Pierzynski brings grit
Rangers find catcher more likable now that he’s teammate
A.J. Pierzynski is one of those better-with-us-than-agin’-us guys. Sort of like Danny Ainge for a throwback Phoenix Suns comparison.
“Before I got with him, I didn’t like the guy,” said Derek Holland, one of the Texas Rangers’ starting pitchers now paired with Pierzynski as a battery mate and teammate. “I think everybody hated him. He’s a competitive guy, and he’s got that fight in him. Being with him has shown me the guy loves the game. He does a great job back there. I love how he sets up and calls the game.
“We’ve already been on the same page,” except for the once in early spring training that Holland threw a pitch the veteran catcher wasn’t expecting. “That was my fault.”
Pierzynski, 36, signed a oneyear deal Texas after eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox, replacing Mike Napoli, now with Boston. Some believe he will bring needed grit to the Rangers, who after losing in consecutive World Series were ousted from the 2012 playoffs in a single wild-card game loss.
Coming off perhaps his best offensive season, Pierzynski says his objective simply is to win games.
“You just try to do what you do and control what you control and go from there,” he said. “Try to bring everything you can to the table on that day and hope it works out.”
Lance Berkman, 37, also new with the Rangers, said Pierzynski “brings a good veteran presence, and he can really hit. He’s matured from when he was younger. He plays the game with a passion and intensity and sometimes that over-emoting, if you will, can rub guys the wrong way.
“But he’s learned how to maintain that same level of intensity, and as he’s matured he’s been less of a distraction from the other team standpoint. I’m glad we have him on our team.”
Pierzynski said minor swing changes helped him last season when he was a Silver Slugger for hitting a career high 27 home runs and drove in a career-tying best 77 runs.
Rangers manager Ron Washington left him off the American League All-Star team, a sore spot at the time but forgiven on the day after Christmas, if not before, when Pierzynski signed for $7.5 million, his most lucrative annual payday.
“It’s always nice to go to a new place and be as welcomed as I’ve been,” Pierzynski said. “It’s a little shot of energy because you have to learn new guys. You sit down with each guy and talk to them and try to figure out how they like to pitch and what they like to do and how they’re successful.”
Pierzynski is communicating well with second-year Japanese ace Yu Darvish, whose English is improving.
“Yu is the guy that can get all the strikeouts,” Pierzynski said. “He has a devastating slider and four to five pitches pitches he can get outs with at any time. Holland is more of a power guy and throws a little bit harder than Harry (Mike Harrison). They’re both similar in the fact they try to get ground balls. Harrison is a ground-ball machine.”
The Rangers’ closer is Joe Nathan, who in 2003 went to Minnesota when the Twins traded Pierzynski to San Francisco.