While Pete Orr flashed a personal best .986 fielding percentage at second base for the Phillies, a .230 batting average and .299 on-base percentage probably didn't help his chances at staying in the majors. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The latest turn in Pete Orr's baseball career shouldn't be met with surprise.

Since the Atlanta Braves signed him as an amateur free agent in 1999, Orr has learned — and more often the hard way — the many ways to survive in the game.

"When you're a utility player you don't set long-term goals. You just come to the field every day and whatever your job is that day you do," the Richmond Hill, Ont., native said over the phone from Philadelphia, about 48 hours before the Phillies reassigned him to AAA Lehigh Valley to make room for the return of starting second baseman Chase Utley.

Orr spent a good part of the season's opening two months filling in for Utley, a five-time all-star who is battling chronic knee problems. He tied a career high with 16 starts at second base and appeared in 26 games overall, one shy of his 2009 total with Washington.

"They didn't sign me to be the starting second baseman," Orr said, "but I feel I can help this club."

Phillies management, however, feels differently, at least for now. While Orr flashed a personal best .986 fielding percentage at second, a .230 batting average and .299 on-base percentage probably helped seal his fate.

"You can't ask for more than an opportunity. It's what you do with it," said the left-handed hitting Orr, who hit .276 in April before going 5-for-23 (.217) to begin May. "I think every athlete puts pressure on himself. That's something that maybe I've struggled with throughout my career, not just this year, is trying to do too much."

So, Orr finds himself in the all-too-familiar position of fighting his way back to the big leagues.

Long road to majors

After signing with Atlanta, the infielder battled for five seasons before making his major league debut on April 5, 2005, only to be released two years later.

Orr soon found work with the Washington Nationals, who re-signed him three times as a free agent over a 23-month period. He appeared in 66 combined games in 2008 and 2009, and played his fair share at AAA.

'It's such a humbling experience [being in the minors].'— Philadelphia Phillies utility player Pete Orr

Last November, the Phillies expressed interest in Orr, offering a one-year contract to play a utility role. He signed on for $600,000, beat out Delwyn Young for the final roster spot out of spring training and shared second base with Wilson Valdez.

"Any time I'm playing it's enjoyable," said the 31-year-old Orr, who lives in Newmarket, Ont., in the off-season with his wife Jodi. "The best part of being here is the atmosphere and the potential and excitement of this team. This is one of the best teams in baseball and to be a part of it is a pretty cool feeling."

For now, Orr will wear an IronPigs uniform, play in front of much smaller crowds at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pa., and try to help Lehigh Valley maintain its first-place lead in the North Division of the International League.

"It's such a humbling experience [being in the minors]," said Orr, who spent all of last season with the Nationals' AAA affiliate in Syracuse, N.Y. "My first time in Atlanta in the minor leagues I learned a lot about how to get to the big leagues and how to deal with difficult situations where things are out of your control.

"You may think you belong in the big leagues and you're not. It doesn't help to be bitter about it; just try to work as hard as you can to get back."

Orr is convinced he never would have experienced life in the major leagues had he not learned different positions in the field. First, it was shortstop and second, then third before getting thrown to the outfield. In the majors, Orr has appeared in at least one game at second, short, third, left field and right field.

Versatility

"I wouldn't be playing anymore if I couldn't [play multiple positions]. In the minor leagues with the Braves I wasn't a prospect by any means. I was a backup minor league player," he said. "If I didn't learn how to play other places there was no need for me, really.

"The biggest thing is a manager has to believe in you to put you out there, so you have to prove to your manager that you can get the job done."

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had kept his eye on Orr when the player was with the Braves and Nationals and liked what he saw.

"He's a baseball player. He has talent," Manuel told the Phillies' official website this past April, noting he liked Orr's defensive versatility. "With the way baseball is now, it's very important to play multiple positions.

"I was impressed with the way he played [at spring training]. Every time I looked up he was wearing out the right-centre [field] gap," Manuel told CSNPhilly.com in March.

Indeed. Orr finished the pre-season with a .286 average and watched nine of his 16 hits go for extra bases, including five triples. Orr wasn't nearly as successful in his first 61 at-bats with Philadelphia, posting only three extra-base hits (all doubles).

"In spring training I knew there was going to be a [roster] spot available and you just fight for it," Orr said. "But as much as I want to play, I want to be part of this team. I want to be part of a chance to win the World Series. … Hopefully everything works out the way it should and you get an opportunity to play for the World Series."

For Orr, it's about survival first.