Former Pirates Star Pitcher Serving as Spring Training Mentor
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a crucial season ahead of them, so they've turned to someone they can rely on to help them early on in Spring Training.
The Pirates are bringing in former right-handed starting pitcher A.J. Burnett to Major League Camp at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., with manager Don Kelly extending the invite.
Burnett will start with the Pirates on Feb. 15 and work with the pitching staff for the next four-five days through Feb. 19-20
The former Pirates pitcher will watch the pitching staff workout, provide advice he learned during his playing career and serve as a mentor for them as well, per the team.
A.J. Burnett's Tenure with the Pirates
Burnett had two different stints with the Pirates, his first for two seasons, 2012-13, and then his second stint his final season in the major league at 38 years old in 2015.
He joined the Pirates in a trade from the New York Yankees on Feb. 18, 2012 in exchange for Exicardo Cayones and Diego Moreno.
It was a great three seasons for Burnett with the Pirates, where he had a strong ending to his career and pitched some of the best baseball in the major leagues.
Stat | Total |
|---|---|
Record (Starts) | 35-28 (87) |
ERA (Innings Pitched) | 3.34 (557.1) |
Strikeouts/Walks (K/BB) | 532/137 (2.99) |
WHIP | 1.27 |
Burnett had an impressive first season with the Pirates in 2012, with a 16-10 record, a 3.51 ERA over 202.1 innings pitched, 180 strikeouts to 62 walks, a 1.24 WHIP and a .246 batting average allowed (BAA).
He excelled early on for Pittsburgh, becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to win eight games in a row since Dock Ellis did so in 2012.
Burnett also threw a complete game, one-hitter in a 5-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on July 31. He was four outs away from throwing a no-hitter, before giving up a hit, but allowed just two hits and posted eight strikeouts in the win.
The Pirates loved Burnett during his time with the team becoming a fan favorite after striking out Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez on Aug. 16 and telling him to "Sit the F--- Down", which turned into shirts for fans and a meme on social media.
He improved to 13-3 after that complete game, but went 3-7 his final 12 starts with a 3.91 ERA, as the Pirates faltered the rest of that season, going from 16 games above .500 at Aug. 8, 63-47, to winning just 16 more games and losing 36, finishing 79-83 and their record 20th straight losing season.
Burnett came back for the Pirates in 2013 and had another strong season, even with a 10-11 record in 30 starts.
He posted a then career-low 3.30 ERA over 191.0 innings pitched, 209 strikeouts to 67 walks, a 1.22 WHIP and a .231 BAA.
His play got the Pirates back in the postseason for the first time in 20 years and they got one game from making the NLCS.
Burnett returned to the Pirates on a one-year, $8.5 million deal after a poor season with the Philadelphia Phillies and ended his career with the team in 2015.
It was a great year for Burnett, who earned his first All-Star nod, posted a 9-7 record in 26 starts, a 3.18 ERA over 164.0 innings pitched, 143 strikeouts to 49 walks, a 1.36 WHIP and a .275 BAA.
Burnett again helped the Pirates make the postseason and finish with a 98-64 record, their last playoff appearance.
Pirates fans remember Burnett's tenure fondly, with a no-nonsense attitude on the mound and for his success with the team.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.