Remember the classic Wayne Gretzky quote, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take”? A.J. Pierzynski took that lesson to heart Monday night.
In the eighth inning of the Atlanta Braves’ contest against the San Francisco Giants, Braves pitcher David Aardsma delivered an off-speed pitch that bounced in the dirt well in front of home plate and clearly was a ball.
Apparently Pierzynski didn’t get the memo, because the veteran catcher calmly caught the ball on one hop, framed it in the strike zone and shot a questioning look back at the umpire.
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Might as well try, right?
Pierzynski always has been a bit of a prankster, so a stunt like this isn’t exactly unexpected. The ump apparently wasn’t too amused, though, throwing a ball back to the pitcher while ignoring the catcher’s mock plea.
Yet A.J. and the Braves eventually got the last laugh, as Pierzynski’s two-run homer tied the score in the ninth inning and set the stage for a 9-8 walk-off win in 12 innings.
