Four Words Everybody Forgets About A.J. Burnett

Even 93.7 The Fan forgot the three magic words in the headline of the best A.J. Burnett interview ever done in his two years in Pittsburgh.  Colin Dunlap executed the interview in excellent fashion, and he said it again tonight on his show.  Burnett said some magic words with those words everyone remembers.

The words that made all the headlines.

The words all of us wanted to hear.

Those four magic words were as follows:

"“As of right now…”"

Burnett put a disclaimer on his comment.  We wrote about it a while back. https://rumbunter.com/?p=41428

Don’t forget those words.  Don’t just brush those words off.  Burnett said the words and he repeated them.  Go back and listen to it again if you don’t believe me.  It’s rather convenient to forget that and just hate on the man that was the essence of competitiveness for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  A.J. doesn’t come across as cocky if you ever talk to him.

I was fortunate enough to meet him and it’s just not in his bones to be the arrogant one.  He loved Mars.  He loved the Cranberry area.  He loved being a Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher and if the team had an owner with some cash to invest in baseball, he would be a Pirates pitcher in 2014.

Pittsburgh took him in.  Many of you loved him.  We still will.  The teammates in the locker room loved him, at least most of the time.  Burnett says the decision is about his family and his kids.

He wants to win a championship.  Can’t blame him for that whatsoever.

But I think that there is something deeper here.  Much deeper.  As Burnett said, he doesn’t have a problem with Clint Hurdle.  I believe him.

But it makes me wonder who in the Pirates organization he does have a problem with.  I think I know the answer, but it will be interesting to find out as this off-season drama, the most important off-season in twenty years unfolds.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2013/10/21/aj-burnett-says-he-will-be-back-with-pirates-or-retire/