Just a crazy thought/question about pitchers...

I’m not suggesting we do this with Z…just a thought.

There are very few pitchers who hit well enough to play in between starts. Z isn’t one of them, either. For the fun we get from his occasional home runs, he’s really a pretty bad hitter. He’s struck out in 1/3 of his career AB (218/615) and has walked only eight times.

Here’s another reason the Cubs need a more flexible roster: Z is an awful, awful pinch-hitter. He’s 2-for-28 lifetime — both singles — with 14 strikeouts. Sending him up there is an automatic out. Mike Quade needs to never, ever do this with Z again.

…. really, the last player to be used this way was Babe Ruth, and he finally gave up pitching. And that was more than 90 years ago. Baseball just doesn’t work that way any more, and Ruth was, obviously, unique in baseball history.

I think a lot of us get caught remembering the good results (the HRs) and forget the reality of performances like Z or bronson arroyo or others…

Given how pitchers have hit through the years, if this were feasible I would imagine we would have seen it through the 50’s and 60’s…

It’s certainly a fun discussion topic but it doesn’t seem to be much more than anecdotal evidence…still curious what our answer at first will be in 2011.

Have you ever watched him bat? He takes 3 huge, not-graceful cuts and if he makes contact, great, otherwise it’s an out. If he had 500 ABs he’d bat in the .100s.

A few years ago, I was surprised to learn that Don Newcombe played in Japan as a first baseman in 1962 at the age of 36 after his pitching career was over. He hit .262 with 12 homers In 81 games with the Nagoya Dragons. I can see where doing something like that might appeal to Z.

…but ultimately decided against it. They never said why though.

The problem is unless they’re ambidextrous (like Z) they can only play first where they won’t have to throw. And if they play first, they have to be a better hitter than the alternatives, which basically means Owings is the only person who could do that.