Yesterday (August 21), the Tigers topped the Indians (in Cleveland) 10-5, despite trailing 5-0 after three innings. A series of five relievers held the Indians scoreless over the final six frames and the Tigers came back powered by home runs by 2B Jonathan Schoop, 3B Isaac Paredes and LF Victor Reyes.   The victory was especially sweet because it was Detroit’s first win over Cleveland since April 10, 2019 – a string of 20 consecutive losses, three short of the longest losing streak (or conversely, winning streak) by one team versus another since 1901 (Orioles over Royals, May 10, 1969-August 2, 1970).  Let’s take a closer look at those two streaks.

Orioles versus Royals – 23 games

Looking at the Orioles-Royals streak, the 1969-expansion Royals squad won it first contest against the Orioles – and then dropped the next 23 (11 games in 1969, 12 in 1970).  Not a total surprise, the Orioles were Division Champions in the two seasons of the streak, winning 217 games and losing just 107.  The Royals didn’t do too badly for an expansion squad – a pair of third-place finishes and a 134-190 record.  While the Orioles did outscore the Royals 131 to 67 during the run of victories, the matchup was not totally one-sided.  Among the 23 wins, eight were decided by one run and another seven by two runs.  The Orioles shut out the Royals twice during the streak – by scores of 5-0 each time.

Indians versus Tigers – 20 games

The bulk of the Indians ;streak versus the Tigers (17 of the 20 wins) came in 2019, when the Tigers went a dismal 47-115 and the Indians went 93-69. In the Indians’ streak, Cleveland outscored Detroit 128-43, shutout the Tigers six times (4-0, 8-0, 2-0, 8-0, 2-0. 7-0) and scored eight or more runs in eight games. There were just two one-run games and six two-run contests.

Primary Resources:  Baseball-Reference.com; Stathead.com; MLB.com

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.  To see the full list, click here.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Follow/Like Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  More baseball commentary; blog post notifications; PRIZES.

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

With the universal Designated Hitter in effect this season – and some (sadly, from BBRT’s view) predicting it will remain in the National League after 2020, there are some things we are going to miss.  Okay, maybe most fans won’t miss futile swings by pitchers who just can’t handle a bat (although I do get a kick out of that sometimes).  I, for one, will miss good-hitting pitchers that deliver offense, hurlers that know how to lay down a bunt and, even more so, poor-hitting pitchers that surprise us by going on “rampages” at the plate.   This post is intended to explain what I’m talking about here (and is part of BBRT’s ongoing #WhyIHateTheDH” stream of thought.  So, let’s look at some at-the-plate thrills provided by pitches over the years.  The kind of performances we may not see in the future.

In the theme of Don’t Tell this Guy Pitchers Can’t Hit, let start with Guy Hecker.

Guy Hecker, Louisville, Colonels (American Association) … Only pitcher to win a batting title

Okay, it was a different game back in 1886, but Guy Hecker remains the only pitcher to win a batting title, the only pitcher to collect six hits in a game, the only pitcher to score seven runs in a game, the only hurler to collect 15 total bases in a contest and one of just two MLB pitchers to hit three home runs in a game.  Hecker won the American Association (considered a major league) batting crown in 1886 with a .341 average (117-for 343). Hecker appeared in 84 games that season (of 136 played by Louisville) and took the mound in 49 (57 percent) of them (48 starts/45 complete games).  He also took the field at first base and in the garden.  On August 15 of that season, in contest against the Baltimore Orioles, Hecker collected six hits (three singles and three home runs) and was safe on error once – scoring seven times in the 22-5 victory.  He also tossed a compete game.

Clearly, Guy Hecker earned his spot at the top of this post.

Guy Hecker still holds the overall (any position) major-league record for runs scored in a game at seven.

Hecker had a nine-season MLB career, going 175-146, 2.93 on the mound (four times winning 20+ games, with a high of 52 wins in 1884) and hit .283, with 19 home runs and 278 RBI in 705 games.

