Ever since A.J. Burnett came over to Pittsburgh from New York, he has been the leader of the team and a fan favorite. His demeanor on the mound, ability to pitch and the way he speaks his mind made him seem like a Pittsburgher at heart. One of the lasting memories of his tenure with the Pirates is his fist pumping while coming off the mound last year to a standing ovation, and him telling Hanley Ramirez to “STFD” after he struck him out, following Ramirez showing him up in his previous at bat.
But this year has been a different story. Sure, his record isn’t where people want it, but for anyone who truly understands baseball, judging a player off wins is the worst way to gauge his effectiveness. He’s still pitched well, and he is still the fan favorite.
There have been different episodes this season, however, that makes one wonder about where Burnett is. First, there was Burnett turning to the bullpen telling them to sit down, and that he has this. This obviously didn’t sit well with manager Clint Hurdle, as he was seen yelling at Burnett in the dugout.
No big deal. It happens.
Then, there was Burnett yelling at Clint Barmes after he followed instructions on a defensive shift. The ball got through and the run scored. Burnett was furious and took it out on Barmes. Again, it was made into a bigger deal than it was. But one has to wonder, would Burnett do that to Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker or Andrew McCutchen? Was Barmes just an easy target?
As the season was dwindling down, Burnett did what every athlete should (kidding) and took to Twitter. He now infamously said “Lots of empty seats. Lots.” This didn’t sit well with fans. He received backlash, but still, it was about what he did on the field for most of the fans.
Then came Game 1 against the Cardinals. Most of the time when the playoffs come, you throw the numbers out the window. The sample sizes are too small to actually make them the be-all and end-all. But Burnett’s putrid numbers in St. Louis and his numbers in the postseason suggested he would struggle in the opening game against the Cardinals. Guess what, he did.
So Hurdle had a tough call to make. For Game 5, which is also in St. Louis, would Hurdle trust the veteran, or would he go with the young, hot rookie in Gerrit Cole, who pitched lights out against the Cardinals in Game 2? It turns out that Hurdle made the right decision and went with Cole.
The Pirates are leaving today for St. Louis, so Burnett hasn’t commented yet on the situation. Sure, he’s the guy who wants to take the ball everyday he can; that’s what you want from your ace. There’s also little doubt that he stated his case to Hurdle as to why he should start the game. But the real test is what he says in public to the media.
Personally, I think Burnett will say the right things, and say how it’s about the team, not about him. But of course, I didn’t see Burnett yelling at Barmes, either.
If Burnett handles this correctly, he’ll continue to be a cherished face in the town. If he goes off the handle, however, the fans could have enough of his antics, and decide that they want him to STFD after this season after all.
