April 03, 2008
Pitcher in the Outfield
With a left-handed batter coming up for Pittsburgh in the top of the tenth, runners on first and third, Cox moves the righty Resop to left field and bring in Ring to face LaRoche.
Update: Ring strikes out LaRoche, and Resop returns to the mound. Blanco goes into left. Interestingly, Resop gets to warm up again.
Update: Nady singles up the middle to give the Pirates a 4-3 lead.
Update: Kotsay hits a triple in the bottom of the inning that just missed clearing the fence in straight away center. The Pirates strand him, however, and win the game 4-3. Not a bad start for John Russell in Pittsburgh.
Posted by David Pinto at
10:22 PM
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I've always been surprised more managers don't try this in LOOGY situations. Have your righty middle relievers take some outfield practice, and you give yourself a lot of flexibility.
The Braves:
1-3, 0-3 in 1-run games, 0-2 in extra-inning games, 26 runs scored, 21 runs allowed.
Total innings pitched by starters: 17 1/3 or 4 1/3 per start.
Helluva way to start the year....
I remember Whitey Herzog doing this in the 80s with St. Louis... I'm sure LaRussa has done it as well.
Davey Johnson too, with Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell...
Either way, it's a move that positively warms my heart to see, if only for the sheer rarity of it all.
I watched that Mets game with Orosco/McDowell. I was shocked at first that they could do that, but what really made it great was that it wasn't a one out situation, and Mcdowell & Orosco had to change places twice, I seem to remember it was along with an outfielder (the pitcher was sent to the opposite field - righty/lefty pitcher combo vs. right/left hand batters).
I also liked the move. The Reds could potentially have a very good combination of guys to use in this situation as Jon Coutlangus (LHP) and Marcus McBeth (RHP) are both former college outfielders. It will be interesting if Dusty decides to do it sometime once they both make the major league roster.
Phillies used to do that with Steve Carlton - have him play 1B for one batter late in games
I remember seeing this happen in an old black & white tv show/movie, but the pitcher was moved to third. Don't remember anything else about it.
I remember the movie. Dan Dailey plays an ex-ballplayer peanut vendor. His son is the bat boy, and starts giving the players advice he hears from his father. When the advice starts leading to wins, the team hires the kid as the manager. Eventually, the team finds out it's the dad who is calling the plays, he becomes manager, and the switch at third base wins the game! IMDB link here. It has a pretty good cast with Lloyd Bridges and Anne Brancroft.