Great Hitters and Their Pitching Careers
THE MOST SURPRISING PITCHING STATS
IN THE WORLD
Great Hitters You Didn’t Know Pitched in the Major Leagues
What do Honus Wagner, Stan Musial, Paul O”Neill, Cesar Tovar, Tris Speaker, Dave Kingman, Ted Williams, and Cookie Rojas have in common?
You say, “Well, that’s easy. They were all great hitters and fielders!”
Yes, but did you know that each of these men pitched in the major leagues?
I bet you knew that Babe Ruth pitched in the majors as did George Sisler, but few know that these other sluggers pitched as well. It just goes to show, there are many things in heaven and earth that are not accounted for in your average baseball fan’s philosophy!
Of course you knew that Babe Ruth was a great pitcher for the Red Sox before becoming a home run hitter. He made many records on the mound at Fenway Park that still stand in the Hall of Fame, including consecutive scoreless World Series innings for the Red Sox. But did you know that he pitched for the New York Yankees, and in four seasons of pitching was undefeated? Most Yankee fans don’t know that, heck I didn’t know that until I looked it up. Ruth was that amazing.
He had a 1-0 record in ’20, with a 4.5 ERA, (while batting .376) went 2-0 in ’21, with a 9.0 ERA (while batting.378), 1-0 in 1930, a complete game pitched with a 3.0 ERA and three strikeouts (.359 batting average), and a 1-0 season in 1933, with a complete game win and a 5.0 ERA (he batted .301 that year). In his years with the Yankees he was 5-0 in five starts with two complete games. So when people ask me who the greatest all-around player is, I say “Would you believe Babe Ruth?” His .342 lifetime batting average is nice, but I’ll take the pitching.
George Sisler was a contemporary of Ruth’s and converted from pitcher to first baseman because of his awesome batting average. In the major leagues, Sisler’s ERA was 2.35 lifetime in seven seasons pitched. He had 12 starts, pitching 111 innings in 23 games, with one shutout. Meanwhile, his lifetime batting average was .340, and in 1922 batted a stupendous .420, one of the greatest seasons at the plate in history. No wonder his teammates took the pitching rosin out of his hands in 1919 and gave him a first baseman’s glove.
There have been several highly versatile fielders over the years who could play many positions, but only a few who added pitching to their resume.
Cookie Rojas, recently a coach for the New York Mets, played major league ball for sixteen seasons. During all that time, he played every position ever invented, and fairly well; he played second base in 1449 games, outfield in 200 games, third base in 46 games, shortstop in 39 games, DH in 16 games, catcher in 7 games, first base in 2 games, and pitched in one game. In that game, he gave up one hit and no runs in one inning of ball in 1967 for the Phillies. Maybe he did it just to complete the cycle. People probably asked, “What position HAVEN’T you played?” And he answered honestly, “Pitcher.” So they let him pitch.
That is more impressive than Al Spalding, a Hall of Fame Manager, who in 1876, started 60 games as a pitcher for the Chicago team, with 53 complete games, batting .312, with 2 triples, and managed the team while also playing 10 games in the outfield, and 3 games at first base. His ERA that busy year was only 1.75. He won 47 games and lost 13. Little wonder he made it to the Hall of Fame. 47 wins is a Mendoza Line of excellence no one will ever get to enjoy again, not to mention the complete games.
But even these pitching stats are not the most amazing in baseball. What is remarkable is that many of the greatest hitters in the game tried to walk in Babe Ruth’s spiked shoes as it were, with varying degrees of success on the mound.
Tris Speaker, for example, pitched in a game for Boston in 1914, giving up two hits, and one run. He batted .338 that year. His fellow teammate, Babe Ruth was a rookie pitcher that same year, pitching in four games, batting only .200 in 10 at-bats. Ruth was 2-1, with a 3.91 ERA, in case you were curious, with only 3 strikeouts all year. Somehow they knew to send Tris back to the outfield, and to renew Ruth’s contract; both good moves. In any case, it is amazing to note that both Speaker and Ruth, two of the greatest names in hitting, both pitched for the same team the same season.
