Holy cow
Posted by Andy on April 30, 2008
Micah Owings (a pitcher) hit a pinch-homer for Arizona today. I can't figure out a way to use the PI to search for this type of event, but it's got to be pretty damn rare. Owings is incredible.
Posted by Andy on April 30, 2008
Micah Owings (a pitcher) hit a pinch-homer for Arizona today. I can't figure out a way to use the PI to search for this type of event, but it's got to be pretty damn rare. Owings is incredible.
April 30th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
This 2004 THT article talks about Brooks Kieschnick, who by 2003-2004 had completely switched from a position player to a pitcher. However, as his splits show, he did pinch hit during those seasons and hit 3 homeruns as a pinch hitter.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I doubt they'd want to stick him in the OF or anything (not that they need help in the OF), but Arizona ought to PH him regularly to keep his swing sharp. It would be a shame to lose that great advantage he gives them.
5 HR ties him for 24th among pitchers since the advent of the DH. If he his 3 more this season to match his 4 from last year, he'll be tied for 11th. Mike Hampton leads with 15. Oddly, Hampton never hit one until he joined Colorado in 2001, and he hasn't played since 2005.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
It looks like this was the 4th time he's PH this season. He did it 6 times last year. Arizona seems like a fun team to root for these days.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Here's all the games since 1956 in which a player pinch hit, pitched and homered. With the exception of 2 and 8 the home runs were hit as pinch-hitters. Not quite what you were looking for, but a start none-the-less.
May 1st, 2008 at 7:56 am
Here's a sussgestion for Sean and the powers that be for next time the PI is upgraded.
Allow a list to be generated, captured into a temporary database and allow the user to do a 2nd PI search from that temp database.
In other words, I can get a list of all events where a PH homered. I would like to be able to take that list and see how man of those PH's playd 50% of their games as a P.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:28 am
you would want to search with a smaller % than 50 for that seart Spartanbill. If a guy pitches 30 games for each of 4 seasons, then becomes a hitter and apperas in 150 games the next season in OF, then over 50% of his career is as OF, despite only 20% of his years being OF.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:59 am
You might be right about the % level JG, but it is nice to have the option. I guess it would depend if you want to include or exclude guys like Danny Darwin, Mel Queen and Brooks Keischnick.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:01 am
Oops Bobby Darwin. Not Danny Darwin.
May 1st, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Time goes by fast. You may remember that on April 17, 2001, during the 6th inning, Gene Stechschulte of the Cardinals pinch-hit for Mike James. Not only did he hit a homerun, but it was his 1st AB in the Majors. He did it off Armando Reynoso of Arizona, who won anyway, 17-4. Gene had already pitched in many games, since the previous year but had never been at the plate as a hitter. It is the only time that it has happened in the Major Leagues, as a pitcher.
May 1st, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Owings surely is valuable. In the olden days, teams usually carried 15 position players and 10 pitchers (more or less). With fewer position players now, the reserves are often guys selected because they can fill in at three or four spots, but who can't hit. So having a pitcher on your bench who CAN hit gives your roster a big advantage.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:00 pm
If anyone can improve on this please let me know:
If you do the following google search:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&as_qdr=all&q=%22As+P%22+%22As+PH%22+-%22as+C%22++site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.baseball-reference.com%2Fpi%2F&btnG=Search
you will get a list of players who had at bats in their careers both as pitchers and pinch hitters (but not catchers- a necessary, but uncommon exclusion - you need to exclude something to get rid of the Team splits). Some of the players are players who played a game at pitcher and the others are pitchers who pinch hit.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:57 pm
I found this list. Looks like it's not that rare.
