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Pierzynski will certainly be missed by White Sox

A.J. Pierzynski has been a pivotal player for the Chicago White Sox since joining the club in 2005.

The Texas Rangers, whose catchers hit a collective .228 in 2012, signed the catcher to a one-year deal at around $7.5 million.

Now my question is this: why couldn’t the White Sox work something out?

I don’t know all the ins and outs of the deal or the dynamics between A.J. and the team, but the White Sox can’t seem to wait to start Tyler Flowers, or someone else, and give the veteran catcher a kick out the door.

A.J. was challenged defensively, but offensively he had one of his better years with 27 home runs and 77 RBIs last season.

Maybe the White Sox think they have the next Johnny Bench ready to take over, because not only was A.J. a heck of a hitter, he could call a good game.

He was always a guy the opposition worried about playing against. His dropped third-strike call in the playoff game against the Los Angeles Angels in 2005 is a perfect example of his heads-up play and win-at-all-costs attitude. It’s a play that will be remembered in White Sox history forever.

Good luck A.J., but why couldn’t we have gotten one more year?

Tebow disappoints:I#146;ve been a Tim Tebow backer from Day One in the NFL. That said, he was lied to and mishandled by the New York Jets. According to some reports, when coach Rex Ryan passed over Tebow to play quarterback Greg McElroy, Tebow told the Jets he didn#146;t want to participate in the wildcat package. If that is true, it leaves me sad. Until now, Tebow has said and done the right things. If he didn#146;t want to play in the wildcat because he wanted to start at quarterback, then he is a hypocrite. Let us not forget that Tebow was the Denver Broncos#146; third-string quarterback and he jumped over and ahead of the second-string QB, Brady Quinn.Something must have happened because the Jets practiced all week with wide receiver Jeremy Kerley in the wildcat formation. Tebow is under contract and if it#146;s true he wanted out or wasn#146;t willing to help the team, then it is extremely disappointing.NFL Rookie of the Year:Russell Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback, hasn#146;t gotten his share of the headlines like the other rookie star quarterbacks, Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins and Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck. My choice for Rookie of the Year is the 5-foot-10 quarterback out of Wisconsin, who has completed 63.4 percent of 374 pass attempts for 2,868 yards with a passer rating of 98.0. Wilson was great at Wisconsin and is a stud in Seahawks land. He deserves to be considered.Program note:Look for me on Mancow#146;s television show at 6 a.m. Wednesday on Ch. 50 (WPWR).Merry Christmas from Be-Be, Lucky and me! Ÿ Mike North#146;s column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.

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