Bigbie’s resurgence not dirty nor cheap

When 51s outfielder Larry Bigbie steps to the plate at Cashman Field, AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is played over the loudspeakers.

A more appropriate song might be "Back in Black," since the 29-year-old is back at the top of his game after two tumultuous seasons in which he was traded twice and missed most of last year with injuries.

Bigbie, who underwent season-ending hernia surgery last June, hit .357 with a team-high 14 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers in spring training, and he leads Las Vegas in batting average at .370.

"It just feels good to get back on track again, to get that confidence back and play at a level you know you can play at," Bigbie said.

Playing right field in Sunday's 10-3 home loss to New Orleans, Bigbie went 1-for-3 with a double off the wall in left-center field, more than 400 feet away from home plate.

"Larry's done everything he can do for us here," 51s manager Lorenzo Bundy said. "He's healthy now, and he's shown everybody he can play."

Bigbie, a .267 hitter over parts of six big league seasons, has an escape clause in his contract with the Dodgers that would let him become a free agent at the end of spring training.

He declined to do so and then was one of the last cuts by Los Angeles, which had several left-handed hitting outfielders.

"I felt I had a good chance to make the team in L.A., so I didn't exercise that out," Bigbie said. "I'm thankful to the Dodgers for the opportunity to get some at-bats."

Bigbie also has an escape clause in his contract allowing him to become a free agent on June 1 if he's not promoted to the Dodgers by then, and he said he plans on testing the market this time around.

"I like it here, and I love the (coaching) staff," he said, "but my ultimate goal is getting back to the big leagues, and I feel like I'm healthy, and I feel like I can contribute at that level again."

Bigbie, drafted by Baltimore in 1999, hit .303 in 83 games for the Orioles in 2003 and batted .280 with 15 homers and 68 RBIs in 139 games for them in 2004. His numbers dipped, along with his playing time, in 2005, when he was traded to the Colorado Rockies, and he was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals last season.

Despite missing most of the year with injuries, Bigbie's former team awarded him a full playoff share. He will receive his World Series ring in the mail in a week or so.

"They said if I wasn't hurt I would've been there with them," Bigbie said. "That kind of shows you the type of organization St. Louis is."

Bigbie, who has played all three outfield positions and designated hitter for the 51s, said he'd consider playing in Japan.

"Some American players over there I've talked to said they love it, and obviously the pay is a little better than Triple-A," Bigbie said. "But it's not the money. It's about proving to myself and everybody else, after last year's injury-plagued season, that I'm healthy and I still have it."