Starting and Pinch Running
Posted by Raphy on September 10, 2009
Is it possible to both start and pinch run in the same game? Until recently I thought it was not. Then I came across an old game from 1984 and my eyes were opened to the fact that a player could both start and pinch run in the same game.
On July 23, 1984 the Twins and A's hooked up in a game that was decided long before it was over. Oakland was trailing 14 - 1 in the bottom of the 7th when manager Jackie Moore brought in pitcher Keith Atherton to relieve. Atherton gave up a single and then retired Tim Teufel to end the inning. In the top of the following inning, after DH Dave Kingman singled, Moore once again called upon Atherton to sub, this time as a pinch runner. Atherton replaced Kingman at first, took his place in the batting order and finished the game off as a pitcher.
My initial reaction to seeing this was: "Hey wait! You can't do that!" But as I thought about it, it became more logical. I assume that after the Kingman single, it wasn't Atherton replacing Kingman that allowed him to pinch run. Rather, it was Oakland deciding to forfeit their right to the DH that forced them (and allowed them) to put Atherton on first base. (If this true, then Atherton's being listed as a DH is an error). Regardless of how he got there, Atherton did pinch run for Kingman, even though he was already in the game.
While Atherton was not a starter, the same logic should apply to a starting pitcher as well. If a team wants to forfeit their rights to a DH while he is on base, the pitcher would then take his place as a pinch runner. In that case, it would be possible to start and pinch run in the same game.
EDIT: To further clarify, here is my theory:
Prior to a game a team has the option of giving up the right to a DH. Presumably, a team has the same right at any point during the game as well. Normally this occurs when a team moves their DH into the field. However, during this game, the A's chose to do it at a unique moment. With Kingman at first , the A's decided to longer use a DH. As is required by the rules, when the DH is removed the current pitcher replaces him in the lineup. In this case it meant that Atherton replaced Kingman at 1st base. In this way Atherton "pinch ran" for Kingman.
I hope this is clear. If anyone knows of a better explanation, please let me know.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:43 am
Q: How did Atherton start the game?
A: He did not. When you look more closely, you'll see that Atherton is listed as a substitute pitcher first, a substitute runner second, and a relief pitcher third, as directed by rule 10.03(b):
September 10th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
"
I never said that Atherton started. Read the last paragraph. Unless you have another explanation of how a player can pinch run when he is already in the game, the logic should hold true.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Normally, a player who pinch hits, or I guess pinch runs, for the starting DH is considered to be a pinch hitter, or pinch runner, at the time. If the DH spot comes up again, and the player who pinch hit, or pinch ran, earlier takes his turn at bat, he is then considered to be the DH. I've seen lots of box scores over the years like the following (made-up names and box score lines):
Smith DH 3-0-0-0
Jones PH-DH 2-0-1-0
The first of Jones' two at-bats was as a pinch hitter for Smith. The second time, he was considered to be the DH.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Re: #3, all you say is true but that's the case of one DH replacing another. In Raphy's find above, the game started with a DH hitting for the pitcher, and then the manager chose to STOP using a DH, in which case the pitcher resumed playing on offense for himself. In cases where an AL team loses its DH, this usually manifests itself either by the pitcher coming up to bat, or a pinch-hitter coming up to bat when the pitcher's spot comes up next. Because the DH happened to be on the base paths when the manager decided to forfeit the DH, Atherton took the field.
He gets credited as a pinch-runner because that's the closest thing available in a typical boxscore. But in reality, he wasn't so much pinch-hitting as just taking his normal position once the DH was removed.
In my opinion, this is a great discovery by Raphy.
September 13th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
I realized that I wasn't keeping to the topic but wanted to bring up something that slightly bugs me. And then I didn't even end up putting that into my message! It seems to me that when a pinch hitter comes up for the designated hitter, that guy should be considered a "designated hitter substitution" and should only be shown in the box score as a DH, not as a PH. If a substitution for any other player is done first on defense, the actual position goes into the box score and of course remains with that player if he ends up coming to bat later in the game. But there's no way to substitute defensively for a DH if the team intends to keep the DH in the game. So it seems more logical to me to immediately consider the substitute to be a new DH right away instead of a PH (even though, technically speaking, the substitute is pinch hitting).
However, if a pinch runner goes in for a DH (or PH for a DH) after the DH has reached base, then I do agree that this substitute should be referred to as a PR, even if he later comes to bat in the DH spot. At that point, he then becomes the DH.