I cannot recall any specific memories that I have regarding A.J. Pierzynski from his initial callups in 1998 or 1999. While he was initally expected to be the starting catcher in 2000, he was leapfrogged by Matthew Lecroy during Spring Training. He has since admitted that he came expecting to be handed the position, and that he was very laid-back and cocky while not actually performing during Spring Training. Thus, he was sent back to Triple A until very late in the season. After he was called up, he hit .307 in 33 games near the end of the season. In 2001, he claimed the job as the starting catcher as LeCroy was sent back to Triple A.
Over the 2001 and 2002 season, A.J. has solidified himself as very tough out, as well as earning an All-Star appearance in 2002. A.J. is an excellent two-strike hitter as he strikes out infrequently; however, he swings away all the time and will not take a walk. In fact, for awhile in 2001 it seemed as if he was always batting with an 0-2 count. While he hit .300 last season, there is no one in the league that gets more cheap hits than A.J. He has popularized the "gork" in which he somehow puts very unusual spin on the ball and it just spins away from the fielder. It would not be an exagerration to call him the worst .300 hitter in the majors, as he does not hit for much power, does not walk, and gets many, many cheap hits.
A.J. is aiming for the football seatsWhile this tone seems to imply that I am not his biggest booster, I absolutely love the man. A.J. is the biggest punk in baseball and carries on the fine tradition of noisy, obnoxious catchers who try to distract the hitter (think about Jack Taylor in Major League). He just happened to bump into Eric Chavez during Game 1 of the Oakland series as the A's were jumping ahead 5-0. Then, his homerun off of Billy Koch to provide insurance runs in the 9th inning of Game 5 was the exclamation point on the series. Afterwards, Koch ran his mouth stating that everyone knew that A.J. was the biggest jackass in the league. Hey Billy, of course we do, that's why we love him! (Oh ya, and keep up the good work this year.)
A.J. should be the Twins catcher for the next two years until Joe Mauer is ready to ascend to the big leagues. This is perfect timing for the Twins, as A.J. will just be concluding his prime in these years.
