Their ages on April 1:
How much did Babe Ruth pitch and bat at the same time? Monday, April 9, 2018
The question has become more pertinent as Angels rookie Shohei Ohtani shows his doubters that it may be possible to be a modern Babe Ruth, a player who can excel at both pitching and batting at the same time. Prior to 2018 Ohtani had played only in the Japan Pacific League...
The DH rule started in the old American League back in 1973. The old National League never adopted it. So when Babe Ruth was a full time pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in 1915, 1916, 1917 Ruth would bat in all games in which he pitched. Ruth never played another position until 1918 when he led the AL in home runs for the first time with 11, tied with Tillie Walker, who had been Ruth's teammate the previous two years and was playing center field for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1918.
Prior to modern expansion in 1961 there were eight teams in each of the two major leagues. They played only in league and 22 games against each of seven opponents. That's a 154 game schedule, which was not always completed and which could contain ties. Also, in 1918 and 1919 the schedule was shortened because of U.S. involvement in the first World War. The Red Sox played these number of games during Ruth's years with them:
1914 91-62 (2) = 153
1915 101-50 (1) = 151
1916 91-63 (1) = 154
1917 90-62 (2) = 152
1918 75-51 (1) = 126
1919 66-71 (6) = 137 ...
Ruth clearly transitioned from a full time starting pitcher through 1917 to being mostly a non-pitcher. Ruth's percentage of team games played in 1918 went from under 30% to 60%, more than double. Then in 1919 Ruth played in 97% of Red Sox games. He also set a new season record for home runs: 29.
____________________1915 101-50 (1) = 151
1916 91-63 (1) = 154
1917 90-62 (2) = 152
1918 75-51 (1) = 126
1919 66-71 (6) = 137 ...
Ruth clearly transitioned from a full time starting pitcher through 1917 to being mostly a non-pitcher. Ruth's percentage of team games played in 1918 went from under 30% to 60%, more than double. Then in 1919 Ruth played in 97% of Red Sox games. He also set a new season record for home runs: 29.
So 1918 and 2018 are the first major league seasons in which Ruth and Ohtani respectively were both a starting pitcher and a full time batter in other games.
Ohtani is often his team's DH in his non pitching games but has not batted in his pitching games. Because there was no DH in 1918 Ruth batted in his pitching games.
Through June 7, 2018 Ohtani's team, the Angels, have played 63 games. Ohtani was the starting pitcher in Angels game 63 last night and left after four innings with a blister, which he may have gotten from rubbing it on the bench this season.
Summary data is at the bottom with Ruth quite a bit ahead in both PA and Innings despite not playing at all in Red Sox team games 29-38. When he returned Ruth was pretty much a full time player.
Using current criteria of 3.2 PA per game to qualify for leading in batting average, after 63 games they should have at least 202 PA. Both are below: Ruth 152, Ohtani 128. To qualify for ERA lead, the criteria is one inning pitched for each scheduled game: 63 innings. Ruth has 62, Ohtani 49. The 1918 Red Sox played 126 games. 3.2 PA * 126 = 404. Ruth had 382 PA for the season. Ruth's 1918 innings pitched: 166, well above the 126 criteria for ERA.
Click link to view matrix below in more readable form.
The table below for their respective team games shows:
Plate Appearances (PA)
Innings pitched
BOP: batting order position
Pos: fielding positions
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