From A to J

Good ol number 5

So the Sox finally signed catcher AJ Pierzynski. From what I'm reading at http://www.soxtalk.com/, the fans seem to like this move. I'm not so sure.

On paper, he looks good. Offensively, AJ puts up resonable stats. Notably, he bats near .300 with some power. But, he's slow on the base paths. One 2004 scouting report says: "Pierzynski grounded into 27 double plays, a major league high and a new (SF Giants) franchise record." Defensively, he's a liability, and threw out only 11 of 62 runners. But he's durable and plays a lot of games.

Already, we've heard about the guy's alleged attitude problem. The Giant pitchers disliked him. Maybe he just got off on the wrong foot with his SF teammates, as he appears to have been OK during the years he spent in Minnesota (unless I'm missing something). Ron Gardenhire stepped up to defend him this week. Maybe he'll be a distraction in the Sox clubhouse, maybe not. But is that a chance the Sox, fragile as they are, can afford to take?

When looking at the AJ signing, here's one thing to think about. Catcher is the single most important position in baseball - the most important position on the field at any time - more so than shortstop, or any pitcher. Here's why: the catcher gives the pitcher the signs - tells him what pitches to throw. The catcher, not the pitcher, controls the flow, the tempo, of the game. The catcher has to be pretty fuckin smart - they need to know how to pitch every hitter, in every situation, as well as controlling the pitcher and the baserunners. The catcher is the quarterback.

That's what made Johnny Bench the greatest position player ever. He had baseball smarts, knew the players and had the all-time best situational knowledge of the game. And he could play both ways - stellar defensively, he could smack the cover off the ball as well. He was the leader, the captian, of those great Reds teams of the mid-1970s that won back-to-back World Series titles. How important was Bench to the Reds? Name one Reds pitcher from those great teams. Can't do it, huh? See, it didn't matter if the guy on the mound had less than stellar stuff, because Bench was so good, he could guide an average pitcher to success thru good pitch calling, creating unlimited potential for his team.

The catcher needs to get along well with the pitchers. I think a bad attitude catcher is more potentially hazardous than at all other positions combined.

I don't know if AJ is going to work out or not. But I know this - he better get along with his Sox teammates, especially the pitchers, and the coaches. I have to wonder if he'll fit in with Sox. I can't really gauge the Sox mentality and clubhouse attitude without being there, but what I can say is that I think the team has a defined persona. It seems to work for them. And its probably pretty good. So I wonder if AJ will fit in with a starting pitching staff that is 3/5ths Hispanic, and Ozzie as manager to boot. You have to wonder how he will affect the team chemistry.

And, you have wonder what KW is thinking... So, I'm not sold on this one. Maybe they could've got another catcher who fits in better. Maybe instead of trading Lee for Posednik, they could've gone after someone like Ramon Hernandez, Victor Martinez, or Bobby Estalella (OK, I'm dreaming here). But maybe AJ will work out. I hope so. But I was more comfortable with the Davis/Burke platoon and having more money to spend... Makes ya wonder why Davis was just resigned for a year at $1mil. These small, questionable signings are adding up. In my opinion, that money could've been better used to give Tadahito Iguchi - or someone like him - more money.

I finally finished up "Hard Times" - Charles Dickens grey novel about man's futile struggle against forces beyond his control at the height of 19th century industrialization in England's "North Country". I thought it was OK. But reading Dickens is like listening to opera - I can respect the talent, its beauitiful, but I can only take so much. So today I blew thru 30 pages of the 820-page Napoleon biography.This one should keep me warm all winter...