AJ Burnett "was cruel to the little people, even other players," Toronto Star, 12/13/08

""Good A.J. was thoughtful and charismatic, if a bit wary. He was touchy-feely in an endearing and unselfconscious way. He loved pranks. He inspired immense loyalty in his teammates, especially younger pitchers.

• Bad A.J. was aggressively profane. He kicked at chairs and blew up without warning.

• He sulked mightily, although after the ugly exit from Florida, he learned to keep it off the record.

• He was cruel to the little people, even other players.

He was off in a slightly intimidating way.

Bad A.J. tipped his hat sarcastically to booing fans. His mood swings prompted a Jays insider

• to wonder aloud if he needed professional help.

• He was called out by his general manager as a malingerer....

• Both sides played up Burnett's great love of Toronto and his relationship with Roy Halladay and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg. The implication was that friendship and loyalty might draw him back. That was never going to happen.

• The Halladay/Burnett relationship existed, but was never as close as advertised. Burnett enjoyed his nights out on the road. A night out for Halladay is a few extra hours on the treadmill. Halladay's best friend on the team is strength coach Donovan Santas....

To a large extent, Arnsberg's reputation in Toronto rested on his ability to draw consistency out of Burnett, his former student with the Marlins. Arnsberg, a guileless pro's pro, only managed the task for one season....Last spring, Arsnberg was the one who announced, unprompted, that

• Burnett had closed his car door on his pitching hand, resulting in a serious nail injury. In an organization that prizes secrecy, it was interpreted as a shot across the bow.

Until Burnett drags the Yankees to the playoffs, injuries will define his career."...

• Toronto Star, 12/13/08, "AJ Takes the Money and Runs to Yankees" posted on this blog 12/14/08

Tweet Stumbleupon StumbleUpon