A. J. Pierzynski

White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillén once said of A.J. Pierzynski: “If you play against him, you hate him. If you play with him, you hate him a little less.”1 Pierzynski was a fierce competitor with a strong desire to win. This desire at times could rub teammates the wrong way and many times would get under his opponents’ skin. Despite being a magnet for controversies, Pierzynski amassed a 19-year career across seven major-league teams. Through the 2024 season, he was ninth on the all-time games played as a catcher with 1,936.

Anthony John “A.J.” Pierzynski was born on December 30, 1976, in Bridgehampton, New York, to Ed and Mary Jane Pierzynski and was an only child. Catching was in the family bloodline. A.J.’s grandfather, whom he is named after, was a catcher in the minor leagues before World War II.2 Ed and Mary later divorced and Mary remarried, to Jack Harrelson, whom she met at one of A.J.’s Little League games in Orlando, Florida, where they lived.3 Jack was there watching his own son umpire and later went on to coach A.J. in Little League.4 Mary was an administrative assistant at the Clermont (Florida) Chamber of Commerce and said her son’s love for baseball was evident from an early age.5

Even as a child, controversies seemed to find the youngster, Danny Allie, Pierzynski’s high-school baseball coach, remembered that after he hit a walk-off home run in the 1992 prep World Series game for Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida, Pierzynski offended the opposing coach by flipping his bat as he admired his shot.6 Future major leaguer Johnny Damon was a teammate at Dr. Phillips and they both later made the 2002 American League All-Star team.7

In 1994, as a senior, Pierzynski was drafted out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in the third round. He also signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the University of Tennessee but chose to go straight to the pros at age 17. He was asked why he chose baseball. His words reflected on his enduring passion for the game, starting at the age of 4: “I loved baseball when I was a child. Tried other things – was always the thing I went back to. Never really thought about anything else – fortunate to make it a career.”8

Pierzynski worked his way through the Twins’ minor-league system starting with the rookie Gulf Coast League Twins team, then on to the Elizabethton Twins of the Appalachian League, the Fort Wayne Wizards of the Class-A Midwest League, the Fort Myers Miracle of the Florida State League, the New Britain Rock Cats of the Double-A Eastern League, and finally the Triple-A Salt Lake Buzz of the Pacific Coast League through the late 1990s.

Pierzynski’s quick ascension through the minors at a demanding position demonstrated his ability to handle the rigorous demands of professional baseball. In 1998 he spent time with the Rock Cats and the Buzz when he was only 21 years old. He was over 5½ years younger than the average age of the competition at Triple A.9 In January of 1998, Scott Muhlhan, a lifelong friend and baseball teammate at Dr. Phillips High, died at the age of 23 from cancer. Muhlhan was often on Pierzynski’s mind as he progressed in his career. However, some good came out of this: A.J. reconnected with their former classmate Lisa whom he married a year later. “It was sad, but it brought us together.”10

Pierzynski made his major-league debut in a brief call-up to the Twins visiting the Anaheim Angels on September 9, 1998, replacing Terry Steinbach in the bottom of the fifth. He got his first major-league hit on September 12 at home vs. the Oakland A’s, pinch-hitting in the bottom of the ninth for Denny Hocking. It was a groundball between third base and shortstop off Billy Taylor. Reflected on his first at-bat, he said his goal simply was “don’t strike out.” He viewed grounding out to second as a success because he “was able to make contact in the big leagues.”11

Pierzynski spent most of the 1999 season with the Salt Lake Buzz, playing 63 games at catcher with a .984 fielding percentage and hitting .259/.307/.316 before another late-season call-up. This time he played in just nine games for the Twins but expanded his experience to catching four full games. At the plate in 24 plate appearances, he batted .273/.333/.364 before once again starting the following season in Triple A.

In his final season with Salt Lake, at age 23, Pierzynski had a slash line of .336/.345/.516 with 4 home runs and 25 RBIs in 41 games. His consistent performance earned him recognition as one of the top catching prospects in the Twins organization. Minnesota had a solid young core, and Pierzynski looked to be part of the long-term solution.12 He joined the Twins on August 13 and stayed for the reminder of the 2000 season after fellow catcher Chad Moeller injured his right knee.13 His performance showed promise as he continued to develop his abilities both behind the plate and at bat. In 33 games, he hit .307/.354/.455 with eight extra-base hits. He hit his first home on September 8 off the Mariners’ Paul Abbott.

