greasywheels121 Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 http://whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/ar...t=.jsp&c_id=mlb Wild Pitches: A.J. Pierzynski White Sox catcher discusses off-field interests, clubhouse fun By Ben Platt / MLB.com Born in Bridgehampton, N.Y., Anthony John Pierzynski, better known to the world as A.J., grew up in Orlando, Fla., where he attended Dr. Phillips High School and was two years behind the school's other best-known graduate, Yankees center fielder Johnny Damon. Pierzynski is a rolling chatterbox on the field and in the clubhouse, and he is generally acknowledged as having an uncanny ability to get under the skin of opposing players. At no time was this more evident than during the 2005 postseason, when Pierzynski found himself at the center of attention on more than one occasion. His memorable heads-up dash in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the American League Championship Series turned an apparent strikeout into new life for a White Sox team in jeopardy of going down 2-0 in the series. The South Siders rallied to win that game and seven more in succession to capture their first World Series in 88 years. Being in a victory parade was like ... Nothing you could ever describe. It was the coolest thing. The winning of the whole World Series was (the coolest), definitely. Probably the best part was turning onto LaSalle Street, and you couldn't see because of all the people and all of ticker tape that was coming down. It was definitely something I will never forget, and I'm glad the city gave us the opportunity to do it, because it may not ever happen again. The best joke ever played on me was ... Last year, Joe Crede and I got a little into it while we were going fishing. I took one of the bait fish and stuck it in his pocket. He got home and smelled horrible. He brought it back the next day and stuck it in my pocket, and it was in my pocket the whole game. When I got home, I was like, 'What the hell?' Man, it smelled pretty bad. When I was a rookie, I had to ... Carry the beers all season when I was with Minnesota. But I have to admit, they took it pretty easy on us. We had to wear dresses one night in Cleveland and go to a team party. I had on full-length tights and a leather vest and fuzzy bear slippers. Now as a veteran, we've taken the "Hooters" approach and made other rookies dress up like Hooters girls and go to the Hooters in Chicago. The prized item in my closet that I will never let my wife throw out is ... A Florida football jersey with my name and number on it that my wife -- who went to Florida State -- has tried to get rid of, but she can't, and I will never let her. I also have some old flip-flops that I still wear, and she's tried to get rid of those, too. She puts them in the garbage and I find a way to sneak them out somehow. My favorite TV show is ... "Lost." That's the one show I TiVo and watch as much as I can. I didn't get into it until this offseason. I picked up the DVD of the first season and watched it and really got into it. It's a show you can miss a week here and there and still catch up on what's going on. It's getting a little strange right now, but it keeps you entertained for an hour. If that show isn't on, there's always some kind of sports on in the house. If you opened up my refrigerator, you'd find ... A lot of water and a lot of healthy stuff, because my wife is a nutritionist, so she tries to have us eat somewhat healthy. But the one thing we always have to have around is some ice cream somewhere. My wife doesn't dress me ... She won't make me wear anything. She knows if she tells me to wear it, I won't. She lets me do my own thing. If I have something bad on, she'll make me change it, but she'll never say, 'You have to wear this or wear that.' It just won't fly. She's also good about if she buys something for me that I don't like, she'll return it and not be offended that I didn't like it. Same with Christmas presents. If I buy something for her and she doesn't like it, I'll give her the receipt and she'll go get something she likes. My favorite Web sites are ... Anything to do with the Florida Gators. Those are the Web sites I go to all the time, and that's about it. I'm not a big Internet guy, and I'm not savvy enough to go to the Gator chat rooms or anything like that. My iPod has ... About 1,000 songs on it. I have pretty much the standard stuff on it -- a lot of rock, a lot of Top 40 kind of stuff on it. As for something you may not think I'd listen to, I guess James Taylor would be as far out as I go. It's pretty straightforward stuff. I would love five minutes with ... I guess the standard answer would be Jesus. That would be interesting and entertaining, so I would have to go with him. I mean, who wouldn't want to have that opportunity? If I hadn't become a baseball player ... You know, I've never really thought about that. I signed out of high school, and I've been doing this for so long now. I definitely would be doing something outside and something that keeps me busy, because I have a problem with sitting around and being bored. In high school, my friends would have described me as ... Boring. I didn't drink. I didn't party, so boring was the best way to describe me. I know I have a reputation for being chatty now, but in high school, I just sort of stuck to myself. The highlight of 2005 for me was ... Having Ava by far. Winning a World Series was great, but having my daughter was, by far, the best thing -- when you're standing there watching the whole thing. If you have kids, you understand. It was incredible to see it happen, and to have her around every day is just awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heads22 Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 Puh, what kind of baseball player puts a daughter before his team.....he needs to rethink his priorities.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dam8610 Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 QUOTE(Heads22 @ May 6, 2006 -> 07:30 PM) Puh, what kind of baseball player puts a daughter before his team.....he needs to rethink his priorities.... How could you say such a thing? What a horrible thing to say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chisox72 Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 If you would have told me five years ago that we would not only have this guy as a member of our team, but love the hell out of him...I am not sure what I would have done. Not to mention but I bought a damn AJ jersey! The guy is great, and one of those people you love to have around your team/players because of everything he brings to the table. Reading that goes to further prove how much of an important piece to this White Sox puzzle he is.... Damn glad we locked him up!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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