The White Sox will hold a revamped version of SoxFest later this week, but a franchise legend and notable member of the 2005 World Series team will not be in attendance. A.J. Pierzynski was reportedly not invited to the event, per his X account.
Pierzynski’s Notable Omission
This year marks the 20th anniversary of 2005, and several members of the World Series team will be in attendance for the event. Mark Buehrle, José Contreras, and Freddy García are all scheduled to appear throughout the weekend. White Sox icon Harold Baines will also be in attendance. Pierzynski is a notable omission from the festivities. He was one of the integral members of that team and had a decorated eight-year career with the White Sox. It would be one thing if he was invited and couldn’t make it, but he wasn’t invited at all. It is a startling development, to say the least.
Public Criticisms Of White Sox Organization
Pierzynski didn’t elaborate on why he wasn’t invited, but it is relatively easy to connect the dots. He is part of the Foul Territory podcast and has repeatedly expressed frustration with the White Sox organization in recent years.
Pierzynski has publicly criticized the organization on several occasions. He questioned the hire of current general manager and vice president Chris Getz and expressed frustration with the development of the organization’s young players. He has also expressed dismay at Jerry Reinsdorf’s spending habits and was told by Getz that he did not fit the criteria for manager before Will Venable’s hire. Pierzynski revealed that he no longer works for the organization, and it is fair to assume his criticisms are why.
Final Word
This development sums up the incompetence of the White Sox as an organization. The 2005 White Sox story could not have been written without the presence of A.J. Pierzynski. He was an integral part of that team. His consistency on the field and larger-than-life personality made him a hero and legend to many White Sox fans. It is disappointing that he will not attend the first official SoxFest in several years, but it is not surprising. Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t like criticism. It’s that simple. It doesn’t matter that Pierzynski is a White Sox legend and that fans would have liked to see him at SoxFest. Anyone who criticizes Reinsdorf will be shunned, even if that someone is a franchise icon.
