CSF Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 From the Sun-Times: Free-spirit Pierzynski can handle his boos April 29, 2006 BY JOE COWLEY Staff Reporter Advertisement ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The boos were numerous and loud Friday night. White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski wouldn't have wanted it any other way. It was Pierzynski who was the central figure in the controversial dropped third strike in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series last October, in which the Sox beat the Angels to reach the World Series. The catcher reached base in the ninth inning on Josh Paul's questionable dropped third strike. So when he was introduced before and during the game, Angels fans did their best to make their opinions of him well heard. ''A.J., because they boo A.J. everywhere,'' Sox manager Ozzie Guillen responded, when asked who would get the most boos over the weekend. ''Even in his backyard, his wife and kids boo him.'' The interesting matchup could come tonight, as Angels starter Kelvim Escobar is on the mound. Escobar was pitching in that Game 2 controversy last year. Then this spring, a teammate put a Pierzynski baseball card on Escobar's locker as a joke, leading to Escobar telling reporters about his dislike for the Sox catcher. But the right-handed Escobar was saying all the right things leading up to tonight's meeting with Pierzynski. ''I'm going to go out there and pitch my game and do my thing,'' Escobar told Angels reporters. ''Like I said, whatever happened last year is last year. ''That was last year. There was a lot of pressure in those games and a little thing can become a big issue. The thing is, it's a new year. For me it's over. It's a new year, and we're looking to do our thing.'' FEELING GOOD: Scheduled Sunday starter Jon Garland said he did go through a dead-arm period to start the year, but his right arm feels as strong as ever now. Coincidentally, it was his worst start of the season in which his arm snapped out of it. In an April 13 start in Detroit, Garland allowed seven runs on 13 hits but said that had nothing to do with a dead arm. ''My arm felt good, and I just tried to over do it,'' Garland said. ''Instead of concentrating on making good pitches, I was thinking about how good my arm felt, and I got beat down.'' A dead-arm period is nothing new for Garland, and he said it usually happens twice a year. ''I'm sure it will come around again this year,'' he added. ''It usually does, but you have to just battle through it.'' SAYING GOODBYE: Guillen was informed of former major-league pitcher Steve Howe dying in a car accident Friday morning and called it ''sad.'' ''It shows you how good of a pitcher he was,'' Guillen said of Howe. ''He got in all that trouble, but baseball kept bringing him back.'' ''A.J., because they boo A.J. everywhere,'' Sox manager Ozzie Guillen responded, when asked who would get the most boos over the weekend. ''Even in his backyard, his wife and kids boo him.'' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldmember Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 Little A.J.'s first words to her daddy: "Boo" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Pratt Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 Perhaps there'll be a Beanball tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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