Enough with this AJitating

Message to the White Sox: Enough already with the A.J. Pierzynski nonsense.

Somebody has to tell the Sox’ catcher to play the game the way a pro is supposed to play it and conduct himself the way a pro is supposed to conduct himself.

Pierzynski has forced countless people in the Sox organization into the awkward position of having to apologize for him.

So yeah, enough already.

In the past, Pierzynski was compared to Dennis Rodman. On Tuesday morning, Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse compared him to Bart Simpson.

Reusse points out that “I didn’t do it” is Simpson’s common defense. It also was Rodman’s. Now it’s Pierzynski’s.

Personally, I’m ready to start referring to him as A.J. Gardini or Benito Pierzynski.

Pierzynski acts like Benito Gardini, one of the first great wrestling villains and a role model for all subsequent bad guys.

Gardini would club a guy from behind or gouge his eyes or bite his neck, then throw his hands up, widen his eyes and shake his head.

You know, as if to say, “I didn’t do it.”

That’s A.J. Pierzynski, who happens to be a wrestling fan who has participated in a few shows.

Pierzynski’s latest baseball, er, incident occurred on Memorial Day when the Twins thought he deliberately stepped on first baseman Justin Morneau’s foot.

This would be a serious violation of baseball etiquette. Pierzynski might not have done it purposely, but it sure did appear that he approached the bag unnaturally.

Regardless, intent isn’t an issue here anymore. The issue is Pierzynski keeps rewriting the game’s unwritten rules into scribblings on a washroom wall.

An Old English Sheep Dog’s intent doesn’t matter. All that matters is he keeps bumping into a hutch and breaking the good china.

Of course, Pierzynski pleaded not guilty to the media, Morneau and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. Publicly, all parties agreed the conflict was over — no retaliation.

The Twins left that to the Metrodome fans who booed Pierzynski all Tuesday night.

It should be noted that Pierzynski’s pro career began in the Twins’ organization and that Gardenhire managed him.

When Pierzynski returns to the Twin Cities, his reputation precedes him. When he steps on a first baseman’s foot, his history indicts him.

Pierzynski is considered a major AJitator around the major leagues. No wonder he was the target when Cubs catcher Michael Barrett chose to punch someone last year.

Seriously, enough already.

Just a couple weeks ago Pierzynski was the guy who compelled Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to be profane on the radio. He’s also the guy Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle spoke about unflatteringly that same weekend.

Pierzynski is the guy who once stepped on an opposing player’s hand. Now the Twins think he tried to step on Morneau’s foot.

Enough already with, “I didn’t do it.” When a baseball player has to keep issuing that same denial, it can be interpreted that he did do it.

An intervention should commence in the Sox’ clubhouse. Anyone who ever played first base — Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, Darin Erstad — should sit Pierzynski down and insist he cut it out.

Pierzynski’s behavior isn’t funny anymore, and a couple lines are on the verge of being crossed.

First, Pierzynski is in danger of plunging from diversion to distraction. Second, he’s close to becoming an annoyance you’d rather your team lost without than won with.

So enough already with the bad-guy wrestling routine.

GROWING SPORT

TRUMBULL TOWNSHIP - - Cowboy mounted shooting is becoming one of the most rapidly growing equestrian sports in the U.S.

Ashtabula County residents got a taste of what it's all about Saturday at Spinning Wheel Farm as the Northern Ohio Outlaws Cowboy Mounted Shooting Club of Wooster conducted a demonstration.

The sport started out west in Arizona and has rapidly been making it's way across the U.S. Mounted contestants ride in the fast-action, timed event using two .45 caliber single-action revolvers loaded with five rounds of specially prepared blank ammunition.

Courses are set in a variety of patterns, requiring the rider to guide the horse and shoot the gun at the same time. The first five targets of a course of fire will vary with each go and requires the horse and rider to stop, turn, change leads and accelerate rapidly. The last five targets, called the "run down," is a straight course with targets set at 36 foot intervals.

Typically, a competitor crosses the timing beam at a full gallop and engages the first pattern of five targets. After the shooter fires the fifth shot, he or she returns the empty revolver to a holster and then races to the far end of the arena while drawing the second revolver. At the far end, the horse and rider turn another barrel and then engage the five remaining targets of the "run down" at full speed.

Scoring is based on elapsed time plus a five second penalty for each target missed or barrel knocked over. Contestants dress in 1800s clothing to add an extra bit of flare to the event.

"That's one good thing about it," said Elizabeth Phillips, who organized Saturday's event. "It draws attention to us."

There also are different levels of shooting. After competitors achieve so many wins in one level, they move up to the next. Contestants start out as a level one shooter. If there are three or more shooters in the class a win will move the shooter into the level two class. After three wins in level two, the shooter moves onto level three, and so on, all the way up to level six.

There are 54 different courses. Any breed of horse can be used in the sport but the horses must go through training to become acclimated with the sport, Phillips said.

Phillips is trying to start a club in the county and will hold a clinic on June 3 at Spinning Wheel Farm. Participants will bring their own horses, but guns and ammunition will be provided in the cost of the clinic. Joe Coalter, director of the Northern Ohio Outlaws, will conduct the clinic.

"When we have clinics, the first thing we do is go through gun safety," he said. "We go through gun safety before every shoot out."

Other than the safety part, there is no other gun training, it's up to the individual to get comfortable with using the revolvers, he said. Horses are also trained at the clinic.

"There's a lot going on for the horse," Coalter said. "There's gun fire, balloons, gun smoke, that's a lot for those horses to get used to."

Just like any other sport, Coalter said cowboy mounted shooting is an investment.

"You have to get a good horse, a good gun and a saddle," he said.

The first cowboy mounted shooting club originated in Cincinnati. The Northern Ohio Outlaws started as an affiliate of that club and is trying to bring the sport further north, Coalter said.

"There's a lot of horse country up here," he said. "Even though we use guns, it's a family sport."

Coalter and his wife both compete in the sport as well as their daughter. Kids run patterns without using guns, he said.

"It's something we can do together," Coalter said.