Stan Musial was certainly a great hitter for St. Louis, but did you know he pitched one inning in 1952, and pitched a “no hitter?” They should have tried him for nine innings at that rate. His lifetime average was .331, which is what people remember him for.
Cesar Tovar was a lifetime .278 hitter, but had 36 doubles in 1970, which is no small thing. However, it was in 1968 that he pulled off one of his most amazing feats, he started a game for the Twins. Tovar gave up one walk, got one strikeout, and gave up no runs.
The Yankees’ Paul O’Neill will always be remembered for his doubles and triples, not for his pitching, but did you know that in 1987, he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds? He survived on the mound for two innings, getting two strikeouts, but giving up two hits, four walks, and three runs in the process, to earn a 13.50 ERA. They sent him back to the outfield. Good idea!
Honus Wagner, “The Flying Dutchman,” was certainly one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, (.381 in 1900) and taught the young Ted Williams how to hit. Perhaps he taught him to pitch as well. Wagner pitched in two games for the St. Louis Cardinals, one in 1900, one in 1902, a total of 8.1 innings, and got six strikeouts without giving up a run. He gave up a total of 7 hits and 6 walks, but apparently stopped the rallies in time to save the day. His lifetime average was .329 at the plate.
His hitting protégé, Ted Williams, of all people, pitched in a game in 1940. Maybe that’s why they call him “Teddy Ballgame.” He pitched two innings, gave up one run, three hits, and struck out one man. How would it feel to be struck out by Ted Williams? Sure he had a .344 lifetime batting average, but to strike out against him as a pitcher is like being beaten in arm wrestling by your sister!
Dave (“King Kong”) Kingman, who homered 442 times in his career, pitched four glorious innings for his San Francisco Giants in 1973, and got four men to strike out. Interesting he led the league in strikeouts three times, but that was as an outfielder. He pitched in two games that year, giving up one run per inning, three hits and six walks total. Not bad for a slugger who was to hit 48 round-trippers (The Jimmy Foxx line) in a single season in 1979.
Bobby Veach was a .310 lifetime outfielder for Detroit, and played in the 1925 World Series. But few remember his pitching appearance in 1918, a year in which he led the league with 78 RBIs, but in which he also threw two innings giving up two hits, two walks, and one run, earning himself a save. On the big list of “most saves by a relief pitcher, lifetime,” he is last. But its amazing he’s on the list!
Some great fielders who weren’t great shakes as hitters were also sent to the mound to try their luck against their opposite numbers, with varying success.
Buck Martinez, who had a pitcher’s batting average anyway, .225 lifetime, but a great fielder, pitched one inning in 1979 for the Milwaukee Brewers, giving up one hit, one base on balls, no strikeouts, and no earned runs.
Mario Mendoza, a great fielder but poor hitter, after whom the ignominious “Mendoza Line” was named, pitched two innings in 1977 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was anything but great, with a 13.50 ERA, giving up 3 hits and 2 walks, with no strikeouts. It didn’t help his batting average either. His 13.50 ERA is another type of “Mendoza Line.” When you hit that mark at any point in the season, people generally tell you to sit down. His relative Mike Mendoza also pitched an inning for Houston in 1979, giving up no runs.
Gene Michael, a substitute shortstop with the 1968 Yankees, (43 games) came in to pitch 3 innings in one game. He gave up 5 hits, no walks, and no runs, with three strikeouts.
So the next time someone says, “Which pitcher had the highest lifetime batting average?” You can say Tris Speaker, .344 lifetime; Ted Williams .344 lifetime; Babe Ruth,.342 lifetime; George Sisler, .340 lifetime; Stan Musial, .331 lifetime; and Honus Wagner .329 lifetime. Any other questions?
