Throughout the history of Major League Baseball, pitchers have been known to be the weakest of hitters. This is something I find baffling, being that there was a point in the 19th century where pitchers were regular players and would pitch multiple days in a row. I understand why pitchers do not hit very well these days. The amount of money invested in the young power pitchers now are the reason that teams want to limit the risk of injury. Keeping them out of the batting cage and not having them take regular batting practice both allow for the pitcher to work on mechanics and throwing and limit the risk of any type of injury that can be associated with batting.
As early as the 1960s and certainly before the advent of the designated hitter, pitchers did take batting practice as it was considered just as important as any contributions made on the mound. However, the historically horrific offensive numbers for players that just so happen to be on the mound is astonishing. Astonishing- not because of the ways the importance of pitchers batting has been removed from the game but because, in some cases, there have been pitchers who have been considered some of the greatest athletes to ever be on a baseball field. But, if they are a regular pitcher, it is almost like the ability to bat immediately eludes them.
Examples include a couple of pitchers who made the transition into full time hitters. I do not have time to go through every example, but Babe Ruth was a .342 MLB hitter for his entire career, but as a full time pitcher with the Red Sox hit just .299. Smokey Joe Wood made the conversion into a full time outfielder and for his career hit .283. But, when he was a pitcher he hit just .244. Rick Ankiel only hit .240 for his career, but just .206 as a pitcher. What makes a player perform so differently if they happen to be throwing the baseball to the plate when they take the field? Perhaps the stress an athlete can handle cannot include both the ability to hit and the ability to pitch at the same time. I can see the scenario where a player blessed with both the ability to hit and the ability to pitch has to choose which skill they would like to use to their advantage- just like an ambidextrous pitcher cannot throw with both arms at the same time.
It is sad how we have allowed the history of the sport to dictate what a good hitting pitcher is. It has come to the point where we give credit to a pitcher that simply does not embarrass himself every time he comes to the plate. It is like- "that is what they are expected to do." A pitcher hits over .200 one season in their career and all the sudden, they are called "a good hitting pitcher."
For the reasons I mentioned before, making modern day pitchers good hitters is a lost cause. However, it still bothers me that even though pitchers from generations before took more pride in their preparation for hitting a baseball, the numbers do not reflect it. A pitcher batting is always and has always been a sideshow- something the spectators are supposed to laugh at. When I think of a pitcher coming to the plate to hit, I think of Bill Veeck sending up Eddie Gaedel for the Browns in 1951. If what I am saying is not true, somebody please tell me why there has never been a pitcher who has hit .300 for their entire career? To me, there is no explanation other than the fact that somebody cannot throw a baseball "X" amount of times a game and swing a bat successfully at the same time.
I digress. Here are the pitchers who have hit the most home runs in the history of MLB. Just like www.baseballreference.com and www.baseballalmanac.com, I define a home run hit by a pitcher as just that- the player had to be in the game as the pitcher at the time they hit the home run. Pinch hit home runs and HRs hit while a pitcher was playing a position in the field do not count in this piece.
Player HRs
1. Wes Ferrell 38
2. Bob Lemon 37
3. Warren Spahn 35
4. Red Ruffing 34
5. Earl Wilson 33
6. Don Drysdale 29
7. John Clarkson 24
8. Bob Gibson 24
9. Carlos Zambrano 24
10. Walter Johnson 23
11. Jack Stivetts 21
12. Milt Pappas 20
13. Dizzy Trout 20
14. Jack Harshman 19
15. Cy Young 18
16. Mike Hampton 16
17. Jim Kaat 16
18. Schoolboy Rowe 16
19. Jim Tobin 16
20. Freddie Fitzsimmons 14
21. Babe Ruth 14
This list includes Ruth, who hit 14 HRs as a pitcher and Lemon, who started his career as an OF. Ruth has the highest batting average in the history of MLB for a pitcher at .299. Stivetts was close with .298. However, nobody else on this list came close to .300 as their career batting averages. Ferrell, who by the way belongs in the Hall of Fame, hit .280 for his career, Ruffing hit .269 and Rowe .263. Other pitchers who were good hitters were Carl Mays, Don Larsen, Claude Hendrix, Jack Scott, Dontrelle Willis, Les Sweetland, Sloppy Thurston and Ken Brett. Among this list, Scott had the highest career BA at .275, while Sweetland hit .272.
