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Inbaseball,pitching by position players refers to the act of aposition player (a player who is normally acatcher, aninfielder, anoutfielder, or, in this context, adesignated hitter) being used as apitcher. A position player typically pitches when a game has a lopsided score or when the game has gone so far intoextra innings that no other pitchers are available. The term is not used for atwo-way player, a baseball player who is skilled at pitching and who plays another position.[a]
Although it was extremely rare for position players to pitch prior to the mid-2010's, pitching by position players has now become relatively common inMajor League Baseball as an alternative to using regular pitchers in lopsided games where the winner is beyond reasonable doubt. This has led to rules being implemented to limit the use of position players as pitchers.
In the very early days ofMajor League Baseball (MLB), before substitutions were generally allowed, pitching by a position player was often the only way to relieve a pitcher who was tiring: the pitcher and a position player would switch positions, but neither would leave the game entirely. For example, on July 22, 1884, managerFrank Bancroft of theProvidence Greys wanted to relieveCharlie Sweeney after seven innings because the latter was allegedly drunk. This could only be done by asking Sweeney to switch positions with right fielderCyclone Miller. Sweeney refused and left the team entirely.[2]
However, for most of the history of MLB, position players have rarely been called on to pitch. From 1950 through 1999, it happened a total of 574 times,[3] an average of slightly less than 12 times a season, typically late inblowouts.[4]
Exceptions include the earliest years of the modern baseball era (it happened 236 times from 1901 through 1903) and during the player shortage of World War II (e.g. 71 times during 1942).[3] From 1930 through 1937, it happened six times or less each season, and from 1965 through 1986, it happened eight times or less each season.[3] There have been multiple seasons with no recorded instances, most recently in 2006, and multiple seasons with only a single instance, most recently in 2005.[3] Since 2014, however, it has happened at least 23 times each season, including 90 times in 2019 and 112 times in 2021.[3]
Major League Baseball does not use run differential as a tiebreaker in its team standings. Thus, once a team is trailing by a large margin, there is no meaningful additional consequence to a team's season if it concedes additional runs, including by using inexperienced pitchers. Using a position player as a pitcher is meant to saverelief pitchers for more competitive games. However, it also risks injury to position players who are unfamiliar with pitching, although position players generally mitigate the risk by focusing on maintaining control as opposed to velocity. In 1993,Jose Canseco of theTexas Rangers pitched one inning against theBoston Red Sox, conceding two hits, threewalks, and threeearned runs before injuring his arm; the resultingTommy John surgery ended his season.[5]
MLB announced a newcollective bargaining agreement (CBA) with theMajor League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) in 2019, intended to be effective in the2020 season, that included restrictions on position players pitching. Each team designates players as either "position players" or "pitchers" before the start of the season, and that designation cannot be changed during the season. Under the 2019 agreement, only players who were designated as pitchers were allowed to pitch in any regular-season or postseason game, with three exceptions: either team was ahead by 6 or more runs, the game was inextra innings, or a player had earned the status of "two-way player" per the MLB definition.[6][7][8][9]
Due to theimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic on baseball, MLB did not implement the restriction during the shortened 2020 season.[4] It was also waived for all of the2021 season,[10] and for part of the2022 season.[11]
Starting in the2023 Major League Baseball season, position players are restricted to pitch only in situations where their team is leading by 10 or more runs in the 9th inning, their team is losing by 8 or more runs at any time, or the game is in extra innings.[12]
Historical examples ofBaseball Hall of Fame position players pitching in MLB games includeTy Cobb (four innings in 1918 and one inning in 1925),[13]Jimmie Foxx (one inning in 1939),[14][b]Stan Musial (to a single batter in 1952),[15]Tris Speaker (one inning in 1914),[16] andTed Williams (two innings in 1940).[17] Cobb's appearance in 1925 occurred on the final day of the regular season, with the game having no bearing on the final order of teams in league standings.[18] Cobb pitched the bottom of the eighth inning in an 11–6 win for hisDetroit Tigers over theSt. Louis Browns.[19] It was the second game of adoubleheader, and the game was then called on account of darkness before the ninth inning began.[19] Under statistical rules that were adopted in 1969 and retroactively applied to earlier seasons, Cobb has been credited with asave.[18] Musial's pitching appearance also came on the final day of the regular season, in 1952.[20] With hisSt. Louis Cardinals hosting theChicago Cubs, Musial started the game in center field, and pitched only to the second batter of the game,Frank Baumholtz—Musial and Baumholtz were competing for the league'sbatting title.[20] Baumholtz, normally a left-handed batter, batted right-handed against Musial; Baumholtz reached base on anerror, and Musial then returned to his original position.[21] The Cubs went on to win the game, 3–0,[21] while Musial won the batting title, .326 vs. .325 for Baumholtz.[22]
