Other MLB players call Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski the meanest
Former Cubs catcher Michael Barrett apparently isn't the only player who wants to punch A.J. in the face.
If any White Sox fans have been disappointed with the outcome of the team’s season this year, they can at least hang their hats on the individual accolades of one of their players. In a recent poll of 215 MLB players, Sports Illustrated found that catcher A.J. Pierzynski is the meanest player in baseball. That’s saying something, too. To claim the number one spot, Pierzynski had to out-douche his cross-town rival Carlos Zambrano, who came in at number four, and two former Cubs: Milton Bradley (third) and Kyle Farnsworth (12th). Now, just how can you be meaner than a guy best known for terrorizing equipment on his bad days? Here’s a rundown of Pierzynski’s greatest hits.
• He allegedly kneed San Francisco Giants trainer Stan Conte in the groin in 2005. That’s right: the trainer.
• He inspired then-Cubs catcher Michael Barrett to punch him in the face (pictured above), simply for colliding with him in a 2006 game before the ball arrived. Or because he’s kind of dick. Or both.
• In a 2007 game, Pierzynski was accused of attempting to spike Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, Ty Cobb-style.
He’s also appeared in several professional wrestling events since 2005, because how else is a guy going to practice being a goon? Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said it best: “If you play against him, you hate him. If you play with him, you hate him a little less.”
