Former MLB catcher A.J. Pierzynski once admitted Barry Bonds was solely responsible for his selection come gameday
Former MLB catcher A.J. Pierzynski once had his spot in the lineup determined by San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds. If the slugger was playing on a given day, Pierzynski would end up on the bench. If not, the catcher could play. The team had to shuffle the lineup around for Bonds, though the two did not play the same position.
Pierzinski recalled this story on Foul Territory:
"I was with the Giants, 2004. Barry Bonds. Best hitter of all time, no one's even close. At me, I dare you. We'd have two lineups on a day game. One with Barry, one without Barry on the board. I would be in the one where Barry wasn't playing, I'd be out of the one that Barry was playing."
He continued:
"So I had to prepare like I was playing. Barry would show up for a one o'clock game sometimes at like noon and say, 'Oh, I'm not playing' or 'I am playing.' So then you go from 0-60, 'I'm playing, oh my gosh, Barry's not playing, so I'm in there' to ugh."
If Bonds played that day, then Pierzynski would be benched. If he was off, then the catcher who played for the Giants, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Atlanta Braves among other teams, was in.
A.J. Pierzynski had his lineup spot held by Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds, per A.J. Pierzynski, was the best hitter in baseball and he was good enough to roll in for a day game and decide then and there if he wanted to play. In 2004, Bonds won MVP while playing in 147 games.
Pierzynski, on the other hand, appeared in 131 games. He was the team's catcher, but catchers often rotate on day games. A day game after a night game is a tough back-to-back for a catcher, so the backups get time.
Despite the unknown, the catcher ended up playing quite often for the Giants. It was his lone season in the bay during his lengthy MLB career.