Can I transplant a sapling growing from mature root?

I have a Cleveland Select pear tree. It has a 9" tall sapling growing at its base. When I dug down to try to remove the sapling, I discovered that it was an off-shoot from the mature tree's root, not an independent plant. Can I save the sapling? If so, how do I go about removing it from the root? I obviously don't want to sacrifice the well-being of the 12-foot tree for a 9-inch tree.

Thanks.

Can I transplant a sapling growing from mature root?
I don't recommend it...

certain varieties of fruit trees are grafted onto another root stalk and what's coming up at the root may not be the same variety of pear that you've got growing. What I do I prune the sapling as close as possible to the root/trunk as possible (using a sharp pair of loppers or rose pruners) and don't even bother trying to save it.