A.J. labels his bats with the names of some of his favorite rock bands: Marilyn Manson, Chemical Brothers, and Kid Rock.

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.

During the winter before 2011 spring training, A.J. converted a barn on his property into an indoor pitching facility, where he threw with neighbor and fellow big leaguer Arthur Rhodes.

Early in 2011 spring camp, Burnett and pitching coach Larry Rothschild focused on mechanics and the mental approach to pitching.

A.J. was named the Pirates Opening Day starter for 2013. He realizes he needs to set a good example for his young teammates.

"When I came over here, I became a leader. They didn't really give me a choice. I was a leader on this team last year before I got here. On my drive down [from Arkansas to Florida], I was a leader," said Burnett, whose response to that responsibility, in both emotion and performance, was brilliant. "It is what it is -- and I love it. It brings more out of me. When I take the mound, these guys all watch me, and that makes me tick."

A.J. got his first tattoo, a drawing of his pitching motion on his left calf, while playing in the minors, and later added others including an Aztec symbol that can be seen on his right leg in a Blue Jays commercial and an image of Bruce Lee on his left triceps.

A.J is a 2-time World Series champ: 2003 and 2009.

Walk-Up Musc: Burnett warms up to the theme song from “The Walking Dead.”

July 4. 2014:  A.J. celebrated the Fourth of July by wearing patriotic red, white and blue sneakers during batting practice. They matched well with the uniform he wore as he sat in the visitor's dugout at PNC Park for the first time since leaving the Pirates.

Burnett was an integral part of the Pirates' franchise turnaround during his two years (2012-13) in the Steel City, and he aided the Bucs to their first playoff appearance in 21 years in 2013. He had a chance to reflect on his two seasons with the Pirates, before pitching against them.

"Coming here and coming to a place where there was a young crew and being one of the older guys, I still give all my thanks to the guys in that locker room and what they thought of me from day one, and even today," said the 16-year Major League veteran. "We stay in touch. It's a special group."

Burnett noted he had a chance to catch up with a few teammates and Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage the previous day. Of sitting in the opposing dugout, Burnett said "it's right, but it's wrong," and memories of yesteryear may flood back even more when he takes the mound in the series finale July 6, 2014, against close friend and mentee, Jeff Locke.

"With me, it's all in between the lines," Burnett said. "I think once this place, this city, realized what I gave every time I went out there in between the lines, no matter what, I think that's all they cared about."

What kind of reaction does Burnett expect when he trots between those lines?

"Mixed," Burnett said.

"The city took me in," he added, "and they got a right to boo. And they got a right to cheer, too."

 If the Phillies do sell at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, Burnett could be changing uniforms yet again. But he said that was not on his mind.

"I don't have any thoughts on that right now," Burnett said. "That's where my mind is: I can't predict the future. I don't hope for the future, I'm day by day; this is my team." (Stephen Pianovich - MLB.com, 7/4/2014)

Burnett has long been known to be the premier Batman fan in the Major Leagues. He has a Batman tattoo on his forearm and has been known to dress as the caped crusader.

2015 All-Star Game: Burnett plaed his first and his last. In his 17th and final Major League season, the 38-year-old right-hander finally got to stand among the game's elite players at the Midsummer Classic. 


TRANSACTIONS

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 five-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.

February 17, 2012: The Pirates sent RHP Diego Moreno and OF Exicardo Cayones to the Yankees, acquiring Burnett. The Pirates will pay $13 million of the $31 million remaining on Burnett's contract, sources said. 

February 12, 2014: Burnett signed a one-year, $16 million contract with the Phillies.

November 3, 2014: The Phillies announced Burnett declined his $12.75 million player option, which made him a free agent.

November 14, 2014: A.J. returned to the Pirates, agreeing to an $8.5 million, one year contract. (Editor's note: Burnett took $4 million less in order to play for a contender.)

2015: Burnett was chosen to play in his first All-Star Game after 17 seasons.

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.

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)

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 long-time 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.

"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.

In 2010, whenever Burnett struggled, which was often, he he turned his body and swung his front leg wildly, leaving prints from his landing foot all over the front of the mound.

So in 2011 spring training, A.J. concentrated on going towards the plate. And the stride became natural to where he was not thinking about his mechanics.

"The swinging takes a lot out of me,” Burnett said. “Being able not to do that and still have my turn, it’s a good thing. I won’t miss by so much, not waste any pitches and keep the ball closer to where I want to go with it. There’s going to be a turn, but as long as I lift to that turn and not karate-kick up to it, if you want to call it that, will be a lot better.”

Talk about rare: In 2012, Burnett (12-3) is the first Pittsburgh starting pitcher to win 12 of his first 15 decisions since, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Emil Yde in 1924. Yde was a rookie lefty who finished that season with a 16-3 record.

And, for the 2012 season, Burnett's 16 wins are the most for the @Pirates since John Smiley had 20 and Zane Smith had 16 in 1991.

May 1, 2015: A.J.'s frequently star-crossed career reached a striking crescendo, when he passed one of MLB's most storied pitchers in lifetime strikeouts. Burnett tied Sandy Koufax for 42nd place on the all-time with his sixth whiff of the night, and passed him the next inning when Matt Holliday became career victim No. 2,397.

"That only means I'm old, man," Burnett said, before turning serious.  "That means a lot to me, because that's pretty much what I've pitched for all these years," said Burnett, a power pitcher for most of his career. "I want to win ball games, of course, but to still be able to do this at this age with some success, it means a lot."  

Koufax, the legendary Dodgers' southpaw forced by elbow pain into retirement at the age of 30, paved his way into the Hall of Fame with 2,396 strikeouts from 1955-66.  "For me, it was a 'wow' moment," manager Clint Hurdle admitted. "I got goosebumps. That's special. Within the game, there are always those little stories, and that's a pretty significant one." (T Singer -MLB.com - May 2, 2015)  

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.

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 starts.

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 . . .

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.

The right-hander injured himself on February 29th at the team's spring training facilities in Bradenton, Fla., after a bunt attempt caromed off his face. He flew to Pittsburgh right away to be further evaluated.

June 9-July 7, 2013: A.J. was on the D.L. with a Grade 1 tear in his right calf. He says he incurred the injury during his normal running program the week before.

Burnett was diagnosed with Gilbert's syndrome, a rare but benign genetic defect in the liver in which bilirubin conjugation ability may lead to mild jaundice under certain conditions.

April 14, 2014:  A.J. was diagnosed with a small inguinal hernia. Doctors said that he will eventually need surgery that requires six to eight weeks of recovery.

"I'm going to have to deal with it," Burnett told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Paying attention to it, knowing it's there, knowing what I can do to overdo it and knowing what I can do to keep it where it needs to be. I'm more of a go-getter and I'm not really a take-it-easy kind of guy, so it's going to be a test."

He said he'd take the mound for his next start and "go about work like nothing happened." After that, he plans to put off surgery for as long as possible and pitch through the pain.

July 31-September 10, 2015: Burnett was on the D.L. with right elbow inflammation. (August 4, 2015:  Burnett was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his right elbow, and he also received an injection of platelet-rich plasma to abet the recovery.)