10 Year Anniversary of THE TRADE

[Seth Stohs]

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/10th-anniversary-the-a.j.-pierzynski-trade/

 

What were you doing 10 years ago today. Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times write today that Terry Ryan and Brian Sabean made a trade in which the Twins sent AJ Pierzynski to the Giants for a reliever coming off of his first season back from injury (Joe Nathan), a top 100 pitching prospect (Boof Bonser), and a throw-in from the lower levels of the minor leagues who had fought injuries and pitched very little in his last couple of years (Francisco Liriano). Pierzynski spent just one year with the Giants before they tired of him. Bonser didn't become a star. Liriano had his ups and downs but at his best, he was sure exciting! And Joe Nathan became the best closer in Twins history, and one of the best in baseball for a 6-7 year stretch. Good memories! Check out the article and discuss.

[SpitefulRabbit617]

Well Boof was in a Triple Play against the Mariners.........

[gunnarthor]

Good trade. Too bad about Boof. He was really big for us down the stretch in 06.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I'm still trying to figure out how Sabean is still employed.

 

Also wondering if he just blocks all calls from Ryan.

[gunnarthor]

I'm still trying to figure out how Sabean is still employed.

 

Multiple WS winning teams will give a little job security.

[70charger]

Good trade. Too bad about Boof. He was really big for us down the stretch in 06.

 

Yep, he must have been a good 250-260 pounds.

 

Oh you mean pitching...?

[Paul Pleiss]

Boof Bonser, great name. Not a great career. To rephrase a song from popular culture "Pitchers, they come they go, rotation to bullpen, bullpen to hasbeen, yo"

 

Boof Bonser, we hardly knew you.

[notoriousgod71]

The only thing that makes it a terrible trade is that SF got rid of A.J. after one season. Otherwise you have one of the more durable catchers in the league for 1.5 years of great SP and an excellent relief pitcher.

 

There aren't too many relievers that wouldn't get traded for a starting catcher.

[gunnarthor]

Yep, he must have been a good 250-260 pounds.

 

Oh you mean pitching...?

 

Yeah, if you recall, the 06 team chased down the Tigers (who had one of the greatest collapse in history). In his last 10 starts, the team went 7-3 while he threw over 60 innings to a 3.26 era. And that was after Liriano and Radke had gone down and Silva and Baker were crapping the bed most of the season. He was really big for us. And he pitched ok in game 2. Really wish he had had a better career.

[stringer bell]

At one point a big topic on BYTO was who was better--Boof or Baker? I was solidly in the Boof camp thinking he had an out pitch (curveball) and Baker didn't. It turned out that Baker has had the far better career and that Boof really never came back from his injury with the Twins (shoulder?). I guess one just has to realize that the washout rate for pitchers always has been and will continue to be high.