If it were up to Felipe Crespo, he'd be chasing fly balls in the Tokyo Dome outfield. Somewhere -- left, right or center -- it doesn't matter.

If that's not an option, he can settle for third base.

Or first. Or second. Or shortstop.

And if baseball's no longer in the cards, the Yomiuri Giants' recently-acquired Puerto Rican can also suit up as a businessman -- working as a real estate agent, road construction planner and Internet service provider in his motherland.

"That's something I do a lot during the offseason," said Crespo, 29, Yomiuri's switch-hitting acquisition. "I guess I'm a pretty versatile person."

Which would be an understatement. Crespo, who spent five full seasons in the major leagues as a utilityman, landed in Japan in mid-April searching for a chance to showcase his talent -- quite literally -- anywhere on the field.

With limited playing time, Crespo is currently batting .120 (3-for-25) with two homers and seven RBIs.

Crespo, who committed only 11 errors in 152 major league games playing six different positions, is searching for the opportunity he never got in the MLB.

In 1999, his third year in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays, Crespo had already established himself as a pinch-hitting utility player.

It didn't take long for Crespo to realize there were stereotypes of him flying around the league that he is and can only be "Mr. Utility Man."

"I kind of had an idea that was pretty much what I was going to have to be doing in order to stick around," said Crespo, who went on to play for the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies before joining Yomiuri.

"The big leagues -- it's very crowded and you get to a certain point in your career when you're labeled as a pinch hitter and if you're good at it, then that kind of takes you away from your other possibilities. Every team needs a pinch hitter, so they'll look at you like that.

"This is a good situation for me. It's a lot better situation than being back in the big leagues, pinch-hitting and scrambling for a few bucks."

His dexterity aside, Crespo is guaranteed nothing. Even after Crespo blasted two homers against Hiroshima last Tuesday -- his first in Japan -- Giants manager Tatsunori Hara said he has no plans to give Crespo a set spot in the lineup.

"I know everyone's tense right now -- in a good way," said Hara, referring to the injuries of infielders, which opened slots for Hara to try Crespo. "But I don't want to make spontaneous decisions based solely on one game."

Crespo has already shown above-average baserunning speed. His thighs remind one of a 100-meter sprinter, something he says runs in the "genes."

Power is also not an issue. Crespo played for San Francisco in 2000 and part of '01 and at Pacific Bell Park, 17 home runs have flown over the right-field bleachers into the bay. Slugger Barry Bonds, who made that a familiar scene to baseball fans last year, has crushed 15 of them.

The other two? Well, "Mr. Utility Man" might not be the most appropriate nickname after all.

When he earned the chance, Crespo displayed the same power and surprised thousands at the Tokyo Dome last week, hitting consecutive home runs deep into the right-field bleachers.

In a game he didn't even start, Crespo drove in five runs in three at-bats against Hiroshima.

In his first at-bat in that game, Crespo showed another side to his game: patience. In the bottom of the fifth, the bases were loaded for the Giants with two outs and the team trailing 4-3.

Before strolling to the batter's box to face the Carp's Shigeo Tamaki, Crespo -- pinch hitting -- approached Daisuke Motoki, who was standing by the on-deck circle. The translator jumped out from the dugout and the two exchanged a few words.

"It was his first time facing (Tamaki)," Motoki said. "He throws this and that. That's all I told him. He did the rest."

Crespo trusted Motoki's words, carefully watching Tamaki's erratic pitches. Crespo took a chest-high, curveball for ball four to bring in the tying run and to keep the inning alive. Motoki then brought home two runs with a bases-loaded single.

Crespo is also trying to fit into a team filled with superstars while living in a completely new culture. In his free time, Crespo said he likes to dine out with his wife, Mayra, drinking red wine and puffing a cigar or two.

He has gotten along well with his teammates. After batting practice last week, Koji Goto walked past Crespo on his way into the locker room at the Tokyo Dome. Crespo, seeing Goto's forehead dripping with sweat, said, "You're sweating, man."

"Oh, ah . . . ," Goto mumbled. "It's raining!"

"It's raining inside?" Crespo laughed. "Wow, raining a lot, huh?"

"Great atmosphere, great facility, this is a great team," Crespo said. "This is the team to be at in Japan. I thought it was a good transfer in my career."

But Crespo hates the two words the Japanese media have portrayed him as -- "Super Sub." Only a month after arriving in Tokyo, people are already calling him names.

"I don't like the word 'Super,' " Crespo said. "I've always been a dedicated athlete and a professional everywhere I've been. I had a career going in the big leagues as an extra man. That was my role.

"At this point, I thought coming here would allow me to show what I can do. I don't want to come here with a label."

He has no plans to return to the majors any time soon. Crespo likes it here. He's gotten the chance to play two positions -- third base and second. Whether the Japanese fans will like him or not, Crespo still doesn't know.

His ultimate goal?

"Play. Everyday," he said. "Right now, I might have to fight for my at-bats and earn a spot. But I'm good enough to play every day in this league. I mean, I came here because I knew I would have a chance to play."

Just pick a position. He won't complain.