Nicky Smokes rips Connor Griffin over first base claim

It started as an office argument, and Nicky Smokes had his phone out for it.

Nicky Smokes

@nickysmokess

I’m speechless. @RealCGriff thinks he could go 10/10 catching a ball thrown at him from 3B/SS going 100 mph. There’s not a chance in hell.

Here's the claim: stand at first base, let someone fire 10 throws across the diamond from third or short at 100 mph, and catch every one. Smokes says there's "not a chance in hell," and he has a point. Catching a throw at first only looks easy when it's chest-high and on target. The real work is everything else: the short hop in the dirt, the throw that tails into the runner, the one that sails high while you keep your foot on the bag. Getting that right 10 times in a row at full velocity is a lot to promise when your day job is producing a podcast.

That's Griffin's day job. He's a Barstool producer and one of the Couch Boys on Mostly Sports, a Penn State guy who goes all in on Philly teams. Once the argument got out, Barstool Gambling turned it into an office poll and asked people to name the easiest position in sports.

Barstool Gambling

@stoolgambling

What is the EASIEST position to play in sports?

First base is the usual answer to that question, which is probably why Griffin felt safe saying it out loud. Smokes didn't argue the point. He went and found game tape instead.

Nicky Smokes

@nickysmokess

.@RealCGriff you not catching this ball bro😭

That's the exact spot Griffin signed up for: a one-run game, 2 outs in the 9th, a grounder to the left side, and the whole thing riding on the guy at first. Smokes' caption is just "you not catching this ball bro" with a crying emoji, which says plenty. The bit didn't end there, either. Griffin apparently called first base "the big field," and Smokes brought in a Phillies pitcher to respond. That's a cheap shot at a Philly fan, and that's what makes it funny.

Nicky Smokes

@nickysmokess

Phillies Cy Young Candidate Jesus Luzuardo thinks it’s “GG’s” after @RealCGriff called it “the big field”

Connor Griffin@RealCGriff

I played first base my entire baseball career growing up (I even played one year on the big field before I retired to focus on hoops) If all I have to do is just stand on the bag and catch a ball thrown right at me, then this is the easiest challenge of all time. Am I crazy???

So it's a challenge with no ending yet. Griffin says 10-for-10, Smokes says zero chance, and the rest of the building is busy ranking positions. There's an obvious way to settle it: a radar gun, a pitching machine or a strong-armed intern, and 10 throws across the office, on camera. Until somebody sets that up, first base stays the easiest position in sports, as long as you're never the one playing it.