Chicago White Sox C A.J. Pierzynski is on the cusp of breaking a 29-year-old home run record. In 1983, LF Ron Kittle and DH Greg Luzinski both set a White Sox record when they homered in five consecutive games that season. DH Frank Thomas then repeated the feat in 1994, and then Thomas, deciding the first time was fun enough, went ahead and homered in five straight games again that same season.
OF Carlos Lee accomplished the same feat in 2003, and 1B Paul Konerko did it last year. If you've been keeping track, that's two outfielders, two designated hitters and a first baseman.
Oh. And a catcher.
Pierzynski's homer on Sunday ties him with the five-homer record. After hitting homers on just 9.2 percent of his fly balls through his career, A.J. has upped his home run output to 22.1 percent of fly balls in 2012. But according to him, it's not much more than luck:
"That's why it's funny," he said after the Chicago White Sox's 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.. "It's not like I’m trying to hit home runs. I'm trying to put the barrel on the ball and I'm lucky they're going out."
Whatever it is, A.J. now has a chance to set a new club record as the White Sox take on the Kansas City Royals on Monday.
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