Pierzynski a Cancer?

Friday, April 30, 2004

ESPN.com news services
SAN FRANCISCO -- Playing cards instead of prepping for a game. Badmouthing your own pitchers.

Even putting these accusations aside, catcher A.J. Pierzynski is off to a rough start as a member of the San Francisco Giants. And he's not likely to go anywhere else.

Pierzynski, acquired from the Twins during the offseason, is not only struggling at the plate, he apparently has developed a poor relationship with his teammates.

It certainly doesn't help that the 9-14 Giants are in last place in the NL West. Pierzynski is hitting just .236, even though he has hit better recently.

"He's the cancer in here," one Giant, who requested anonymity, told the Oakland Tribune. "The pitchers aren't happy with him. If they can trade him, that would be fine with me. We all know Yorvie [Yorvit Torrealba] can catch this staff."

Pierzynski denies he wants out of San Francisco, and said he has worked hard to develop a good relationship with Giant pitchers.

His teammates seem to disagree.

The latest incident reportedly occurred before Wednesday's game against the Braves, when two players confirmed to the newspaper that Pierzynski ignored starting pitcher Brett Tomko's request to go over opposing hitters. Instead, the players said, Pierzynski resumed playing cards for another 20 minutes.

"I've never in all my years seen a catcher who didn't watch video before games," one pitcher told the newspaper. "He doesn't watch hitters -- other than the Twins games when they're on TV."

Also, according to two Giants players, the Padres' Phil Nevin said Pierzynski was criticizing Giants pitchers while Nevin was at the plate. "That did it for me," one Giants pitcher told the paper. "If a pitching staff doesn't have the respect of their catcher, that's it. That's what it's all about.

"I can understand if you're a veteran who's been here six years, somebody like Benito [Santiago]. That's one thing. You're entitled to do things your way. But when you're coming into a new situation, you're the one that has to earn respect. This is an established pitching staff."

Added another pitcher: "He's my catcher. I've got to work with the guy. But if they make a change, that would be fine by me."

Pierzynski says he has a good work ethic.

"My job is to help this staff," he told the Tribune. "Hitting is a bonus. I take pride in not taking my at-bats into the field. Defensively, I think I've been pretty good, and I feel it's getting better.

"It's always a work in progress when they get a new guy. I'm working to get better, and the guys have been great to me. I talked to Woody [Kirk Rueter] after his start, I talked to Tomko today. It's all about getting a feel for what they need to do to get better. We talk about pitch selection between innings all the time."

Despite all the animosity, it appears Pierzynski is staying put. Neither Giants manager Felipe Alou nor general manager Brian Sabean would comment on the meeting, though Sabean said it wasn't about finding Pierzynski a new team. Two other major league GMs told the Chronicle they didn't believe the Giants were actively shopping him.

"Absolutely, unequivocally no," Sabean told the paper. "Not on his part, not on our part. Whoever is saying that is giving an utter line of bull."