‘we like our players to be able to play more than one position

And hit at none of them. Nice strategy.

What about that statement prevents you from believing he didn't kick Conte in the nuts? You know that the "Nice job, Sabean" came from the journalist and wasn't part of A.J.'s quote, right?

I think I would have had an inkling that these guys were not my kind of guys when the owner insinuated that my stick might be getting a good amount of work at first base as well.

It's not like he didn't have a rep that he's built on before and after the Giants as an ass.

What about that statement prevents you from believing he didn't kick Conte in the nuts?

I don't get that, either.

I'm still not sure what Giants fans were expecting from Pierzynski. He had an off year, but it wasn't terribly out of line with what you'd expect.

And yes, they gave up a ton for him, but that's not Pierzynski's fault.

We’re having a meeting, and the owner asked me if I knew how to play first base. I looked at him and said, ‘I played in the minor leagues.’ He said, ‘we like our players to be able to play more than one position, so you probably will get a lot of games at first base.

Yep - Magowan and Sabean are perfect for each other.

Petunia, do you have a link to the Bruce Jenkins nut-kicking column you are referring to?

I can't find minor-league fielding stats from before 1998, so if Pierzynski ever played first base (and I have no reason to doubt him), it wasn't above A-ball.

Magowan stepping down - just announced.

Well here's a follow-up mention from Jenkins.

... A.J. Pierzynski has everyone buffaloed in Chicago. He has actually convinced them that the Stan Conte kick-in-the-groin incident didn't really happen. Why wasn't it reported at the time? The Giants' beat writers were in the clubhouse, conducting mid-game interviews, and because A.J. was new in town, nobody wanted to crucify him for an incident they didn't witness. It happened, though, sure as the sunrise. Teammates, after talking to Conte, wrote off Pierzynski for the rest of the season ...

Link:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/25/SPGATHU6UH1.DTL&hw=Pierzynski+Jenkins+Conte+kick&sn=001&sc=1000

Jenkins is less credible than Pierzynski, IMO.

Why would Jenkins lie? Especially since his lie would be easily revealed if Conte comes out and says it did not happen. Or if some of the players from the team come out and deny this. Neither Conte, nor any player, has come out and contradicted Jenkins.

The original Jenkins column:

No class whatsoever

One of those now-it-can-be-told stories the White Sox, A.J. Pierzynski's new employer, surely haven't heard: During a Giants exhibition game last spring, Pierzynski took a shot to his, shall we say, private parts. Trainer Stan Conte rushed to the scene, placed his hands on Pierzynski's shoulders in a reassuring way, and asked how it felt. "Like this," said Pierzynski, viciously delivering a knee to Conte's groin. It was a real test of professionalism for the enraged Conte, who vowed to ignore Pierzynski for the rest of the season until Conte realized how that would look. The incident went unreported because all of the beat writers happened to be doing in-game interviews in the clubhouse, but it was corroborated by a half-dozen eyewitnesses who could hardly believe their eyes. Said one source, as reliable as they come: "There is absolutely no doubt that it happened."

Why would Jenkins lie?

Because he hated Pierzynski almost as much as he hated Bonds for some reason. Probably because he perceived that Pierzynski was rude to him in the clubhouse or something.

Only one player has commented at all, AFAIK. Pierzynski, who says it didn't happen. Lack of credibility is the price paid by Jenkins for being a bumbling fool. That's his problem, not mine. Granted, there's a difference between having stupid ideas about sports and telling outright lies, but I still will not accept anything the guy says at face value.

That seems an awfully strange thing to invent ex nihilo, JRE.

That seems an awfully strange thing to invent ex nihilo, JRE.

I don't know that he invented it, but he was awfully glad to run with a rumor from a single source that he refuses to name.

And he's still the only sportswriter in the Bay Area to write about it.

It's definitely Pierzynski's word against Jenkins's, so it's a question of who you believe.

I've read Jenkins's writing, so I believe Pierzynski by default.

At the very least, I think Jenkins is dressing things up. AJ took a shot to the nuts hard enough that he needed attention from the trainer. Then he delivers a "vicious" knee to the trainer's nuts, yet the trainer seemingly is unaffected. You'd at least think that people would have noticed the trainer crumple to the ground after such a "vicious" knee to the nuts. At most, I would think Pierzynski was being a smartass and gave him a gentle nudge that may have given Conte very slight agitation of the sack.

At the very least, I think Jenkins is dressing things up.

This I do not find difficult to believe.

At most, I would think Pierzynski was being a smartass and gave him a gentle nudge that may have given Conte very slight agitation of the sack.

