Sample Player Profile Page

BURNETT, A.J.


Nickname:	A.J.	Position:	P
Home:	No. Little Rock, Arkansas	Team:	YANKEES
Height:	6' 4"	Bats:	R
Weight:	230	Throws:	R
DOB:	1/3/1977	Agent:	Darek Braunecker-Mark Rodgers
Birth City:	No. Little Rock, Arkansas	Draft:	1995 - Mets #8 - Central Ark. Christian H.S. (Little Rock)
Uniform #:	34		1995 - Mets #8 - Central Ark. Christian H.S. (Little Rock)

YR	LEA	TEAM	SAL(K)	G	IP	H	SO	BB	GS	CG	SHO	SV	W	L	OBA	ERA
1995	GCL	Mets		9	34	27	26	23	8	1		0	2	3		4.28
1996	APP	KINGSPORT		12	58	31	68	54	12	0	0	0	4	0		3.88
1997	NYP	PITTSFIELD		9	44	28	48	35	9	0	0	0	3	1		4.70
1997	GCL	Mets		3	11	8	15	8	2	0	0	0	0	1		3.18
1998	MWL	KANE CO.		20	119	74	186	45	20	0	0	0	10	4		1.97
1999	EL	PORTLAND		26	121	132	121	71	23	0	0	0	6	12		5.52
1999	NL	MARLINS	$200.00	7	41	37	33	25	7	0	0	0	4	2		3.48
2000	NL	MARLINS	$204.00	13	83	80	57	44	13	0	0	0	3	7		4.79
2001	NL	MARLINS	$250.00	27	173	145	128	83	27	2	1	0	11	12		4.05
2002	NL	MARLINS	$367.00	31	204	153	203	90	29	7	5	0	12	9		3.30
2003	NL	MARLINS	$2,500.00	4	23	18	21	18	4	0	0	0	0	2		4.70
2004	NL	MARLINS	$2,500.00	20	120	102	113	38	19	1	0	0	7	6		3.68
2005	NL	MARLINS	$3,650.00	32	209	184	198	79	32	4	2	0	12	12		3.44
2006	FSL	DUNEDIN		2	8	9	6	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	9	3.38
2006	AL	BLUE JAYS	$2,200.00	21	136	138	118	39	21	2	1	0	10	8	0.264	3.98
2006	IL	SYRACUSE		1	5	0	7	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0.00
2007	AL	BLUE JAYS	$13,200.00	25	165.2	131	176	66	25	2	0	0	10	8	0.214	3.75
2008	AL	BLUE JAYS	$13,200.00	35	221.1	211	231	86	34	1	0	0	18	10	0.249	4.07
2009	AL	YANKEES	$16,500.00	33	207	193	195	97	33	1	0	0	13	9	0.247	4.04
2010	AL	YANKEES	$16,500.00	27	157.1	172	121	65	27	1	0	0	10	12	0.283	5.15

PERSONAL:
A.J. was the younger of two boys, growing up in a Catholic family in North Little Rock, Arkansas. But he ended up at a Church of Christ high school when the baseball program at Catholic High, where his brother went, folded. At Central Arkansas Christian, A.J. yawned as teachers told him never to drink or dance or dip lest he go straight to hell. Hey, he was a Catholic�he was going straight to hell anyway!	Burnett was more of a hitter than a pitcher at Central Arkansas Christian High School, where he hit .460 with 11 homers as a senior. In 1998, he led the entire minor leagues with 14.1 strikeouts per 9 innings, and was second in batting average allowed (.179) for a starter, and third in ERA. NIPPLE RINGS AND HARD ROCK A.J. is a little into body piercing. He wears nipple rings. And he has a tattoo on his left arm.