*The research I have done for this article is all my own and the batting averages from the pitchers did not come from a list. Other than players who made the complete transition from a position player to a pitcher (or vice versa), I did not break down batting averages of pitchers who pinch hit and played other positions. I assume that they hit for a less batting average when they were on the mound. Any additional information will be considered, mainly pitchers who hit for a career average of .300 or higher, which I was unable to find. Please leave any info in the comment section or email me directly at [email protected]. Thank you. JP
As early as the 1960s and certainly before the advent of the designated hitter, pitchers did take batting practice as it was considered just as important as any contributions made on the mound. However, the historically horrific offensive numbers for players that just so happen to be on the mound is astonishing. Astonishing- not because of the ways the importance of pitchers batting has been removed from the game but because, in some cases, there have been pitchers who have been considered some of the greatest athletes to ever be on a baseball field. But, if they are a regular pitcher, it is almost like the ability to bat immediately eludes them.
Examples include a couple of pitchers who made the transition into full time hitters. I do not have time to go through every example, but Babe Ruth was a .342 MLB hitter for his entire career, but as a full time pitcher with the Red Sox hit just .299. Smokey Joe Wood made the conversion into a full time outfielder and for his career hit .283. But, when he was a pitcher he hit just .244. Rick Ankiel only hit .240 for his career, but just .206 as a pitcher. What makes a player perform so differently if they happen to be throwing the baseball to the plate when they take the field? Perhaps the stress an athlete can handle cannot include both the ability to hit and the ability to pitch at the same time. I can see the scenario where a player blessed with both the ability to hit and the ability to pitch has to choose which skill they would like to use to their advantage- just like an ambidextrous pitcher cannot throw with both arms at the same time.
It is sad how we have allowed the history of the sport to dictate what a good hitting pitcher is. It has come to the point where we give credit to a pitcher that simply does not embarrass himself every time he comes to the plate. It is like- "that is what they are expected to do." A pitcher hits over .200 one season in their career and all the sudden, they are called "a good hitting pitcher."
For the reasons I mentioned before, making modern day pitchers good hitters is a lost cause. However, it still bothers me that even though pitchers from generations before took more pride in their preparation for hitting a baseball, the numbers do not reflect it. A pitcher batting is always and has always been a sideshow- something the spectators are supposed to laugh at. When I think of a pitcher coming to the plate to hit, I think of Bill Veeck sending up Eddie Gaedel for the Browns in 1951. If what I am saying is not true, somebody please tell me why there has never been a pitcher who has hit .300 for their entire career? To me, there is no explanation other than the fact that somebody cannot throw a baseball "X" amount of times a game and swing a bat successfully at the same time.
I digress. Here are the pitchers who have hit the most home runs in the history of MLB. Just like www.baseballreference.com and www.baseballalmanac.com, I define a home run hit by a pitcher as just that- the player had to be in the game as the pitcher at the time they hit the home run. Pinch hit home runs and HRs hit while a pitcher was playing a position in the field do not count in this piece.
Player HRs
1. Wes Ferrell 38
2. Bob Lemon 37
3. Warren Spahn 35
4. Red Ruffing 34
5. Earl Wilson 33
6. Don Drysdale 29
7. John Clarkson 24
8. Bob Gibson 24
9. Carlos Zambrano 24
10. Walter Johnson 23
11. Jack Stivetts 21
12. Milt Pappas 20
13. Dizzy Trout 20
14. Jack Harshman 19
15. Cy Young 18
16. Mike Hampton 16
17. Jim Kaat 16
18. Schoolboy Rowe 16
19. Jim Tobin 16
20. Freddie Fitzsimmons 14
21. Babe Ruth 14
This list includes Ruth, who hit 14 HRs as a pitcher and Lemon, who started his career as an OF. Ruth has the highest batting average in the history of MLB for a pitcher at .299. Stivetts was close with .298. However, nobody else on this list came close to .300 as their career batting averages. Ferrell, who by the way belongs in the Hall of Fame, hit .280 for his career, Ruffing hit .269 and Rowe .263. Other pitchers who were good hitters were Carl Mays, Don Larsen, Claude Hendrix, Jack Scott, Dontrelle Willis, Les Sweetland, Sloppy Thurston and Ken Brett. Among this list, Scott had the highest career BA at .275, while Sweetland hit .272.
*The research I have done for this article is all my own and the batting averages from the pitchers did not come from a list. Other than players who made the complete transition from a position player to a pitcher (or vice versa), I did not break down batting averages of pitchers who pinch hit and played other positions. I assume that they hit for a less batting average when they were on the mound. Any additional information will be considered, mainly pitchers who hit for a career average of .300 or higher, which I was unable to find. Please leave any info in the comment section or email me directly at [email protected]. Thank you. JP
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