A.J. Pierzynksi seemingly never fit in with an incredibly tightly-knit Boston Red Sox team. Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE said, “Pierzynski came to the Red Sox with a bad reputation. He allegedly was an outsider. A career omega male in the team wolfpack.”
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Red Sox catcher David Ross had kind but careful words to say about Pierzynski.
“I think he was doing the best he could. It’s hard,” Ross said to CSB Boston. “I went through some things last year coming to a new staff. It’s hard to adjust to a new pitching staff. I think he was putting his work in, doing the things he needed to do, but there does come a point where if things aren’t working out it’s time to go in a different direction. I think that’s what (general manager) Ben [Cherington] saw and (manager) John [Farrell] saw. They wanted to go ahead and turn that page.”
Tucano’s biggest beef with Pierzynski was his unwillingness or perhaps inability to communicate with his teammates. Pierzysnki supposedly spent a great deal of time on his iPad and phone.
It wasn’t that Pierzysnki was an outcast, it seems; it was that he cast himself out.
Catching prospect Christian Vasquez will replace the veteran catcher. David Ross is looking forward to working with him.
“Everybody is excited for Vazquez. He’s a good kid. I think he works hard,” Ross said. “I liked him two years ago in spring training. I really like his catching set, his skills and what he brings to the table.”