PINCH HOME RUNS BY PITCHERS
Jack Stivetts, Bos. NL
June 28, 1894
Mike O'Neill, St.L. NL
June 3, 1902 (Slam)
Doc White, Phil. NL
Sep. 19, 1902
Ray Caldwell, NY AL
June 10, 1915
Ray Caldwell, NY AL
June 11, 1915
Babe Ruth, Bos. AL
June 12, 1915
Clarence Mitchell, Bkn NL June 24, 1919 (1)
Willie Sherdel, StL. NL
Apr. 20, 1920
Clarence Mitchell, Bkn NL May 29, 1922
Jack Bentley, NY NL
Aug. 26, 1923
George Uhle, Clev. AL
Aug. 19, 1924
Jack Bentley, NY NL
Aug. 24, 1925
Joe Bush, NY AL
Sep. 18, 1924
Walter Johnson, Wash. AL May 19, 1925
Charlie Barnabe, Chi. AL
May 1, 1928
Red Ruffing, Bos. AL
Sep. 2, 1929
Red Lucas, Cin NL
Sep. 20, 1930 (2)
Chad Kimsey, StL AL
July 7, 1931
Clise Dudley, Phil. NL
Aug. 6, 1932 (1)
Red Lucas, Cin NL
May 27, 1933
John Marcum, Phil. AL
Sep. 12, 1934
Ralph Winegamer, Clev. AL June 20, 1935
Wes Ferrell, Bos. AL
July 21, 1935
Red Ruffing, NY AL
June 5, 1937
Lynn Nelson, Phil. AL
Aug. 1, 1937 (1)
Lynn Nelson, Phil. AL
Aug. 20, 1937
Joe Bowman, Pitt. NL
Apr. 26, 1940
Lynn Nelson, Det. AL
June 21, 1940
Jim Tobin, Bos. NL
May 12, 1942
Lynwood Rowe, Phil. NL
May 2, 1943 (Slam)
Lynwood Rowe, Phil. NL
July 4, 1943 (2)
Zeb Eaton, Det. AL
July 15, 1945 (Slam)
Zeb Eaton, Det. AL
Aug. 8, 1945 (2)
Early Wynn, Wash. AL
Sep. 15, 1946 (Slam)
Early Wynn, Wash. AL
July 5, 1947
Carl Scheib, Phil. AL
Aug. 29, 1948 (2)
Bob Lemon, Clev. AL
Apr. 23, 1950
Tommy Byrne, Chi. AL
May 16, 1953 (Slam)
Johnny Lindell, Pitt. NL
June 25, 1953
Johnny Lindell, Pitt. NL
Aug. 15, 1953
Bob Lemon, Clev. AL
July 8, 1956
Maury McDermott, KC AL Aug. 10, 1957
Maury McDermott, KC AL Aug. 14, 1957
Tommy Byrne, NY AL
Sep. 15, 1957 (1)
Don Larsen, NY AL
Aug. 17, 1958
Don Larsen, KC AL
May 22, 1961
Gary Peters, Chi. AL
July 19, 1964 (1) 13th inning
Earl Wilson, Det. AL
July 15, 1966 (1) 13th inning
Earl Wilson, Det. AL
May 13, 1967
Gary Peters, Chi. AL
Aug. 11, 1968 (1)
Gary Peters, Bos. AL
Aug. 22, 1971 (1)
Gary Peters, Bos. AL
Sep. 4, 1971
May 1st, 2008 at 9:08 pm
statboy - Why does the list end in 1971?
May 1st, 2008 at 10:29 pm
to answer my own question - because the list was written 1979.
http://www.sabr.org/cmsFiles/Files/Pitchers_as_Pinch_Hitters.pdf
statboy- good find.
Can anyone fill in the subsequent years?
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:54 am
Awesome research to find awesome research! Well done!
On a separate issue, I have a stat request. I'd make it in http://www.baseball-reference.com/sotd/suggestions but I don't think anyone reads that.
I noticed that Andruw Jones (through last night) had 15 walks and 14 hits for the season. Can someone post a list of players with more walks than hits in a season, ranked by most hits?
Also, it may be time to see how Andruw Jones' season is ranking historically overall.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 am
Kingturtle, I don't know how to prepare the list you ask for. But see Eddie Yost (1955-56), Barry Bonds (of course), and Max Bishop (most years).
