out there and ... make sure he tries to find every one of them so he can react to the way the ball comes out of it."
Guerrero, the American League's most valuable player in 2004, led his league in right-field errors nine times but also used his strong arm to lead in assists for three seasons.
(Reporting by Larry Fine, Editing by Frank Pingue)
