A.J. Pierzynski | Major Leaguer 1998-2008

Full Name: Anthony John Pierzynski
Born: December 30,1976 in Bridgehampton, New York
Height: 6-3 Weight: 220 Bats: Left Throws: Right
High School: Dr. Phillips (Orlando,FL)
College:

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Prospect Rankings*
1997 - 10th ranked organizational prospect for Minnesota Twins

*According to Baseball America

Drafted: Selected by Minnesota Twins in 3rd Round (71st overall) of 1994 amateur entry draft (June-Reg)

Transactions: [Jun 9,1994] - signed [Nov 14,2003] - Traded by Twins with Cash to Giants for Boof Bonzer, Francisco Liriano and Joe Nathan. [Dec 16,2004] - Released by Giants. [Jan 6,2005] - Signed by White Sox (1-year) [Dec 19,2005] - Signed by White Sox (3-years) [Sep 29,2007] - Signed by White Sox (2-year extension)

Signed by: Brad Weitzel

Batting Statistics

Year	Team	Lg	Age	Org.	Level	Pos	Ln	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	HBP	IBB	SH	SF	DP	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	GB%
1994	GCL Twins	GCL	17	Min	Rk	c		43	152	21	44	8	1	1	19	0	2	12	19	0	0	0	2	3	.289	.337	.375	712	--
1995	Elizabetht	App	18	Min	Rk	c		56	205	29	68	13	1	7	45	0	2	14	23	0	1	0	1	6	.332	.373	.507	880	--
	Fort Wayne	Midw	18	Min	A	c		22	84	10	26	5	1	2	14	0	0	2	10	0	0	0	1	1	.310	.322	.464	786	--
1996	Fort Wayne	Midw	19	Min	A	c		114	431	48	118	30	3	7	70	0	4	22	53	2	1	0	6	10	.274	.308	.406	714	--
1997	Fort Myers	FSL	20	Min	A+	c		118	412	49	115	23	1	9	64	2	1	16	59	6	1	1	4	9	.279	.313	.405	718	--
1998	NewBritain	East	21	Min	AA	c		59	212	30	63	11	0	3	17	0	2	10	25	2	4	2	1	4	.297	.333	.392	725	--
	Salt Lake	PCL	21	Min	AAA	c		59	208	29	53	7	2	7	30	3	1	9	24	0	2	2	1	4	.255	.284	.409	693	--
	Minnesota	AL	21	Min	MLB	c	8,7,9	7	10	1	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	2	1	0	0	1	0	.300	.385	.300	685	40%
1999	Salt Lake	PCL	22	Min	AAA	c		67	228	29	59	10	0	1	25	0	0	16	29	0	0	2	0	11	.259	.307	.316	623	--
	Minnesota	AL	22	Min	MLB	c		9	22	3	6	2	0	0	3	0	0	1	4	1	0	0	0	0	.273	.333	.364	697	--
2000	NewBritain	East	23	Min	AA	c		62	228	36	68	17	2	4	34	0	0	8	22	9	0	0	4	13	.298	.341	.443	784	--
	Salt Lake	PCL	23	Min	AAA	c		41	155	22	52	14	1	4	25	1	1	5	22	1	1	2	3	3	.335	.354	.516	870	--
	Minnesota	AL	23	Min	MLB	c	9	33	88	12	27	5	1	2	11	1	0	5	14	2	0	0	1	1	.307	.354	.455	809	54%
2001	Minnesota	AL	24	Min	MLB	c	9,8	114	381	51	110	33	2	7	55	1	7	16	57	4	4	1	3	7	.289	.322	.441	763	51%
2002	Minnesota	AL	25	Min	MLB	c	8	130	440	54	132	31	6	6	49	1	2	13	61	11	1	2	3	14	.300	.334	.439	773	52%
2003	Minnesota	AL	26	Min	MLB	c	8,7	137	487	63	152	35	3	11	74	3	1	24	55	15	12	2	5	13	.312	.360	.464	824	49%
2004	SF Giants	NL	27	Sf	MLB	c	6,7	131	471	45	128	28	2	11	77	0	1	19	27	15	4	2	3	27	.272	.319	.410	729	42%
2005	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	28	Chw	MLB	c	7,5	128	460	61	118	21	0	18	56	0	2	23	68	12	5	1	1	13	.257	.308	.420	728	48%
2006	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	29	Chw	MLB	c	6	140	509	65	150	24	0	16	64	1	0	22	72	8	6	3	1	10	.295	.333	.436	769	40%
2007	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	30	Chw	MLB	c	5	136	472	54	124	24	0	14	50	1	1	25	66	8	5	1	3	21	.263	.309	.403	712	49%
2008	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	31	Chw	MLB	c		134	534	66	150	31	1	13	60	1	0	19	71	8	5	3	6	14	.281	.312	.416	728	--

Major League Totals - 11 Season(s)								1099	3874	475	1100	234	15	98	500	9	14	168	497	85	42	15	27	120	.284	.326	.428	754	--
Minor League Totals - 7 Season(s)								641	2315	303	666	138	12	45	343	6	13	114	286	20	10	9	23	64	.288	.324	.416	740	--