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:16 am
Also Eddie Joost and Eddie Stanky. Looks like Ted Williams managed it once. '50s are a good era to look at...a lot of BB at that time.
Here's some guys with over 100 BB and under 100 hits:
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/EzNE
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:23 am
Okay, a list of players with at least 100 hits in a season and more walks than hits. First, some interesting exceptions. Ted Williams, 1947, 181 hits, 162 bb, the closest to equal with 159+ hits. Jimmy Sheckard, 1911, 149 hits, 147 bb. Willie Mays at age 40, 1971, 113 hits, 112 walks.
Barry Bonds, 156 hits and 177 walks in 2001. He went over the line of 100h/101bb 4 times, and had the biggest walk margin (97 more walks) in 2004. Also (in order of # of hits in their highest mention on this list) Mark McGwire, Eddie Stanky (did it twice), Eddie Joost (twice), Jimmy Wynn (twice), Williams (in 1954), Mickey Mantle (twice), Jack Clark (twice), Eddie Yost, Rickey Henderson, Gary Sheffield, Max Bishop (4 times), Toby Harrah, Roy Cullenbine, Mickey Tettleton, Gene Tenace (twice), Willie McCovey, Jack Cust (last year), and Hank Greenberg.
A great many of these seasons came from guys in their later years. Some of them couldn't swing the bat as well as once they could, but they could still see, and they compensated ("We grow too soon old and too late smart").
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:30 am
I read the suggestions, kingturtle, just can't always respond.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:54 am
I started this list before David made his post. It still adds some info
Top 10 Players with more walks than hits sorted by hits: Ive included how many were IBB in()
:
(01) Barry Bonds 2001 : 156 H, 177(35)BB
(02) Mark McGwire 1998 : 152 H, 162(28)BB
(03) Barry Bonds 2002 : 149 H, 198(68)BB
(04) Eddie Stanky 1945 : 143 H, 148(NA)BB
(05) Eddie Joost 1949 : 138 H, 149(NA)BB
(06) Barry Bonds 2004 : 135 H, 232(120)BB
(07) Ted Williams 1954 : 133 H, 136(NA)BB
(08) Jimmy Winn 1969 : 133 H, 148(14)BB
(09) Barry Bonds 2003 : 133 H, 148(61)BB
(10) Eddie Stanky 1946 : 132 H, 137(NA)BB
Stats courtesy of the Sean Lahman database
May 4th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
In 2001, on the SABR mailing list, Dick Adams wrote, "Maybe someone else on the list might provided a list of players with 75 or more hits in a season who had more walks than hits."
Sean Lahman answered, "It's been done 44 times by 25 players:
"Cal Abrams (1945), Max Bishop (1926,27,29,30,32), Bernie Carbo (1975), Jack Clark
(1987,89,90), Jack Crooks (1892,93), Roy Cullenbine (1947), Rob Deer (1991), Hank
Greenberg (1991), Toby Harrah (1985), Rickey Henderson (1996), Eddie Joost
(1947,49), Mickey Mantle (1966,68), Willie McCovey (1973,74), Mark McGwire
(1995,98), Mel Ott (1943), Ken Phelps (1986), Yank Robinson (1888, 1889), Gary
Sheffield (1997), Eddie Stanky (1945,46,51), Gene Tenace (1974,77,78), Mickey
Tettleton (1990,94,95), Wes Westrum (1951), Ted Williams (1954), Jim Wynn
(1969,75,75), Eddie Yost (1955,1956)."
The Hank Greenberg date is obviously a typo.
May 5th, 2008 at 5:23 am
That's a pretty fascinating list--pretty much all of those are compelling players. Some got more walks than hits because they were very dangerous hitters who were put on base a lot. Others got more walks than hits because they were lousy hitters but had enough power to warrant being walked from time to time.
Since that list was written in 2001, it doesn't include Barry Bonds, who had more walks than hits, and more than 75 hits, in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
You can also add Morgan Ensberg(2006) and Jack Cust(2007) to Gerry's list