Tim Kurkjian
ESPN Senior Writer
- Jim Tobin (1942) ... is the only pitcher to hit three homers in a game ... May 13, 1942.
- Mel Stottlemyre (1964) ... 5-for-5 and threw a two-hit shutout
- Rick Wise (1971) hit two home runs in his no-hitter
- Jim Golden (1962) two triples
- Red Faber (1915) ... steal three bases in a game.
- Don Newcombe (1956) is the only pitcher to hit two homers and steal a base in one game.
- Tony Cloninger (1966) is the only pitcher to hit two grand slams in a game.
- Wes Farrell (1935) hit a walk-off home run ... The day before, he had hit a walk-off, three-run, pinch-hit homer.
- Catfish Hunter in 1971 and Bob Gibson in 1970: the last pitchers to hit .300 in a season (minimum 80 at-bats) in which they won 20 games.
- Walter Johnson (1925) hit .433 and drove in 20 runs in 97 at-bats.
- Michael Lorenzen (2019) became the first player since Babe Ruth to hit a home run, get the victory and play the outfield in the same game.
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Tim Kurkjian regales us with tales of good hitting pitchers. Only one of the tales is after 1971. The American League adopted the designated hitter (DH) rule for the 1973 season.
Jake Gibbs played quarterback at the University of Mississippi but he didn't play in the NFL. Gibbs instead became a catcher for the New York Yankees, primarily 1965-1971: 1,795 PA, 25 HR, 81 OPS+. You wouldn't call Jake Gibbs a good hitter, a catcher who actually hits. And yet this, Jake Gibbs hitting two home runs in one game:
Start Time: 2:06 p.m. Local
Attendance: 13,454
Venue: Yankee Stadium I
Game Duration: 2:16
Day Game, on grass
Yankees 7, White Sox 1
HR: Jake Gibbs 2 (5, 2 off Gerry Janeski, 2nd inn, 0 on, 1 out to RF; 4th inn, 0 on, 0 outs to RF)
Oh, and in that same game:
HR: Stottlemyre (2, off Wilbur Wood, 8th inn, 0 on, 0 outs to LF)
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | BF | GSc | IR | IS | WPA | RE24 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Stottlemyre, W (11-10) | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2.97 | 34 | 71 | 0.221 | 0.59 | 3.0 |
And there's also the famous Stottlemyre inside the park grand slam:
Tuesday, July 20, 1965 at Yankee Stadium: Yankees 6, Red Sox 3
Inside-the-park Home Run: Mel Stottlemyre (2, off Bill Monbouquette, 5th inn, 3 on, 0 outs to Deep CF).
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | BF | GSc | IR | IS | WPA | RE24 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Stottlemyre, W (10-5) | 9 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2.77 | 37 | 61 | 0.177 | 0.69 | 0.9 |
Stottlemyre (1964-1974): 846 PA, 7 HR, 28 OPS+
100 OPS+ is league average.
Wes Ferrell (1927-1941): 1,345 PA, 38 HR, 100 OPS+
Ferrell is the only pitcher mentioned by Kurkjian who is even league average hitting. In addition to Ferrell and Stottlemyre:
Jim Tobin (1937-1945):885 PA, 17 HR, 83 OPS+
Rick Wise: 741 PA, 15 HR, 51 OPS+
Jim Golden (1960-1963): 65 PA, 0 HR, 57 OPS+
Red Faber (1914-1933, all with White Sox)):1,558 PA, 3 HR, 10 OPS+
Don Newcombe: (1949-1951, 1954-1960): 988 PA, 15 HR, 85 OPS+
Tony Cloninger: (1961-1972): 673 PA, 11 HR, 33 OPS+
Catfish Hunter: (1965-1979): 710 PA, 6 HR, 52 OPS+
Bob Gibson: (1959-1975): 1,489 PA, 24 HR, 50 OPS+
Walter Johnson: (1907-1927): 2,534 PA, 24 HR, 76 OPS+
Michael Lorenzen: (2015-2019): 145 PA, 7 HR, 85 OPS+
Pitchers batting since 1901. Except for Babe Ruth, they suck. Sunday, July 23, 2017
Good hitting pitchers is an oxymoron. What a great word, even if I had to look it up to verify its meaning.
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470 pitchers career OPS+: all below 100, league average. Saturday, June 22, 2019
Pitchers are not ball players. Pitchers cannot hit. If they could, they would and play every day. Then they would be ball players. They only pitch because they cannot hit.
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Pitchers batting is like place kickers playing quarterback. Saturday, June 22, 2019
Pitchers are not players. Having them take every 9th PA is ridiculous. MLB might as well send up a random fan in attendance.
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527 pitchers OPS+: 524 below 100. Saturday, June 22, 2019
2019 OPS+ spread: Mike Trout ... Orlando Arcia. Wednesday, May 20, 2020 9:34 AM
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