Catcher A.J. Pierzynski puts spark in twins' game; during Minnesota's successful 2002 season, hard-nosed backstop defined the character of one of the game's most exciting teams. (Lightning Rod For Conflict).

FORMER A'S CLOSER BILLY KOCH, one of the latest American League players to take a verbal swing at human pinata A.J. Pierzynski, called the Twins catcher a "jackass" last October, a day after Pierzynski hit an important two-run homer off Koch to help eliminate Oakland in Game 5 of the 2002 A.L. division series.

"That's a joke," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "A.J. hit a home run off him, A.J. hit .300, A.J.'s an All-Star. Be happy you're sitting at home. Leave A.J. alone. A.J.'s doing fine."

Koch's words stung Pierzynski, adding psychic bruises to the real ones inflicted by purpose pitches all season. It seems the less a baseball player knows Pierzynski, the less he likes him.

"I just play hard," Pierzynski said. "I guess I should apologize. Then again, why should I? I guess I'm just a Jekyll-&-Hyde type guy, and the things I say and do get misconstrued.

"I guess I do things that other teams don't like, but I'm not trying to bother them on purpose. I'm just trying to win the game.

"You know how the guys on this team feel about me. They know I'd run through a wall for them. That's all that really matters."

Later, Pierzynski strolled into the dugout and admitted he had given his on-field persona some thought. "Sometimes I talk to myself on the field--when I'm hitting, and when I'm catching," he said. "I think sometimes that's mistaken for me talking trash. I am really competitive out there. But you've got to find something to get you going."