Posted on Mon, Dec. 11, 2006   

BaseBrawl of champions at TNA event

Catcher A.J. Pierzynski of the 2005 world champion Chicago White Sox picked a fight with World Series MVP David Eckstein of the 2006 world champion St. Louis Cardinals during the TNA pay-per-view Turning Point on Sunday, Dec. 10 from Universal Studios Orlando.

Pierzynski had a shoving match with Eckstein. Pierzynski's pal Dale Torborg, the strength and conditioning coach for the White Sox and formerly the Demon in WCW, slugged Eckstein's brother, Rick, a minor league coach.

''Dale and I were a little upset that they got the big entrance, yet we just got introduced from the [seats]. Plus, they got the [entrance] music, and we didn't,'' Pierzynski said. ``It was a little disappointing. We got a little jealous, so we took out our frustrations on them.''

Pierzynski and Torborg tore Eckstein's new inspirational children's book, Have Heart, which led to the pull-apart.

''As a kid, I always enjoyed wrestling,'' said Eckstein. ``All that went down. Wow. That was unbelievable. Things got a bit heated with A.J.

``When you step into the ring, you're stepping outside your comfort zone. I can handle playing in front of 45,000 [baseball] fans, but going out in front of the TNA Wrestling fans who always want to see action, I was nervous.''

* TNA Wrestling delivers a distinct brand of high-risk, athletic entertainment.

TNA's roster includes new, fresh talent like A.J. Styles, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Ron Killings, Chris Sabin, The Austin Ariess, AMW, Abyss, Homicide and recognizable stars such as Kurt Angle, Sting, Christian Cage, Jeff Jarrett, Team 3D, Konnan, Rhino, Kevin Nash, Norman Smiley, Raven, Shane Douglas and others.

TNA features the innovative six-sided ring and the high-flying X Division, as well as concept matches such as Ultimate X, King of the Mountain and Six Sides of Steel.