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FOX Sports Hires A.J. Pierzynski As Full-Time Analyst

By Jeff Todd | March 28, 2017 at 1:10pm CDT

Per an announcement from the FOX Sports Network, veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski has agreed to serve as a full-time analyst for the upcoming season. He is expected to do color work and appear on the “MLB Whiparound” show.

Pierzynski, 40, spent each of the past two seasons with the Braves. While he was quite productive in 2015, he tailed off significantly last year. There were signs that he would likely call it quits, though that soon shifted. To this point, nothing had — or, still has, so far as we know — been formalized.

With today’s news, though, it seems safe to assume that Pierzynski will wrap up his career after parts of 19 MLB seasons. He has certainly enjoyed the kind of run that few backstops are able to pull off, having played in over 100 games in every single campaign between 2001 and 2015.

An exceptionally durable receiver, the left-handed-hitting Pierzynski also featured as a steadily useful hitter. All told, he has accumulated a solid .280/.319/.420 batting line with 188 home runs in 7,815 total MLB plate appearances.

Though he wasn’t always beloved by opponents, Pierzynski never had much trouble finding organizations interested in utilizing him. His longest and perhaps most memorable run came with the White Sox, where he was part of the team’s 2005 World Series winner, caught historic pitching performances from Mark Buehrle and Philip Humber, and picked up one of his two All-Star appearances.

Pierzynski also spent six years with the Twins — the organization that selected him in the third round of the 1994 draft. Some of those were among his most productive as a pro, and the organization was able to cash him in to the Giants for a trade package featuring Francisco Liriano and Joe Nathan. In addition to his one-year run in San Francisco, Pierzynski spent single or partial seasons with the Rangers, Red Sox, and Cardinals.

If this is indeed Pierzynski’s career terminus, as seems reasonable to assume, MLBTR extends him its congratulations and best wishes for the future.

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Uncategorized A.J. Pierzynski

Article XX(B) Free Agent Decisions
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MLBTR Chat Transcript: 3/28/17
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31 Comments

  1. citizen

    8 years ago

    Fox should hire Michael Barrett with AJ just to see what happens.

    8
    Reply
  2. AngelFan69

    8 years ago

    This guy always found a way to rub people the wrong way… that was his trade mark…

    3
    Reply
    • lesterdnightfly

      8 years ago

      You are right. Cue the “He was the type of player you’d hate if he was an opponent, but you’d love if he was on your team” comments.
      The Twins and Giants were glad to be rid of AJ. Especially their pitching staffs.

      2
      Reply
      • Jacob99

        8 years ago

        The reason the Twins traded AJ was due to a certain 1st overall pick knocking on the door. Mauer was the reason he became expendable. AJ hit the biggest HR in recent Twins history, since Puckett’s game 6 winner of the 91 WS. It was not due to skill or how he handled the pitching staff just a positional logjam.

        1
        Reply
      • Aaron Sapoznik

        8 years ago

        A.J. Pierzynski definitely had issues with many of his teammates with the Giants in 2004, as well as some in his abbreviated stay with the Red Sox in 2014. I don’t believe he was a problem with the Twins earlier in his career or with the Brave at the end of it. A.J. was definitely a favorite with most of his teammates and the fans on the South Side of Chicago.

        Reply
      • Djones246890

        8 years ago

        He was the type of player you’d hate if he was an opponent, but you’d love if he was on your team. 😀

        Reply
    • lucienbel

      8 years ago

      Those guys seem to have places on baseball shows lately.

      As a Red Sox fan my opinion isn’t the highest of him, but I also don’t really know what he did to bother everyone. I’m interested to see what he can do as an analyst. I imagine all those years of catching will make him half decent.

      Reply
  3. chitown311

    8 years ago

    White Sox loved him and the fans will forever

    2
    Reply
    • WhiteSox4ever

      8 years ago

      AJ Love you Man !