Pierzynski developed a reputation for his defensive skills and game-calling abilities during his early years with the Twins. He worked closely with the Twins pitching staff, helping to guide young pitchers such as Johan Santana and Brad Radke. Pierzynski’s leadership on the field was instrumental in the Twins’ success, and his contributions were recognized by both his teammates and coaches. “He’s got power. He’s got arm strength and he’s got a good feel on how to call a game,” Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. “He’s calm, but he has some fire out there, too. There are still pieces of his game that need to come together before you can consider him a complete everyday catcher.”14

Then in 2001, Pierzynski began to establish himself as a regular, playing in 114 games. His efforts helped solidify his position as the Twins’ primary catcher, demonstrating both offensive and defensive skills (.289/.322/.441, .985 fielding average).

The 2002 season was Pierzynski’s breakout campaign. Playing in 130 games and hitting .300 with 6 home runs and 49 RBIs, he earned his first All-Star selection with teammates Torii Hunter and Eddie Guardado. His performance helped the Twins secure a spot in the playoffs, and he helped push the Twins past the Oakland A’s with a two-run home run in the top of the ninth off closer Billy Koch in the deciding Game Five of the Division Series. Postgame, Koch called Pierzynski a “jackass.” Earlier in the series, he stood on home plate without the ball which required Oakland’s Eric Chavez to push him out of the way. Pierzynski said he talked to himself during games, which many took as trash talk; all little things that can rub the opposing team the wrong way. Manager Rod Gardenhire commented, “A.J.’s one of those guys. We like the way he plays. If he gets under other players’ skins, then they’re not concentrating on their games.”15

After defeating Oakland, the Twins lost the American League Championship Series in five games to the eventual World Series winner, the Anaheim Angels, in five games.

Playing in 137 games in 2003, Pierzynski batted .312 and led the team in WAR at 4.5. The Twins were AL Central Division champions for the second year in a row but were eliminated by the New York Yankees in the Division Series in four games.

After the season Pierzynski was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano, and Joe Nathan. It would seem crazy to trade a young catcher but the Twins had another young catcher waiting in the wings whom they wanted to make playing time for, future Hall of Famer Joe Mauer. Pierzynski’s trade value would never be higher, so he was dealt.

Pierzynski’s time with the Giants was short and followed the familiar pattern of either you love him, or you hate him. In 131 games, he batted .272 with 11 home runs and 77 RBIs. Those stats were not enough to overcome clubhouse controversy. In April several Giants pitchers anonymously ripped Pierzynski in a newspaper story calling him a clubhouse “cancer.”16 Some of the complaints also focused on his pregame preparation with the pitchers, or lack thereof.17 It would later be revealed that pitcher Brett Tomko was the chief source of the complaints.18 In December Pierzynski was released, a free agent for the first time in his career.

White Sox general manager Kenny Williams took a risk bringing someone with that public reputation to the team, but Williams felt those issues were a thing of the past and Pierzynski acknowledged the mistakes he made in San Francisco. “Who among us hasn’t had a second, and in some cases third, chance?” Williams said. “A.J. is a fierce competitor. Often times that comes out in an abrasive way.”19

Pierzynski started the 2005 season on the right foot. Arriving at spring training, he immediately met with pitching coach Don Cooper. “We’ve had some enjoyable conversation about everything and everybody,” Cooper said. “He’s a veteran guy, and he’s showing me he wants to do the job he needs to do. He wants to learn the pitchers, he wants specifics about the guys. He wants to be on the same page.”20

Pierzynski played a crucial role in the White Sox’ 2005 championship run. In the playoffs he was at his best with his pitching core of Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland, Freddy Garcia, and José Contreras. All four pitched complete games in the ALCS in Games Two through Five to eliminate the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Controversy once again found Pierzynski, though, in the ALCS. Known as a hitter and for his defense, he was not as well known for his baserunning. At 6-feet-3 and 250 pounds, he was not the fastest runner on the basepaths, but he was one of the smartest and had an intimate understanding of the baseball rules and how to make the most of any situation.

The White Sox dropped Game One at home, 3-2. In Game Two, with the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, controversy arose. On an apparent third strike, Pierzynski looked back at plate umpire Doug Eddings. He did not witness a strike call while the catcher, Josh Paul, tossed the ball toward the mound and began to leave the field, assuming that was the third out.

