Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
April 17, 2008
That's What Makes them Pros

Joe Cowely (the writer, not the former pitcher) demonstrates why you don't challenge professional athletes at their own game. Note that Pierzynski doesn't even throw hard.

When I was at ESPN, one of the researchers I worked with was a Red Sox fan named Vinny. Vinny used to throw a fake punch at people to see if they would flinch. If they flinched, he would hit the person in the shoulder. Of course if they didn't Vinny would receive the punch.

Well, for two years, every time Vinny saw Ray Knight, he would greet him with, "I hate you Ray Knight," as Vinny was still upset about the Red Sox loss to the Mets in the 1986 World Series. One Sunday morning Ray walks into the research office, and Vinny throws one of his pulled punches. Ray, who has stood in against a Nolan Ryan fast ball in his career, doesn't flinch a bit. Totally unfazed. Ray looks at Vinny and says, "I didn't flinch, that means I get to punch you." Ray then hits Vinny hard in the upper arm. There was nothing pulled about the punch. Vinny is in pain, and I'm laughing. Ray throws a pulled punch at Vinny, and Vinny flinches. Ray says, "You flinched, I get to hit you again, " and pounds the same spot. Again, I'm laughing, Vinny is laughing through his pain and Ray has a big smile on his face. I don't think Vinny did the punch game after that, and I don't think Cowley will write as harshly about players in the future.


Posted by David Pinto at 03:18 PM | News Media | TrackBack (0)
Comments

Ok, but now A.J. has to write ten articles and get them by the editor.

This is kind of funny, kudos to Cowely for being willing to go out there and take his licks. It would have been much more interesting with a batter in there and more pitches with A.J. not knowing when Cowely would go.

Posted by: t ball at April 17, 2008 03:43 PM

What jackass wears shorts while stealing bases? Seriously, everything was in A.J.'s favor. No batter in the way. Pitcher throwing only fastballs so no curves or change-ups which are better pitches to run on. Second baseman was always standing on the base.


Posted by: Dave at April 17, 2008 04:02 PM

So because Pierzynski is able to throw out a friggin' sportswriter that means said sportswriter shouldn't judge him too harshly for failing to throw out real ball players? What a crock. And I say that despite the fact that I probably hold most sportswriters in lower esteem than Pierzynski does.

Posted by: Joe at April 17, 2008 04:50 PM

Cool story about Ray Knight

Posted by: DbacksBuzz at April 17, 2008 05:13 PM

Joe Cowley is a bigger homer Sox fan than Hawk Harrelson.

This is the same guy that voted for A.J. as MVP and left Joe Mauer completely off the ballot in '06.

Same guy who predicted Nick Swisher to win it this year, and picked the Sox to win the wild card.

Obviously no one knows what is going to happen in '08, but to honestly pick the White Sox to win the wild card and Swisher to win MVP? C'mon. Let's be objective here.

He'll probably vote for Swisher at the end of the year just to give him a vote.

Posted by: Boomer at April 17, 2008 05:58 PM

As an aside, AJ just threw out a baserunner.

Posted by: Tor at April 17, 2008 08:17 PM
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