A.J. labels his bats with the names of some of his favorite rock bands: Marilyn Manson, Chemical Brothers, and Kid Rock. He plays the acoustic guitar. And he is a good graphic design artist. When A.J. joined the Marlins late in the 1999 season, his teammates took less than a week to hang a nickname on him: "Satan." Burnett is not into devil worship. But he is into stuff that is against the traditional baseball grain, with his nipple rings, fascination with Marilyn Manson, and the wisp of hair on his chin. He also has been known to wear leather pants and purchase ink drawings. But Burnett also likes to go bass fishing. "Bass fishing is like my religion," A.J. said. "I'm as redneck as they come." But he is also an unabashed fan of shock-rocker Marilyn Manson.	Once, on a dare from a teammate, Burnett threw a warmup pitch through the window of Billy the Marlin's mascot truck, sending glass flying. Asked what his parents think of his style, A.J. said, "They were a little iffy at first about the nipple rings. But they realize that's just my style. They're just proud to see me in a Marlins uniform." Former Marlins teammate, C Mike Redmond called Burnett "American Bad Ass." But when former Marlins manager John Boles commented before Burnett's first Major League start in 1999, "Maybe this will light a fire under him," that told everyone what the Marlins thought of Burnett's lifestyle and work habits. It's also a bad sign when an organization uses a promotion to the Big Leagues to reward negative behavior rather than recognize positive achievement. But A.J. is not really the rebellious type that his physical appearance would lead you to believe he is. He is not an overgrown punk. Rather, he is pleasant and not abrasive. It is just style, not rebellion.

Before the 1998 season, A.J. met this girl named Karen, starting a conversation with her in a restaurant. The next morning he woke up and decided he would marry her. She is from Bowie, Maryland. And they did get married after the 2000 season. By March 2001, the newlyweds had a baby boy: Allan James Burnett, Jr. "It wasn't planned," Daddy said. Their second child, Ashton Alexander, another son, was born March 13, 2004. Before 2001 spring camp, A.J. gained 15 to 18 pounds of muscle.	He loves his parents, is prone to adopting stray animals, befriends children, and actually enjoys signing autographs because it keeps fans coming back to the ballpark. A.J. is bright, intelligent and has a good sense of humor. A.J. dropped a hot iron on his pitching hand while ironing his jeans at the team hotel in Los Angeles, May 8, 2001. The blister was not serious, and he was able to pitch. Then-Marlins manager John Boles said, "Jeans? I don't think I've ever ironed a pair of jeans." A.J. pitched a very interesting no-hitter May 12, 2001 against the San Diego Padres. He walked nine! But he also struck out seven. It was the third no-hitter in Marlins' history, following Al Leiter on May 11, 1996 and Kevin Brown on June 10, 1997. Burnett worked fastballs in and out all night. He threw 121 fastballs, just six curves, and one changeup. He threw only 65 strikes -- and 63 balls.

Burnett is polite and soft-spoken. A few years ago, A.J. had a blue Jeep with a seven-inch lift, 35-inch tires with black rims, but no doors and no top. In 2006, he was driving a GMC 2500 Diesel Crewcab truck. Early in the 2003 season, A.J. and teammate Tim Spooneybarger formed the rock duo "Mad Ink." In April 2003, at Burnett's request, his shipment of custom-made bats from bat-maker Carolina Clubs, had a blank spot on the barrel where the player's name normally goes. So Marlins strength coach Dale Torborg affixed the names of rock-and-rollers like Ozzy Osbourne, Marily Manson, Kid Rock, Rage Against the Machine, and Kurt Cobain to the bats instead. A.J. proudly showed off the bats to teammates, then used them in batting practice and games.	At least when he was with the Marlins, Burnett always picked up the dinner tab. And he didn't care what restaurant it was or who on the team went with him. And, those dinners at Morton's Steakhouse can get expensive. Former teammate, reliever Todd Jones recalled, "We'd play a day game, travel to the next city and get to the hotel. A.J. would drop off his bags and head downstairs. If you wanted to eat, you knew to meet A.J. in the lobby. He took care of everything�except cabs. As soon as the cab stopped, he was out the door and into the restaurant. That's just how A.J. rolled. And that was one thing the new guys needed to learn." (Todd Jones-The Sporting News-2/16/09)

