Dh'ing pitcher in AL

[TheNamelessPoet]

OK here is an HONEST question..

Would you if you were a team like Minny, or Toronto, Oakland, etc bat a pitcher in the off days at DH?

if u were, say Totonto, sign a guy like Sabathia/Zambrano and have him DH on his days off. Maybe not he day after but what would be the lasting effects if him DHing? Baserunning problem???


obviously if the Yanks or Sox sign him (along wit a few other teams) there is a logjam at DH but what about a team like Toronto???

[HoustonGM]

I wouldn't do it for a couple reasons. First, it'd require the player to split his time in devotion to both hitting and pitching, and while I have no idea the consequences of that, I wouldn't want to risk hurting his development in either area. Secondly, it's an increased risk of injury, and I would not want to do that, particularly with a top-of-the-line pitcher.

And finally, most good hitting pitchers aren't actually GOOD HITTERS. Of the current pitchers, Micah Owings is the only pitcher that I would actually consider a good hitter. Sabathia's career line is .261/.270/.398, 73 OPS+, great for a pitcher, poor for a hitter. Zambrano had an otherworldly season with the bat this year, batting .337/.337/.554, 124 OPS+, but his career line is .239/.246/.387, a 59 OPS+, again, great for a pitcher, but terrible for a hitter. Zambrano's walked 5 times in his career against 175 strikeouts. He has no semblance of plate discipline (nor should he practice it, he's a pitcher). You let him hit in even a part-time role, and his holes will be further exposed and that 59 OPS+ would likely sink even lower.

[gRYFYN1]

like HGM said there no pitchers in the major that would qualify as an average hitter -- Owings is the only one close and even his number are based on 120 PAs, over 500 PAs he projects to K 160 an walk 30 - so I think he would have too many flaws in the long run.

Jose Vidro (maybe the worst DH of all time) posted an OPS+ 65 last year -- look at the career numbers for sabathia and Zambrano- not any better -

[BINGLEBOP]

Yeah, the only one I would consider it with would be Owings as well, and that's still questionable simply because his career at-bats are way too small of a sample size to determine if he would continue that success. The only one recently that it worked with was Brooks Kieschnick (in 2003 with the Brewers), and that was only because he started his career as a hitter.

[TheNamelessPoet]

so do u think there is a real problem aside form batting/base running injuries?

[HoustonGM]

so do u think there is a real problem aside form batting/base running injuries?

Yes. The fact that they're terrible hitters.

[BINGLEBOP]

Exactly... they're great hitters AS PITCHERS, but overall, compared with other hitters, they're terrible. If a team's hitting was so bad that its best option at DH was a pitcher, they're probably not going to do so well.

[RedsoxRockies]

Micah Owings is the only one I might consider, and ONLY if desperate. And he is in the NL now, and likely will stay there for his own good

[TheNamelessPoet]

I mean if u had a guy like ruth.

Babe ruth was an EXCELENT pitcher and well we all know what kind of hitter.

OBVIOUSLY there is not a player of his calliber in the majors now BUT if there was... do u keep as the dominant pitcher (around 90-40 record) or have him hit (do i really need to post the #'s )or would you allow him to dh on his non pitching days

[HoustonGM]

I think it's a moot point, as such a player will very likely never exist due to the specialization in today's game. It's best to have players focusing on one thing. Splitting their time between pitching and hitting is just going to slow down their overall development. That's why teams choose a direction for two-way college players.

[Alloutwar]

But if Jose Vidro can land a job as a DH...

Just kidding, I see your points - and they're all good. I think I am in favor of it just because of the novelty of the idea - and the throwback to the days of the Babe. I get really excited about hitters that can pitch, too, though not many of them do that well.

[dickay]

OK here is an HONEST question..

Would you if you were a team like Minny, or Toronto, Oakland, etc bat a pitcher in the off days at DH?

if u were, say Totonto, sign a guy like Sabathia/Zambrano and have him DH on his days off. Maybe not he day after but what would be the lasting effects if him DHing? Baserunning problem???


obviously if the Yanks or Sox sign him (along wit a few other teams) there is a logjam at DH but what about a team like Toronto???

Absolutely not. Reducing risk is what it comes down to for me. Any coach who did that on a team I owned and had a star pitcher injured would be fired johnny on the spot. There's no reason for it when you could have a competent DH protect your major investment.

[RedsoxRockies]

I think it's a moot point, as such a player will very likely never exist due to the specialization in today's game. It's best to have players focusing on one thing. Splitting their time between pitching and hitting is just going to slow down their overall development. That's why teams choose a direction for two-way college players.

I am sure something like that may happen again. Just give it time

[TheNamelessPoet]

I am sure something like that may happen again. Just give it time

yea houston

man ur always such a negative nancy!!!

[BINGLEBOP]

I doubt it'll happen again either.