If you were to conduct a poll of major league players and fans about who is the most hated man in the sport, Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski would probably come in first and second, while making a strong push for third. If you forgot why, check out this clip from last night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
As If You Needed Another Reason To Dislike A.J. Pierzynski
↵Pierznyski was awarded first base even though the ball clearly bounces off the dirt, not his foot. That doesn’t stop A.J. from hopping and hobbling up the first base line like the pitch had just broken every bone in his foot. You can’t blame the umpire for blowing this call, because he was too busy actually being hit with the pitch to see what happened. He decided to take A.J.‘s word for it. Not a smart move.
↵Although A.J.‘s cowardly acting job isn’t all bad -- it does give us the opportunity to look at this classic case of faking being hit by a pitch:
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↵Is that the kind of guy you want to root for? Me neither.
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