Pierzynski then took off for first base and was safe due to the dropped third-strike rule. He did not stay on the field long enough to witness the end of Mike Scioscia’s pleadings with the umpires, bounding into the dugout with Pablo Ozuna taking his place as a pinch-runner. Ozuna stole second and scored the winning run on Joe Crede’s double. After the game Pierzynski said, “I didn’t fake them out. I was off-balance. I took one step to the dugout and realized he didn’t tag me so I ran. There’s no faking. … It just happened, and I always seem to be in the middle of it.”21

It’s this type of heads-up and hard-nosed baseball that gained Pierzynski the respect of his fellow teammates. After the game, Carl Everett – who himself was no stranger to controversy – said, “A.J. is A.J. People love to hate him. They don’t realize he plays hard.”22 “There are a lot of people who give A.J. a bad rap for the way he goes about the game,” reliever Cliff Politte said. “But he plays hard, and he’s doing the little things right and always is thinking ahead.”23

Pierzynski’s play restarted the White Sox offense and they went on to win the ALCS, and the World Series. Nearly 20 years later, he recalled the exact moment he knew they had won the World Series. “Holy (expletive), we did it. I can’t believe we did it. Disbelief we did it.” He went out to discuss how in that era the Yankees and Red Sox were dominating the AL, and he was concerned he would need to play for one of those teams to achieve the ultimate prize. Pierzynski said that after hugging everyone he could find, he took a moment to reflect on all the people who contributed to this achievement – family, coaches, friends, fellow players. Both his passion for the game and his love of the people in his life was demonstrated by the gratitude he expressed.24

In 2006 Pierzynski played in 140 games with slash line of .295/.333/.436 and 16 home runs. Controversy once again found him. One of his most infamous moments as a White Sox occurred at home on May 20 during a crosstown game against the Chicago Cubs. In the bottom of the second inning, Brian Anderson hit a fly ball to left fielder Matt Murton. Pierzynski tagged at third and crashed into Cubs catcher Michael Barrett as he scored. He emphatically slapped home plate and on his way back to the dugout he bumped into Barrett, who held Pierzynski with his left arm and punched him in the face with his right hand. Chaos ensued. Both benches cleared and Anderson tackled Cubs player John Mabry.25 Barrett, Mabry, Pierzynski, and Anderson were ejected. Barrett was suspended for 10 games, Anderson for five, and Pierzynski was fined an undisclosed amount. Afterward, the White Sox’ Mark Buehrle jokingly said, “Once Barrett hit him, I think the whole league wanted to give Barrett a pat on the back.”26 That year Pierzynski made his second All-Star team, voted by the fans thanks to the “Punch A.J.” popular voting campaign.27

Reflecting on the fight 10 years later, Pierzynski said, “What’s happened now is most people don’t remember what really happened. They just know Barrett and I got into a fight. Most people actually think that I hit him. People (say to me) ‘Remember that time you punched Barrett and knocked him down?’ So, it’s kind of funny how it’s kind of changed over the years.”28

In July 2006 Pierzynski became a further irritant to the Cubs and their fans by hitting a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the ninth at Wrigley Field off Cubs closer Ryan Dempster. The White Sox won the game, 8-6, and took the series, further enduring Pierzynski to the team’s fans.

Pierzynski also got to play the role of the villain in the wrestling ring. White Sox strength and conditioning coach Dale Torborg was also a professional wrestler, best known for portraying the Kiss-themed character The Demon in the World Championship Wrestling. Torborg and Pierzynski would talk professional wrestling all the time. Pierzynski got to play the role of the manager of Torborg, Sonja Dutt, and Chris Sabin at the 2005:BaseBrawl.29 Pierzynski and Torborg would team up as heels in a future event against fellow wrestling fan David Eckstein, who had just been named World Series MVP in 2006.30

The rest of Pierzynski’s time with the White Sox was one of consistency behind the plate – catching between 128 and 136 games a season while being a leader of the team and handling the pitching staff. This included catching Buerhle’s no-hitter on April 18, 2007, against the Texas Rangers and Phil Humber’s perfect game on April 21, 2012, against the Seattle Mariners. That 2012 campaign was his final season with the White Sox and one of his best offensively; he received the Silver Slugger award with a .278/.326/.501 slash line to go with 27 home runs and 77 RBIs.

