A. J. Pierzynski

Anthony John Pierzynski (; born December 30, 1976) is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports presenter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher with the Minnesota Twins (1998–2003), San Francisco Giants (2004), Chicago White Sox (2005–2012), Texas Rangers (2013), Boston Red Sox (2014), St. Louis Cardinals (2014) and Atlanta Braves (2015–2016). Pierzynski is one of only thirteen catchers in Major League history to reach 2,000 hits in his career. A two-time All-Star player and a Silver Slugger Award winner, Pierzynski was a member of the 2005 World Series winning White Sox team. He is known for having a strong and colorful personality, a fact he acknowledges. During his turn at the microphone following the White Sox victory parade in 2005, he thanked team personnel for "putting up" with him. Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén summed up the situation by saying, "If you play against him, you hate him. If you play with him, you hate him a little less." Guillén also acknowledged Pierzynski's value to the club despite being relatively high-maintenance: "A.J.'s been great for me. He's worth the work because he always shows up for you."