Several position players have pitched in the context of another baseball anomaly—playing all nine defensive positions in a single game.[23] These players includeBert Campaneris (September 8, 1965),[24]César Tovar (September 22, 1968),[25]Scott Sheldon (September 6, 2000),[26]Shane Halter (October 1, 2000),[27] andAndrew Romine (September 30, 2017).[28]
Cliff Pennington of theToronto Blue Jays, who pitched one-third of an inning in Game 4 of the2015 American League Championship Series en route to a 14–2 loss, was the first position player to pitch during theMLB postseason.[29] The only other position player to pitch in the postseason isAustin Romine of theNew York Yankees, who pitched the ninth inning of Game 3 in a 16–1 loss against theBoston Red Sox in the2018 American League Division Series.[30]
There has not been an instance of a position player pitching in anMLB All-Star Game, althoughtwo-way playerShohei Ohtani began the2021 edition as both thestarting pitcher anddesignated hitter for theAmerican League.[31]
During a 19-inning game between the Blue Jays andCleveland Indians in 2016, Toronto used two position player pitchers,Ryan Goins andDarwin Barney. Goins told the Blue Jays' trainers that he felt something abnormal in his forearm after pitching the 18th inning, so the team had Barney relieve him in the 19th. "It's unfortunate, but sometimes you have to do it," said Toronto managerJohn Gibbons about his decision to use two position players instead of starting pitchers in relief, as the Indians had done. "That’s just the way it goes sometimes."[32]
It is rare for a position player pitcher to earn awin or loss decision for his appearance. During the 19-inning Toronto–Cleveland game in 2016, Darwin Barney was the losing pitcher.[32] The only MLB game in whichboth pitchers of record were position players occurred in 2012, when theBaltimore Orioles' designated hitterChris Davis won a 16-inning game against Boston while Red Sox outfielderDarnell McDonald took the loss.[33] Six position player pitchers have earned a win since 1961:Rocky Colavito in 1968,Brent Mayne in 2000,Wilson Valdez in 2011, Davis in 2012,John Baker in 2014, andLuis Torrens in 2022.[34][35]
Historical examples of Baseball Hall of Fame position players pitching in games of theNegro Major Leagues include catcherJosh Gibson (1+2⁄3 innings in 1935),[36] infielderJudy Johnson (4+1⁄3 innings in 1926),[37] and infielderWillie Wells (two-thirds of an inning in 1945).[38][c]
Managers have also used the reverse strategy, a pitcher (other than a two-way player) playing at a fielding position, usually in the outfield.Joe Maddon, who at the time was managing the Cubs, gained attention in 2016 for playing three different pitchers in left field in a 15-inning game at theCincinnati Reds. This is the only time that such a move has ever happened in the modern era of MLB. Maddon's move was motivated by a lack of available position players, but given its success, he told reporters that he was considering making such a move during a nine-inning game.[39]
The strategy can also be used to switch between two pitchers without removing a pitcher from the game.Davey Johnson, manager of theNew York Mets, used left-handed pitcherJesse Orosco and right-handerRoger McDowell alternatively as a pitcher and as an outfielder against the Reds in a 1986 game.Lou Piniella, as Cubs manager, also used this strategy withSean Marshall andAaron Heilman in 2009. Managers are restricted by MLB rule 5.10(d), a comment to which states, "A pitcher may change to another position only once during the same inning."[40] Piniella's strategy worked, and earned praise from his opponent, Cardinals managerTony LaRussa.[41]
Managers are normally reluctant to play pitchers in the outfield due to their unfamiliarity with the position and due to the risk of injury, although some pitchers have displayed good skill in the field. Maddon denied that the injury risk would deter him from shuffling pitchers and outfielders, telling reporters, "Everybody's afraid of injury all the time. God, man, drive a car in Manhattan — you want to be afraid of injury, just walk down the street."[42] In 2016, Cubs relief pitcherTravis Wood, playing left field in the seventh inning against theSeattle Mariners, made a difficult catch to rob an extra-base hit fromFranklin Gutierrez.[43] In 2019, pitcherVince Velasquez of thePhiladelphia Phillies threw out a runner at home plate and made a diving catch while playing left field as outfielderRoman Quinn pitched in the last two innings of a 15-inning game against theChicago White Sox.[44]