      Reply
    • iceman35pilot

      8 years ago

      The White Sox also had to ask Konerko and others if they could trade for him, because they hated the guy so much when he was with Minnesota.

      1
      Reply
  4. chitown311

    8 years ago

    Carlos Zambrano would probably fight him again

    2
    Reply
  5. king joffrey

    8 years ago

    You may be leaving the impression that A. J. caught Buehrle’s perfect game, since you lump him in with Philip Humber. Ramon Castro was Buehrle’s catcher that historic day.

    Reply
    • Justin Allen

      8 years ago

      He caught Buehrle’s no hitter in Texas

      2
      Reply
  6. willm

    8 years ago

    As an Angels fan, he was part of one of the plays that haunts me forever. He ran out a dropped third strike (on a ball that didn’t hit the ground) in game 2 of the AL championship with the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth. The Angels were up 1-0 in the series and had momentum going into extra innings. But Pierzynski ran out the play (as he should) and Joe Crede hit a walk off double shortly after, and the white sox won three straight in a series that very easily could’ve been 2-0 Angels after that night. That was the closest Vlad Guererro ever got to the World Series.

    Nonetheless, always had respect for him as a player despite his big mouth. I’m sure he’ll be a great analyst.

    2
    Reply
    • halos101

      8 years ago

      still cannot stand him from that

      1
      Reply
      • comebacktrail28

        8 years ago

        That ball hit the ground

        Reply
        • halos101

          8 years ago

          stop it, that ball clearly was caught. Still gets me mad

          1
          Reply
    • dfinch

      8 years ago

      Except for when Vlad played in the World Series in 2010

      Reply
  7. bastros88

    8 years ago

    he was a good player, not hall of fame worthy, but respectable on the field, that is if he played for your team

    1
    Reply
  8. mrkinsm

    8 years ago

    A.J. ranks 8th all time in games caught behind only; IRod, Fisk, Boone, Carter, Kendall, Pena, and Ausmus. He debuted all the way back in 1998.

    1
    Reply
  9. mrkinsm

    8 years ago

    The last MLB expansion was in 1998 (A.J.’s debut season). Only 1 player currently active debuted before that – Bartolo Colon.

    1
    Reply
  10. ronnsnow

    8 years ago

    He does not get rave reviews for his personality, but is an upgrade over Pete Rose

    2
    Reply
    • WhiteSox4ever

      8 years ago

      Anybody would be an upgrade over Pete Rose

      2
      Reply
      • layventsky

        8 years ago

        It’s actually kind of hilarious how bad Pete Rose is. Maybe AJ should do play-by-play instead so he can replace Joe Buck.

        1
        Reply
      • iceman35pilot

        8 years ago

        At least AJ is allowed inside the clubhouse.

        1
        Reply
    • jd396

      8 years ago

      So are about seven billion other people

      1
      Reply
  11. tgovey

    8 years ago

    Good, now Fox Baseball can suck even more now.

    1
    Reply
  12. Aaron Sapoznik

    8 years ago

    Over/under on how long A.J. keeps his job before saying something “politically incorrect” that might embarrass FOX?

    Reply
    • jdgoat

      8 years ago

      Hopefully pierzynski isn’t a trash human being and that is never

      Reply
  13. comebacktrail28

    8 years ago

    Favorite Aj Moment was when he hit the HR against Dempster in the 9th at the shrine

    Reply
  14. epoxy1

    8 years ago

    Just watching the Yanks and Rays with A.J. behind the mic.. Way too much information.
    Hopefully he will mellow a bit. He has all the knowledge and experience but nobody likes a know it all that is slightly negative. He already jumped on how long the instant replay and thus the games take. ( True fans of the game are tired of hearing about how long the game takes as it is a game without a time limit and the amount of money everyone involved is making i.e. advertising, has something to do with it all. Thanks for the kind and deserving compliments of Jeter while talking about Aaron Judge. Talk more about the game as it is happening please.

    Reply

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