IN THE WORLD
Great Hitters You Didn’t Know Pitched in the Major Leagues
What do Honus Wagner, Stan Musial, Paul O”Neill, Cesar Tovar, Tris Speaker, Dave Kingman, Ted Williams, and Cookie Rojas have in common?
You say, “Well, that’s easy. They were all great hitters and fielders!”
Yes, but did you know that each of these men pitched in the major leagues?
I bet you knew that Babe Ruth pitched in the majors as did George Sisler, but few know that these other sluggers pitched as well. It just goes to show, there are many things in heaven and earth that are not accounted for in your average baseball fan’s philosophy!
Of course you knew that Babe Ruth was a great pitcher for the Red Sox before becoming a home run hitter. He made many records on the mound at Fenway Park that still stand in the Hall of Fame, including consecutive scoreless World Series innings for the Red Sox. But did you know that he pitched for the New York Yankees, and in four seasons of pitching was undefeated? Most Yankee fans don’t know that, heck I didn’t know that until I looked it up. Ruth was that amazing.
He had a 1-0 record in ’20, with a 4.5 ERA, (while batting .376) went 2-0 in ’21, with a 9.0 ERA (while batting.378), 1-0 in 1930, a complete game pitched with a 3.0 ERA and three strikeouts (.359 batting average), and a 1-0 season in 1933, with a complete game win and a 5.0 ERA (he batted .301 that year). In his years with the Yankees he was 5-0 in five starts with two complete games. So when people ask me who the greatest all-around player is, I say “Would you believe Babe Ruth?” His .342 lifetime batting average is nice, but I’ll take the pitching.
George Sisler was a contemporary of Ruth’s and converted from pitcher to first baseman because of his awesome batting average. In the major leagues, Sisler’s ERA was 2.35 lifetime in seven seasons pitched. He had 12 starts, pitching 111 innings in 23 games, with one shutout. Meanwhile, his lifetime batting average was .340, and in 1922 batted a stupendous .420, one of the greatest seasons at the plate in history. No wonder his teammates took the pitching rosin out of his hands in 1919 and gave him a first baseman’s glove.
There have been several highly versatile fielders over the years who could play many positions, but only a few who added pitching to their resume.
Cookie Rojas, recently a coach for the New York Mets, played major league ball for sixteen seasons. During all that time, he played every position ever invented, and fairly well; he played second base in 1449 games, outfield in 200 games, third base in 46 games, shortstop in 39 games, DH in 16 games, catcher in 7 games, first base in 2 games, and pitched in one game. In that game, he gave up one hit and no runs in one inning of ball in 1967 for the Phillies. Maybe he did it just to complete the cycle. People probably asked, “What position HAVEN’T you played?” And he answered honestly, “Pitcher.” So they let him pitch.
That is more impressive than Al Spalding, a Hall of Fame Manager, who in 1876, started 60 games as a pitcher for the Chicago team, with 53 complete games, batting .312, with 2 triples, and managed the team while also playing 10 games in the outfield, and 3 games at first base. His ERA that busy year was only 1.75. He won 47 games and lost 13. Little wonder he made it to the Hall of Fame. 47 wins is a Mendoza Line of excellence no one will ever get to enjoy again, not to mention the complete games.
But even these pitching stats are not the most amazing in baseball. What is remarkable is that many of the greatest hitters in the game tried to walk in Babe Ruth’s spiked shoes as it were, with varying degrees of success on the mound.
Tris Speaker, for example, pitched in a game for Boston in 1914, giving up two hits, and one run. He batted .338 that year. His fellow teammate, Babe Ruth was a rookie pitcher that same year, pitching in four games, batting only .200 in 10 at-bats. Ruth was 2-1, with a 3.91 ERA, in case you were curious, with only 3 strikeouts all year. Somehow they knew to send Tris back to the outfield, and to renew Ruth’s contract; both good moves. In any case, it is amazing to note that both Speaker and Ruth, two of the greatest names in hitting, both pitched for the same team the same season.