Midway through 2004 spring training, A.J. showed up with a new hair style: cornrows. September 27, 2005: The Marlins sent Burnett home a day after he made derogatory comments about the organization. The team didn't offer him a multiyear contract, either. The pitcher said the team plays scared because manager Jack McKeon and the coaching staff are too negative. Burnett popped off after losing his sixth decision in a row at Atlanta. Burnett wasn't suspended, but the decision cost Burnett a $50,000 bonus he would have received for pitching 210 innings. He has pitched 209 innings this season. "It's depressing around here. There's nothing positive around here. There's nothing positive on the staff now. You give up one home run, and it's a funeral. ... A positive pat on the back is better than anything," he said. "I haven't seen a pat on the back since April." Asked who he was targeting with his criticism, Burnett said, "I'm not naming names." (Palm Beach Post-Sept. 26, 2005)	A.J. says his favorite actor is Bruce Lee and favorite actress is Michelle Pfeiffer. His favorite movie is "Caddyshack" and all-time favorite TV show is "Alf." He said if he could meet anybody, it would be Jim Morrison of the Doors. Burnett grew up a fan of the Chicago Bulls. Asked what he sees for life after baseball, A.J. said, "There will be a lot of bass fishing trophies to be collected." Reporters who spent a lot of clubhouse time with Burnett have said you never knew who you were going to get: good A.J. or bad A.J. All-star athletes have their ups and downs. Burnett was capable of switching back and forth a couple of times during the course of a conversation.

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. (Cathal Kelly-Toronto Sun-12/13/08) Burnett has a prominent tattoo on the back of his hand. He said it was the symbol for Pisces, the Zodiac sign of his sons A.J., Jr. and Ashton. And during 2009 spring training, his first with the Yankees, Burnett came up with an estimate of 12, for how many tattoos he has. As for the pain of so many needles, Burnett said: "It feels good after a while." To Burnett, maybe. He said he got his first tattoo at age 18. It was on his left ankle: a picture of him pitching. His lower legs are adorned with bright red and green designs, including an Aztec symbol. On his arms, the tattoos stop just above the elbow - aside from the simple black Pisces - so he won't have to wear long sleeves to pitch, as former Blue Jays teammate Justin Miller did. Burnett even had a band with former teammate Tim Spooneybarger that was titled Mad Ink for the pair's tattoo collection. TRANSACTION REPORT	June 1995: The Mets chose A.J. in the 8th round, out of Central Arkansas Christian High School in Little Rock. February 1998: The Marlins sent P Al Leiter and INF Ralph Milliard to the Mets for Burnett, P Jesus Sanchez, and OF Robert Stratton. January 17, 2005: Burnett signed a one-year, $3.65 million contract with the Marlins. He can earn $50,000 each for 190, 200 and 210 innings pitched. He would also earn an extra $50,000 for making the All-Star team. December 6, 2005: Burnett signed a 5-year, $55 million contract with the Blue Jays. After signing the deal, A.J. thanked his agent, Darek Braunecker, by giving him a 2006 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon�fully loaded. Sticker price: $40,000.

November 4, 2008: Burnett chose to opt out of his contract with the Jays, walking away from the $24 million he was scheduled to make over the 2009 and 2010 seasons. On December 12, 2008: A.J. signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Yankees.

PITCHING:
Burnett has a Major League 93-97 mph moving FASTBALL, and has been clocked as high as 100 mph. But he has better control over his heater when he throws it around 93 or 94 mph. He has a big, slow, 11-to-5, CURVEBALL that is a devastating pitch. He digs a fingernail into the baseball's seams to throw his curve. The heater and curve are the only two pitches A.J. has to use. But he also has a KNUCKLE-CURVE and a good, straight CHANGEUP that he improved in 2008 spring camp so that he can get lefthanded hitters out more effectively. It acts a lot like a splitter�diving down and to the right. He also added a SLIDER in 2008 spring training. His spiked-curve is thrown with a raised forefinger like a knuckle-curve. It looks a lot like a slurve, especially when it flattens out. The break on that curve is so hard and violent that even Big League umpires frequently miss calling it right. When he has command of this great pitch, he dominates.	Burnett says his grandfather taught him the spike-curve when he was a teenager. "The first one I threw was like 50 feet high," A.J. recalled. "He cussed me out. He told me, 'Throw it just right, and they'll never hit it.'" In spring training 2006, Toronto pitching coach Brad Arnsberg has been working on restructuring Burnett's technique when pitching from the wind-up. Before, the right-hander would turn his body without lifting his hands, but Arnsberg now has Burnett raising his hands over his head during the delivery. "It's just less movement." Burnett said. "Before I was up and down with the hands and tended to carry my hands a lot, instead of getting the ball out of the glove. Going over the top seems to keep me back and allows the hands to come out sooner than before."