As the White Sox focused on rebuilding with a younger team, rookie GM Rick Hahn let Pierzynski leave as a free agent, turning the day-to-day catching duties over to Tyler Flowers. Pierzynski signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers with a team president who also hadn’t made a lot of friends in his playing days, Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. Ryan loved how Pierzynski reacted in the 2005 ALCS hustling to first base: “That was a heads-up play. If somebody’s in the game mentally like that, I want him on my team.”31

Pierzynski still had the talent and skills to contribute to major-league teams, even as he was older in his career and was still hated by opponents. (In a July 2012 Men’s Journal survey of 100 anonymous major leaguers, Pierzynski was named “Most Hated Player” on 34 of the votes. No other player had 10.32)

Pierzynski split the 2014 season between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals, appearing in a total of 102 games. No official explanation was provided by the Red Sox, but speculation in multiple publications blamed Pierzynski’s lack of offensive production. Young players would ask his advice during games, Pierzynski said, and he was thrilled to see the difference he could sometimes make with them.33

The 2015 and 2016 seasons were the culmination of Pierzynski’s career, and he signed with the Atlanta Braves, playing in 113 games in 2015 and 81 in 2016. Despite the Braves’ struggles, Pierzynski’s performance was a bright spot, as he provided stability and leadership. He retired as a player at the end of the 2016 season.

In 2024 Pierzynski, reflecting on his feelings as he contemplated retirement, said he had been losing his mental edge – it was not a physical issue. He felt he could continue to play physically, but “[i]t was harder and harder to prepare.” He was also looking toward his family: His children were 10 and 9 years old, and he was approaching 40. “What am I missing at home” was part of his retirement decision. “I wasn’t excited to take the field. I wasn’t excited for the grind. Nineteen years was enough.”34

During the 2005 pennant season, Pierzynski set an American League record for errorless innings for a catcher. From April 19 through October 2, he caught 117 consecutive games without an error. When the 2006 season started, he continued his streak, handling 962 consecutive errorless chances and breaking Yogi Berra’s record of 950, set in 1959.

Pierzynski is also tied with Berra for sixth on the all-time catcher hitting list with 2,043 career hits. He had a career slash line of .280/.319/.420 with 188 home runs.

Of his records and career, he said, “The World Series is far and away my number-one achievement, but the 2,000 hits as a catcher is a big deal – and that I’ve played no other position than catch.”35 Of his 2,059 games played, 1,936 were as a catcher; the others were as a designated hitter (32) or pinch-hitter.

After his playing career, Pierzynski became a baseball commentator for Fox Sports. He was close to longtime White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson, and once said that Harrelson was part of the reason he joined the 2005 White Sox.36 He said he had been in high school with Harrelson’s children and that his wife was a roommate of Harrelson’s daughter at Florida State. That relationship played a role in his decision to join the White Sox.37

“When I call a game, the best 15 minutes of the day is when we talk to the managers,” Pierzynski said. “You learn so much. Most of these guys are really good, and they open up to you.”38 The announcing role also offered Pierzynski more time to spend with this family. “It’s been awesome” is how he describes his current broadcaster role. “I am in baseball legit every day. Every Saturday during the season I go to a game. I talk about baseball two hours every day. I was blessed to walk into a job to keep doing baseball every day. The first games I did sucked, but I live and learn.” Pierzynski said he was grateful for the introduction by Harrelson to continue pursuing a sport that he called “the best game in the world.”39

As a player, a father, a husband, and now an announcer with a large social media following, A.J. Pierzynski is one of the biggest personalities, most knowledgeable players, and best catchers to ever grace the major leagues. His passion is unparalleled.

Last revised: March 1, 2025

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com.

Notes

1 Tim Keown, “White Noise,” ESPN, August 28, 2006. https://www.espn.com/espnmag/story?id=3657165.

2 Larry Paladino, “A.J.’s Edgy Rep Muted by Stellar Career,” National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame, 2021, https://www.polishsportshof.com/portfolio_page/aj-pierzynski/.

3 Josh Robbins, “Orlando’s All-Stars; Perseverance propels Dr. Phillips Graduates To 1st Berths,” Orlando Sentinel, July 8, 2002: D1.

4 David Haugh, “Man in the Middle; Trouble Seems to Follow A.J. Pierzynski. But the Sox and Their Fans Have Grown to Love Him,” Chicago Tribune, October 21, 2005: 1.1.