Stan Musial was certainly a great hitter for St. Louis, but did you know he pitched one inning in 1952, and pitched a “no hitter?” They should have tried him for nine innings at that rate. His lifetime average was .331, which is what people remember him for.
Cesar Tovar was a lifetime .278 hitter, but had 36 doubles in 1970, which is no small thing. However, it was in 1968 that he pulled off one of his most amazing feats, he started a game for the Twins. Tovar gave up one walk, got one strikeout, and gave up no runs.
The Yankees’ Paul O’Neill will always be remembered for his doubles and triples, not for his pitching, but did you know that in 1987, he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds? He survived on the mound for two innings, getting two strikeouts, but giving up two hits, four walks, and three runs in the process, to earn a 13.50 ERA. They sent him back to the outfield. Good idea!
Honus Wagner, “The Flying Dutchman,” was certainly one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, (.381 in 1900) and taught the young Ted Williams how to hit. Perhaps he taught him to pitch as well. Wagner pitched in two games for the St. Louis Cardinals, one in 1900, one in 1902, a total of 8.1 innings, and got six strikeouts without giving up a run. He gave up a total of 7 hits and 6 walks, but apparently stopped the rallies in time to save the day. His lifetime average was .329 at the plate.
His hitting protégé, Ted Williams, of all people, pitched in a game in 1940. Maybe that’s why they call him “Teddy Ballgame.” He pitched two innings, gave up one run, three hits, and struck out one man. How would it feel to be struck out by Ted Williams? Sure he had a .344 lifetime batting average, but to strike out against him as a pitcher is like being beaten in arm wrestling by your sister!
Dave (“King Kong”) Kingman, who homered 442 times in his career, pitched four glorious innings for his San Francisco Giants in 1973, and got four men to strike out. Interesting he led the league in strikeouts three times, but that was as an outfielder. He pitched in two games that year, giving up one run per inning, three hits and six walks total. Not bad for a slugger who was to hit 48 round-trippers (The Jimmy Foxx line) in a single season in 1979.
Bobby Veach was a .310 lifetime outfielder for Detroit, and played in the 1925 World Series. But few remember his pitching appearance in 1918, a year in which he led the league with 78 RBIs, but in which he also threw two innings giving up two hits, two walks, and one run, earning himself a save. On the big list of “most saves by a relief pitcher, lifetime,” he is last. But its amazing he’s on the list!
Some great fielders who weren’t great shakes as hitters were also sent to the mound to try their luck against their opposite numbers, with varying success.
Buck Martinez, who had a pitcher’s batting average anyway, .225 lifetime, but a great fielder, pitched one inning in 1979 for the Milwaukee Brewers, giving up one hit, one base on balls, no strikeouts, and no earned runs.
Mario Mendoza, a great fielder but poor hitter, after whom the ignominious “Mendoza Line” was named, pitched two innings in 1977 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was anything but great, with a 13.50 ERA, giving up 3 hits and 2 walks, with no strikeouts. It didn’t help his batting average either. His 13.50 ERA is another type of “Mendoza Line.” When you hit that mark at any point in the season, people generally tell you to sit down. His relative Mike Mendoza also pitched an inning for Houston in 1979, giving up no runs.
Gene Michael, a substitute shortstop with the 1968 Yankees, (43 games) came in to pitch 3 innings in one game. He gave up 5 hits, no walks, and no runs, with three strikeouts.
So the next time someone says, “Which pitcher had the highest lifetime batting average?” You can say Tris Speaker, .344 lifetime; Ted Williams .344 lifetime; Babe Ruth,.342 lifetime; George Sisler, .340 lifetime; Stan Musial, .331 lifetime; and Honus Wagner .329 lifetime. Any other questions?
posted by evan pritchard | 3:26 PM
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