"I didn't like the turn-back look," Arnsberg said. "I'm so glad now to see him almost into what I would call a conventional delivery. I believe his ball-out-of-glove [movement] is a little more consistent, which is going to help." (Jordon Bastian-MLB.com-3/08/06) His lack of control has actually served in his favor, to a certain extent. Hitters are ready to bail out on inside pitches. A.J. is not afraid to make a mistake and is a tough competitor. He is not afraid of anything. He is absolutely fearless, and that goes a long way. He will pitch inside on hitters.	Burnett has electrifying stuff and is capable of throwing a no-hitter any time he takes the mound. A.J. no longer stries to strike people out. Before the 2006 season, he was the "He-Man" guy who got the adrenaline going when he got the "K." But the Blue Jays and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg got Burnett thinking of pitching to make early contact�using fewer pitches. Burnett is maturing more, mixing up his pitches instead of blowing the heat past them. It has started to click for him. Midway through the 2008 season, a longtime National League scout said this about A.J. "To me, Burnett has been a classic underachiever," the scout said. "If I had his arm, I could win a lot of games. He doesn't have a tremendous feel for pitching, but he has tremendous stuff." KEVIN BROWN-LIKE DELIVERY

In 2002 spring training, Burnett worked on something new within his delivery. He lifts his leg and twists his lower body, similar to Kevin Brown's delivery. "I was joking around in the outfield with Josh Beckett," Burnett said, "and I gave it the Brownie windup. Pitching coach Brad Arnsberg and our Triple-A manager, Dean Treanor, were watching. They came right over to me. It was one of those things that just clicked. My hips stay closed," Burnett said. "It puts me on a straight line to the catcher, and it helps give me points of balance and explosion. I'm using my legs instead of just my upper body." Some of the greatest power pitchers in baseball history�Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, for example�used their legs as a power source. It was something that Burnett hadn't done well before 2002. And it reduces the stress on his arm.	As one American League scout observed, Burnett's new "Kevin Brown-style" windup has improved his power sinker and made him more deceptive. He no longer throws across his body, giving him better command. Burnett has excellent arm speed and uses his legs well. On the negative side, Burnett trusts his high-90s fastball too much and doesn't change speeds on it enough. A.J. is one of the toughest pitchers in the game to catch, let alone hit. Burnett's pitches move so much that it is best to have a good, experienced receiver behind the plate when he is on the mound.

During the 2008 season, one scout said of Burnett, "He's got all the answers, and he blames everyone else when things go wrong. He won't look in the mirror at himself." A.J.'s seven complete games in 2002 were just one behind Major League leaders Bartolo Colon and Randy Johnson. For the 2002 season, Burnett had the third-worst run support in the Majors. During his rehab while returning from Tommy John surgery, A.J. refined his delivery. "I'm eliminating my turn on my upper half," said Burnett late in April, 2004. "It's very minimal. Instead of turning with my whole body, I'm turning with my legs. My upper half is going to turn, but not as much."	The streamlined delivery causes Burnett's stride to lean further towards the plate, allowing him more extension as he moves toward it. "It avoids [the torso] flying open, because the more you turn, the more you have to turn the other way to come back," Burnett said. "It keeps your shoulder toward home plate more. It's easier on the elbow because your legs are doing all the work." (MLB.com-4/22/04) In 2008, he led the American League in strikeouts with 231. And was third in innings pitched, with 221. BREAKDOWN VS. LEFTIES AND RIGHTIES In 2000, this righty pitcher neutralized righthanded batters to a .219 average. But lefty hitters posted a .302 mark.