That's being a "smartass"? A gentle "nudge" of the guy who's treating you is being a "smartass"?

The only defense for AJ is that he did not do it. He at least, is smart enough to realise this.

Only one player has commented at all, AFAIK. Pierzynski, who says it didn't happen.

That's my point. Why would Jenkins lie, when his lie would be so very easily revealed? All it would take is for one player, say Bonds, to say that this did not happen.

Why would Jenkins lie, when his lie would be so very easily revealed?

Jenkins didn't see this alleged incident, either. He could claim to have been "misinformed".

Or he could pull a Mariotti and simply ignore whoever refutes him.

We won 91 games and statistically, I had a good year.

Up to that point it was his lowest Batting Average, lowest OBP and lowest Slugging...

FWIW I did read, long before he left SF that his teammates, particularly the pitchers, detested him

I did read, long before he left SF that his teammates, particularly the pitchers, detested him

This I don't doubt. The 2004 Giants were a very old, staid team, and I imagine that Pierzynski's personality rubbed them the wrong way.

I heard an interview with Conte on KNBR, and he was asked about this. He reluctantly confirmed, that, yes, it did happen. However he didn't really want to talk about it much or say anything bad about A.J. He came off as a very nice man, and someone who would rather not talk about it.

Yes, it did happen.

Up to that point it was his lowest Batting Average, lowest OBP and lowest Slugging...

And he had 27 GIDPs. Which was by far, a career high.

This I don't doubt. The 2004 Giants were a very old, staid team, and I imagine that Pierzynski's personality rubbed them the wrong way.

Twins players weren't too sad to see him go. They weren't really happy, but they weren't broken up about it either, though.

He's a red-ass. Everyone knows that. He's one of those guys that you'd rather have with you than against you, but you realize that sometimes you don't want either.

Why would Jenkins lie?

True. We know what moral, upstanding people reporters are. They never hold grudges or write stories to make themselves look like the good guy while others look bad.

Yeah, he didn't really start becoming an Uberdouche until SF. He had some friends on the Twins, Mientkiewicz (who the Twins did trade mid-season for being a loud mouth and having problems with Gardenhire) comes to mind--though a lot of the Twins lineup at the time came up together. I think the Twins were also itching to bring up Mauer, as well as get their hands on Liriano, Nathan, and Bonser.

It worked out perfect for everyone.

.272/.319/.410, and the hatred of the entire team.

And yet Barry "Clubhouse Cancer" Bonds' former teammates continue to have nothing but good to say about him.

“The story about me playing cards and not going over the hitters is not true. I told them I’d be there in two minutes, and I came over there two minutes later.

This is pretty pathetic. It's like calling in late for work and then saying you weren't late because you said you would be.

He's a red-ass.

I thought a "red-ass" was someone like Paul O'Neill, who screams at everybody all the time.

“The story about me playing cards and not going over the hitters is not true. I told them I’d be there in two minutes, and I came over there two minutes later.

This is pretty pathetic. It's like calling in late for work and then saying you weren't late because you said you would be.

It's more like being two minutes late for work and having your former co-workers still talking about it four years later.

The 2004 Giants were human beings [mostly, except for that preternaturally big-headed OF] , and I imagine that Pierzynski's personality rubbed them the wrong way.

Fixed.

I heard an interview with Conte on KNBR, and he was asked about this. He reluctantly confirmed, that, yes, it did happen.

26. Jimmy P Posted: May 16, 2008 at 06:21 PM (#2783626)
Why would Jenkins lie?

True. We know what moral, upstanding people reporters are. They never hold grudges or write stories to make themselves look like the good guy while others look bad.

Wow ... what utterly amazing powers of reading incomprehension we see around here sometimes.

what utterly amazing powers of reading incomprehension we see around here sometimes.

Oh, because a vague recollection of a radio interview is complete proof of something. Got it.

we like our players to be able to play more than one position

Wow the nerve of those jerks, wanting a player of his caliber to play a lesser position, just for the teams convenience.

True. We know what moral, upstanding people reporters are. They never hold grudges or write stories to make themselves look like the good guy while others look bad.

And where did I imply that Jenkins is moral and upstanding? Where did I imply that Jenkins does not hold grudges or write stories to make themselves look bad?

My point is that if Jenkins were lying, it would be pretty easy for him to be caught. All would it would take would be Conte coming out and saying that no, it did not happen. Or for a player whom he's been trashing, say, Bonds, to say no, it did not happen.

Oh, because a vague recollection of a radio interview is complete proof of something. Got it.

Rodder is not the only person who has a recollection of the radio interview. Another person who recollects thishere.