White Sox icon A.J. Pierzynski enjoying milestone moment

If you hear boos coming out of Wrigley Field Sunday, A.J. Pierzynski is likely in the lineup.

Still chugging along at age 39 as a catcher for the Atlanta Braves — who are in town to play the Chicago Cubs — Pierzynski remains one of the game's most loathed players.

It's a reputation that's been following Pierzynski since 1998, when he broke into the major leagues as a cocky, competitive catcher for the Minnesota Twins.

But Anthony John Pierzynski remains a Chicago White Sox icon, and he was a beloved member of the 2005 World Series champion team.

“I still love it here,” Pierzynski said. “I still have a lot of friends here and I still keep in touch with a lot of people here. I enjoy coming back here, it's still fun.

“Every time you're driving through the streets, you have memories of all the places you went here, where you lived and where you went to eat lunch and everything. It will always be kind of my second home.”

Looking to go in another direction at catcher, the White Sox let Pierzynski exit as a free agent following the 2012 season.

It was a decision that still rubs many Sox fans raw, but Pierzynski has carried on while playing for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Braves.

“I tell people I'm day-to-day, year-to year, whatever it is,” Pierzynski said. “I still enjoy playing baseball, I still love competing, I still love being out there. There are things, obviously, having two kids, a 10- and nine-year-old, you miss a lot.

“I miss my son's games, miss my daughter's volleyball tournaments and stuff, that's the hard part. But the game is still fun and I'm still physically fine. I have no physical problems, which is lucky. I still like playing, so we'll see.”

While he's understandably slowed down a bit with age, Pierzynski became just the 10th catcher in major-league history to reach 2,000 career hits last Wednesday when he singled off Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright at Fenway Park.

“It's a really cool moment in your career to get to a milestone like that,” Pierzynski said. “Then you get guys like (former White Sox teammate Paul) Konerko texting you and saying, 'It took you long enough.' Stuff like that. But no, it's one of those cool moments and cool things, something to definitely to be proud of, so when you're done you look back and say, 'One of the highlights.'”

Piling up 2,000 hits is not going to get you into the Hall of Fame, but it is a remarkable achievement for a catcher, considering all of the pounding and wear and tear that comes with the position.

Cubs catcher David Ross, who is also 39 years old, can appreciate Pierzynski's accomplishment more than most.

“With all the miles he has on his body and still being a productive catcher, that is really impressive to me,” said Ross, who has 491 career hits. “I'm still catching and we're around the same age, but the miles he's put on his body are way more than me, and I know how I feel day to day.

“He's one of the tougher at-bats in the league. The guy does a good job of putting the bat on the ball. I'm super impressed.”

Deep down, Pierzynski has got to feel the same way. But he's not quite sure being a catcher makes reaching the 2,000-hit plateau any more special.

“I don't care what position you play, to get that many hits is hard,” Pierzynski said. “Add in the catching position and it obviously adds a little bit to it. But I don't know, I never really looked at it as anything different than any other position.

“Obviously, catching is different because of the amount games you miss and you don't get to play, just because of the way the game is scheduled and set up today. It's tough for anybody to get there, but as a catcher obviously the numbers speak for themselves and the number of guys that have been there, so it's a special thing.”

When he was younger, Pierzynski regularly played 135-140 games a season. But the game has changed, and Pierzynski is now in an almost straight platoon situation with Tyler Flowers, another former White Sox catcher.

“I think what he's accomplished is tough, especially in today's game where they're trying to take care of the catchers and not beat them up too much,” Ross said. “It's actually a credit to him for playing so many games. You obviously have to be a good hitter, but you also have to be in a lot of games, be in a lot of the day games after night games, and what that does to your body is super, super tough.”

With the Braves off to the worst start in baseball at 5-18, Pierzynski appears to be a bad fit on a team that is just beginning a massive rebuild.

With his skill and experience, would Pierzynski make more sense on a team that has playoff aspirations?

“I don't really have any control over that,” Pierzynski said. “Obviously, I'd like to turn the Braves around and get them back to where the Braves belong. We'll see what happens. If there's a team out there that wants me and the Braves think it's a fair move, I'm sure they won't hesitate to pull the trigger.”

What about the White Sox or Cubs, who both are banged up at catcher?

“I don't think either one of those teams will be calling for me any time soon,” Pierzynski said with a laugh. “Trust me.”

Most hits by catchers

Now in his 19th MLB season, former White Sox player A.J. Pierzynski is climbing up the career hits list for catchers:

Rk. Player Hits

1. Ivan Rodriguez 2844

2. Ted Simmons 2472

3. Carlton Fisk 2356

4. Joe Torre 2342

5. Jason Kendall 2195

6. Yogi Berra 2150

7. Mike Piazza 2127

8. Gary Carter 2092

9. Johnny Bench 2048

10. A.J. Pierzynski 2000

Source: baseball-reference.com