In 2001, he held righthanded hitters to a .213 average and lefties to just .247. In 2002, A.J. only allowed a microscopic .177 average to righthanded hitters, with 7 home runs in 109 innings. And leftys hit just .242 with 5 homers in 95 innings. In 2004, A.J. allowed a .247 average with 4 home runs in 64 innings pitched to lefthanded hitters. Righthanded batters only managed a .211 mark with 5 home runs in 56 innings. In 2007, Burnett held lefthanded hitters to a .200 average with 12 home runs in 330 at-bats, while righthanded batters managed a .231 average with 11 home runs in 281 at-bats. In 2008, A.J. allowed lefthanded batters a .262 average with 11 home runs in 481 at-bats, while holding righthanded hitters to a .231 average with 8 home runs in 368 at-bats.	In 2009, Burnett held lefty hitters to a .217 average and 11 home runs in 419 at-bats, but righthanded batters had a .282 average and 14 homers in 362 at-bats. Burnett entered the 2010 season with a career record of 100-85 and a 3.84 ERA. He had allowed 147 homers and 1,392 hits in 1,583 innings.

FIELDING:
A.J. exhibits very good quickness and agility in fielding his position. His delivery is a bit slow to the plate. And he is working on improving his pickoff move. He is a very good hitter for a pitcher, posting a .280 batting average in 2000, with a home run off the Cardinals' Rick Ankiel. Burnett doesn't bunt well.

CAREER INJURY REPORT:
1997: A.J. spent time on the D.L. early in the season. 1998: A.J. didn't make his season debut until May 24 after breaking his pitching hand in a freak accident over the winter. Working out with friends, he put his hand up to deflect an errant throw headed for his face. Three screws were inserted in his hand. March 21-July 20, 2000: Burnett missed the first couple of months of the season with a serious ligament injury to his right thumb. In March, he ruptured the ulnar collateral ligament, which controls the lateral movement in the thumb, when he slipped while fielding a ball during spring practice and landed awkwardly on it. He underwent surgery March 21 and was not allowed to grip a baseball for 10 weeks.	February 23-May 6, 2001: A.J. was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right foot. He probably injured it while running on a treadmill in January. He wore a walking boot for a month, along with a device called a "bone stimulator" for 10 hours a day to help promote bone growth. So he pretty much missed Spring Training. He went on rehab assignment to Brevard County (FSL) in April. August 19, 2002: Burnett went on the D.L. with an acute bone bruise on his right elbow. March 21-April 8, 2003: A.J. was diagnosed by Dr. James Andrews with synovitis, or an inflammation of the area around the elbow. An MRI did not reveal any ligament damage. Dr. Andrews said he couldn't pinpoint the cause of Burnett's inflammation. But he didn't rule out the Marlins' original theory that throwing curveballs from a three-quarter arm angle was the genesis of the problem. He started the season on the D.L.

April 26, 2003: Just over two weeks after being activated, Burnett went back on the D.L. with a swollen right elbow that inhibited mobility. An exam in Birmingham, Alabama two days later revealed a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. Dr. James Andrews performed ligament-transplant surgery (Tommy John surgery) on April 29. Recovery time is normally 12 to 18 months. Burnett's elbow problems may have stemmed from a new delivery he began using in 2002. He was turning his body toward shortstop, and by August elbow-related setbacks surfaced. He went on the DL at the end of the 2002 season and again early in 2003 before needing Tommy John surgery after just four 2003 starts.	March-June 2, 2004: Burnett spent the first two months of the 2004 season on the D.L. while recovering from the Tommy John surgery. March 25-April 15, 2006: A.J. started the season on the D.L. with a sore elbow. He had scar tissue from his 2003 Tommy John surgery break off in his elbow in a start on March 18 and he left the game due to the discomfort. A.J. came off the D.L. and pitched a couple of games, but had to go back on because of continued pain. So . . . May-June 22, 2006: Burnett was on the D.L. June 29-August 12, 2007: Burnett was on the D.L. with pain in his right/throwing shoulder. When the pain persisted, he went to see Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama on July 2. He was placed on the D.L. after receiving a cortisone shot in the ailing shoulder.

November 2007: A.J. lost about three-fourths of his fingernail when he caught his right index finger in his car door. And he couldn't throw his signature curveball early in the 2008 season. He throws it while digging that particular nail into the seams of the baseball. Burnett took Biotin, a vitamin that helps strengthen nails and hair. And he put nail polish on for maximum growth.