5 Thomas E Lowe, “Baseball Is Year-Round for Pierzynski; The Love for the Game Began for Twins Catcher A.J. Pierzynski When He Was Just 4 Years Old,” Orlando Sentinel, January 13 2002: 14.

6 Haugh, “Man in the Middle.”

7 Neal E. La Velle III, “Pierzynski Takes in the Moment; Twins Catcher Relishes ‘Fun Ride and Long Road,’” Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 9, 2002: 4C.

8 AJ Pierzynski, telephone interview with author, November 8, 2024. Hereafter, Pierzynski interview.

9 Cody Christie, “Former Twins Cooperstown Case: AJ Pierzynski,” Twins Daily, December 8, 2021. https://twinsdaily.com/news-rumors/minnesota-twins/former-twins-cooperstown-case-aj-pierzynski-r11620/.

10 Haugh, “Man in the Middle.”

11 Pierzynski interview.

12 Christie, “Former Twins Cooperstown Case.”

13 Neal E. La Velle III, “Twins Notebook Hall of Famers Are Announced,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, August 13, 2000: 11C.

14 Neal E. La Velle III, “Clear Signs of Catching On; Twins Catcher A.J. Pierzynski Says He Has Learned From His Mistake and Never Again Will Take His Starting Position for Granted,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, February 22, 2002: 08C.

15 Jim Souhan, “Playoff Insider; Lighting Rod for Conflict; Pierzynski’s Hard-Nosed Play Gets Misunderstood,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, October 10, 2002: 3S.

16 Bob Foltman and Jessie Rogers, “A.J. Has Sox Appeal; Pierzynski Draws Contract Offer,” Chicago Tribune, December 31, 2004: 4.1.

17 Foltman and Rogers

18 Mark Gonzales, “A Wanted Man; White Sox Ignored Talk About His Past and Gave Pierzynski a Place to Call Home,” Chicago Tribune, March 12, 2006: 3.1.

19 Foltman and Rogers.

20 Mark Gonzales, “Goal for ’05? Catch Less Flak; Pierzynski Striving to Mend Bad Reputation in New Gig With Sox,” Chicago Tribune, March 6, 2005: 3.11.

21 Mark Gonzales, “Sox Respect Hard-Nosed Pierzynski,” Chicago Tribune, October 14, 2005: 4.1.

22 Gonzales, “Sox Respect Hard-Nosed Pierzynski.”

23 Gonzales, “Sox Respect Hard-Nosed Pierzynski.”

24 Pierzynski interview.

25 Mike Kiley, “Mabry Injured after Brawl with Anderson,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 21, 2006: A97.

26 Keown, “White Noise.”

27 Keown, “White Noise.” “Punch A.J.” refers to a hypothetical All-Star voter punching Pierzynski’s name on the ballot.

28 Chuck Garfien, “Ten Years Later, A.J. Pierzynski Recalls Michael Barrett Encounter in Crosstown Classic,” NBC Sports, July 25, 2016. Accessed on July 18, 2024, https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/white-sox-talk-podcast-10th-anniversary-mark-buehrles-perfect-game.

29 Scott Merkin, “Pierzynski: WS Champ, AS … Pro Wrestler?” MLB, February 11, 2021. https://www.mlb.com/news/a-j-pierzynski-professional-wrestling-career.

30 Scott Maxwell, “For Celebrity Couple, Life’s Still Sweet – Like a Bowl of Cereal,” Orlando Sentinel, January 9, 2007: B2.

31 Phil Rogers, “Grate Deal: Ryan Admires A.J.’S Grit: Rangers President and Hall of Famer Loves Pierzynski’s Will to Win, Durability,” Chicago Tribune, February 26, 2013: 3.3.

32 Tyler Kepner, “A.J. Pierzynski, the Man They Love to Hate, Is Still Behind the Plate,” New York Times, February 22, 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/23/sports/baseball/a-j-pierzynski-atlanta-braves-catcher-hate.html.

33 Kepner.

34 Pierzynski interview.

35 Paladino, “A.J.’s Edgy Rep Muted by Stellar Career.”

36 Ed Sherman, “In My Words: Pierzynski on Life in the Booth,” MLB.com, August 28, 2018. https://www.mlb.com/news/a-j-pierzynski-in-my-words-c292298062.

37 A.J. Pierzynski, Teddy Greenstein interview, June 6, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvV3I1SHWuU.

38 Ed Sherman

39 Pierzynski interview.