Playoffs Batting Statistics

Year	Team	Lg	Age	Org.	Series	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	HBP	IBB	SH	SF	DP	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	GB%
2002	Minnesota	AL	25	Min	Div	5	16	4	7	0	1	1	4	0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	.438	.500	.750	1250	--
	Minnesota	AL	25	Min	Ch	5	16	1	4	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	.250	.235	.250	485	--
2003	Minnesota	AL	26	Min	Div	4	13	1	3	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	1	.231	.333	.462	795	--
2005	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	28	Chw	Div	3	9	5	4	2	0	2	4	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.444	.545	1.333	1878	--
	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	28	Chw	Ch	5	18	1	3	0	0	1	2	0	1	1	6	0	0	1	0	0	.167	.211	.333	544	--
	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	28	Chw	Ws	4	15	3	4	2	0	0	3	1	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	1	.267	.353	.400	753	--

Major League Totals - 3 Season(s)						26	87	15	25	4	1	5	16	2	2	8	12	1	1	1	1	2	.287	.351	.529	880	--

Fielding Statistics

Year	Team	Lg	Age	Org	Level	Pos	G	GS	Inn	PO	A	E	TC	DP	PB	SB	CS	FPCT	RF
1994	GCL Twins	GCL	17	Min	Rk	C	30			198	28	8	234	2	10			.966	--

1995	Elizabetht	App	18	Min	Rk	C	49			372	71	12	455	3	11			.974	--
1995	Elizabetht	App	18	Min	Rk	1B	1			4	1	0	5	0	-	-	-	1.000	--
1995	Fort Wayne	Midw	18	Min	A	C	20			119	34	10	163	0	4			.939	--

1996	Fort Wayne	Midw	19	Min	A	C	95			656	80	20	756	6	22			.974	--
1996	Fort Wayne	Midw	19	Min	A	OF	3			2	0	1	3	0	-	-	-	.667	--

1997	Fort Myers	FSL	20	Min	A+	C	105			661	78	10	749	6	18			.987	--
1997	Fort Myers	FSL	20	Min	A+	1B	2			16	0	0	16	1	-	-	-	1.000	--

1998	NewBritain	East	21	Min	AA	C	57			409	37	2	448	3	2			.996	--
1998	Salt Lake	PCL	21	Min	AAA	C	59			366	30	7	403	3	5			.983	--
1998	Minnesota	AL	21	Min	MLB	C	6			33	2	0	35	1	0	4	1	1.000	--

1999	Salt Lake	PCL	22	Min	AAA	C	63			376	45	7	428	1	3			.984	--
1999	Minnesota	AL	22	Min	MLB	C	9			35	2	0	37	1	1	1	1	1.000	--

2000	NewBritain	East	23	Min	AA	C	50			304	31	6	341	2	4			.982	--
2000	Salt Lake	PCL	23	Min	AAA	C	38			263	20	3	286	1	3			.990	--
2000	Minnesota	AL	23	Min	MLB	C	32		236.2	160	10	0	170	3	2	10	6	1.000	6.46

2001	Minnesota	AL	24	Min	MLB	C	110		901.2	611	44	10	665	7	4	44	21	.985	6.54
2001	Minnesota	AL	24	Min	MLB	DH	1								-	-	-	---	--

2002	Minnesota	AL	25	Min	MLB	C	124		1035.2	756	42	3	801	3	2	45	19	.996	6.93

2003	Minnesota	AL	26	Min	MLB	C	135	131	1165.2	843	46	6	895	6	5	46	20	.993	6.86

2004	SF Giants	NL	27	Sf	MLB	C	118	117	1022	697	56	1	754	6	7	51	15	.999	6.63

2005	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	28	Chw	MLB	C	128	124	1117.2	803	48	1	852	8	7	79	23	.999	6.85

2006	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	29	Chw	MLB	C	132	126	1125	795	62	3	860	4	10	90	25	.997	6.86

2007	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	30	Chw	MLB	C	130	116	1058	796	46	2	844	6	14	62	20	.998	7.16

2008	Chi Wh-Sox	AL	31	Chw	MLB	C	131	127	1134	913	54	9	976	8	5	96	21	.991	7.67

Awards

[1995] - Appalachian League All-Star C [2002] - Played in MLB All-Star Game [2006] - AL MVP (Voting Rank: #30), Played in MLB All-Star Game

Salaries

Year	Salary	Rank	Lg Avg	Centile
1998	*170,000		1,054,037	80
1999	*200,000		1,222,537	80
2000	*175,000		1,369,505	80
2001	210,000		1,609,512	65
2002	250,000		1,654,088	56
2003	365,000		1,773,364	46
2004	3,500,000		1,716,303	16
2005	2,250,000		1,825,756	25
2006	4,000,000		1,937,004	17
2007	*5,500,000		2,923,340	20
2008	*5,850,000

Career:	$22,470,000	estimate

Trivia and Player Notes

Pierzynski has garnered a reputation as one of the most hated players in Major League Baseball due to his brash and often disrespectul demeanor on and off the field.

On May 20, 2006, Pierzynski ired the usually low-key catcher of the Chicago Cubs, Michael Barrett when he ran over him at home plate on a potentially close play, before the ball had even arrived. While Barrett was still lying on his back, Pierzynski slammed his hand on home plate and possibly had some words for Barrett. When Barrett got back up, he punched Pierzynski square in the jaw, triggering a brawl between the 2 Chicago teams. The hit on Barrett was deemed legal by those in baseball and Barrett was subsequently suspended for 10 games by Major League Baseball. The world of baseball indicated that though they thought Barrett was out of line, several people were happy to see Pierzynski get what they thought was due to him.

Notes: Played in 2 All-Star game during his career (2002, 2006)....Member of the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox in 2005.