Should pitchers ALWAYS bat 9th?

[SuperHornet]

Most of the time, pitchers bat 9th just because that's where you put your worst hitter (or at least that's the common misconception). Other managers like to have a good hitter in the 9 spot to lead into the top of the order. But what do you do with a pitcher batting over .300?

In MLB as we speak, there are FOUR pitchers hitting over .300 (and another hovering at .292), considering those with over 20 at-bats, which is probably decent for this point in the season for starting pitchers who may or may not take PH duties on their off-days. Some of these are showing some pop, too. Am I saying these pitchers should be batting cleanup? No. There probably hasn't been an MLB pitcher worthy of that since Ruth and Ruffing. But I could certainly see some of THESE batting higher, perhaps in the top three of the order.

To wit...

Miley (AZ) .357
Strasburg (WAS) .348, 4x2B, 1xHR
Leake (CIN) .323, 1x2B, 1xHR
Zimmerman (WAS) .318, 1x2B, 1xHR
Garcia (STL) .292, 1x3B

Also with credible averages are (perhaps for the 7-8 range in the order):

Delgado (ATL) .273
Lee (PHI) .261, 1x2B
Halladay (PHI) .231.

Historically, Micah Owings has proven to be a decent pinch-hitter, as well.

Admittedly, MOST pitchers can't hit for beans at this level. But if a given pitcher shows that he CAN, why not give him the chance?

[andy7171]

Shouldn't you be watching softball?

[CitadelGrad]

Tony LaRussa has used some of his starting pitchers as pinch hitters and had some success doing so.

[93henfan]

Shouldn't you be watching softball?

[SuperHornet]

Tony LaRussa has used some of his starting pitchers as pinch hitters and had some success doing so.

LaRussa has also moved his pitchers up to the 8-spot in the past, prompting the press to make fun of the guy who slid to 9th. I believe that Milwaukee and (to a smaller degree) Pittsburgh copied him for a while.

Tommy Lasorda also occasionally used pitchers as pinch hitters during the 4th-6th innings to save the better ones for later. IIRC, Fernando was pretty good in this role. Orel might have, too. He had a penchant for drawing in the third baseman by showing bunt, then pulling up short and swatting it over his head into short left for a cheap single. I just LOVED that play.

A little OT: Hershiser once "officially" started a game at third, but never actually went in. That was to set up a guy to set a record for pinch hitting or something....

[Seahawks08]

If I was a manager, I would always have them hit 8th. If you have a fast guy hit 9th, it's basically 2 leadoff hitters that can set things up for the 2-3-4 batters.

[SuperHornet]

If I was a manager, I would always have them hit 8th. If you have a fast guy hit 9th, it's basically 2 leadoff hitters that can set things up for the 2-3-4 batters.

I like that unless your pitcher is good enough to hit higher. If I had a Ruthian pitcher, I'd have no qualms whatsoever about batting him cleanup.

[andy7171]

If I was a manager, I would always have them hit 8th. If you have a fast guy hit 9th, it's basically 2 leadoff hitters that can set things up for the 2-3-4 batters.

I like that unless your pitcher is good enough to hit higher. If I had a Ruthian pitcher, I'd have no qualms whatsoever about batting him cleanup.

HHmmmm. Has there been one in the last 75 years?

[Ibanez]

If I was a manager, I would always have them hit 8th. If you have a fast guy hit 9th, it's basically 2 leadoff hitters that can set things up for the 2-3-4 batters.

I like that unless your pitcher is good enough to hit higher. If I had a Ruthian pitcher, I'd have no qualms whatsoever about batting him cleanup.

Yeah, but in real life, we don't have that.

I'd have a decent batter in the 7-8 spot.

[SuperHornet]

Perhaps not a Ruthian, but certainly there have been PLENTY of pitchers who have hit for average. Some good enough, in my book, to even bat leadoff. Certainly THOSE are few and far between, too, but I could see putting someone like Miley or Stras up there....

[andy7171]

Perhaps not a Ruthian, but certainly there have been PLENTY of pitchers who have hit for average. Some good enough, in my book, to even bat leadoff. Certainly THOSE are few and far between, too, but I could see putting someone like Miley or Stras up there....

That's fine and all, but you really want your clean up hitter only playing once every 4-5 games?

[SuperHornet]

Who said he'd be playing only every 4-5 games? I'd do like the Red Sox did with Ruth: stick him in RF when he's not pitching.