How many bases can Cowley steal off A.J. Pierzynski?
STOLEN-BASE CHALLENGE | In 2007, White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski threw out only 16 percent of attempted base stealers. How many times will he throw out a 39-year-old sportswriter?
It started as an open invitation from ''The Demon.''
(Sun-Times)
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''You come down here to Florida, and I'll arrange it,'' White Sox minor-league conditioning guru/former pro wrestler Dale Torborg said. ''I'll take care of everything, including a match with [then-TNA wrestling champion] Kurt Angle.''
''What would that entail?'' I asked.
''Pain,'' replied Torborg -- nicknamed ''The Demon'' from his wrestling days.
I couldn't see his face over the phone, but I could feel the evil smirk when he said it.
It was during that conversation that the seed of ''Joe Meets Pro'' was planted.
The concept is simple: For years, sportswriters have sat in the press box, playing judge, jury and --at times -- executioner for professional athletes. So why not put the shoe on the other foot?
The first segment -- titled ''A.J.'s 16 Percent'' -- stemmed from my getting on Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski numerous times last season because he threw out only 16.2 percent of attempted base stealers.
The challenge? I would have 10 attempts to steal as many bases as I could off Pierzynski, as close to a game situation as we could get it. That meant pickoffs counted.
I didn't even think twice when Pierzynski chose to put Sox coach Kevin Hickey -- a left-hander who still tries to bring it at 90 mph -- on the mound. Sure, Hickey is a former major-leaguer and even played ''Schoup'' in the movie ''Major League II,'' but he's, like, 60 years old. I liked my chances.
As I lay in the dirt, hugging the first-base bag after the first pickoff attempt, I learned that ''Schoup'' was no joke. And after I was gunned down by Pierzynski on my first two stolen-base attempts, I realized -- to paraphrase Roy Scheider in ''Jaws'' -- that I was going to need a bigger boat.
So check out the video above and see if Pierzynski's percentage continued to dwindle or if a 39-year-old sportswriter was humbled in the first installment of ''Joe Meets Pro.''