Mike Hampton …. Five Silver Slugger Awards

You couldn’t do this post without including Mike Hampton, who won five Silver Slugger Awards as the National League’s best-hitting pitcher.  (The Silver Slugger Awards were established in 1980.) Hampton earned his handful of Silver Slugger recognitions in five consecutive seasons – from 1999 through 2003.  Notably, he won them with four different teams: Astros (1999); Mets (2000); Rockies (2001 & 2002); and Braves (2003). Now, we may never see another pitcher hoist a Silver Slugger Award. Note:  In 2003, Hampton was a leather and lumber – or heavy metal – guy, winning both a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove. For more on players to win a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove in the same seasons, click here.

Hampton was two-time All Star during his 16-season (1993-2005, 2008-2010) MLB career. He retired with a 148-115, 4.06 record on the mound and a .246-16-79 batting line (423 games).  He hit over .300 in four seasons (a high of .344 in 2002).  His best campaign as a hitter was 2001, when he went .291-7-16 in 42 games for the Rockies.

Walk It Off, Jim

With pitchers not coming to the plate, we miss out not only on heavy-hitting performances (like Guy Hecker’s), but also on some pitchers’ at-the-plate oddities.  For example, Hall of Famer Jim Palmer is the only player (any position) ever to draw two bases-loaded walks in a single World Series Game. They came in the fourth and fifth innings of an Orioles’ 11-3 win over the Pirates on October 11, 1971. (Palmer walked only three times – versus 41 strikeouts – while hitting .196 during the regular season.)  Palmer was a career .174 hitter in the regular season and hit .086 in 20 post-season games.  Those two bases-loaded free passes were his only walks in 38 post-season plate appearances.   Palmer won 20 or more games in eight of his 19 MLB seasons.

Walter Johnson, Washington Senators … nine-game hitting streak, .433 season average (1925)

You can make a pretty good case for Hall of Famer Walter Johnson being the greatest pitcher of all time: 417 victories; 12 times leading the league in strikeouts; an MLB-record 110 shutouts … and I could go on and on.  But this post is about hitting, and the “Big Train” carried a pretty big bat.

Consider the 1925 season, when the 37-year-old Johnson went 20-7, 3.07 on the mound. At the plate, Johnson started the campaign by collecting at least one base hit in his first nine games (appearing in two of those contests as a pinch hitter). After those nine contests, Johnson was hitting a nice round .500 (13-for-26), with one double, one triple, one home run and nine RBI.  On the hill, he was 6-1, 1.77.  And Johnson didn’t slow down much as the season wore on.  He ended up with a .433 average (42-for-97), with three walks (.455 on-base percentage) and just six strikeouts.  He also had two home runs and 20 RBI in 36 games.   Johnson’s splits were pretty impressive as well. He hit .429 at home and .438 on the road and .529 versus right-handers and .414 versus lefties. He also hit .571 with runners in scoring position (12-for-21) and .500 with runners in scoring position and two out (four-for-eight.  Johnson was a career (21 seasons) .235 hitter, with 24 home runs and 255 RBI.

You’ve been “Catfished”

On May 8, 1968, Jim “Catfish” Hunter threw a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins – a 4-0 win in Oakland.  Not only did he dominate the Twins from the mound (11 whiffs in the perfect outing), he also roughed them up at the plate. Hunter had a double, two singles, and three RBI in the contest.  Note:  There have been 23 perfect games in MLB history, the pitchers twirling those gems have recorded at least one base hit in six of them. Hunter is the only one with more than one safety while pitching “perfecto.”

Don Newcombe. Dodgers … .359 average, seven home runs, 23 RBI (1955)

In 1955, the Dodgers’ Don Newcombe became a 20-game winner (20-5, 3.20) for the second time.  He also hit .300+ for the second of seven times (in ten seasons) he would reach that mark.

In 1956, Don Newcombe went 27-7, 3.06 on the mound – earning Cy Young AND MVP honors.

Newcombe got his 1955 season at the plate off to a good start. On April 14, in his first appearance of the campaign, he went two-for-four, with two runs, three RBI and two home runs – and he needed to succeed at the plate.  Newcombe got the win (10-8 over the Giants), despite giving up eight runs (five earned) in 7 1/3 innings. For the season, Newcombe hit .359 (42-for-117), with seven home runs and 23 RBI. Newk was used 23 times as a pinch-hitter that season, going 8-for-21 (.381) with two walks. For the season, he hit .353 with runners in scoring position.  For his career, Newcombe hit .271 (238-for-878) with 15 home runs and 108 RBI. On the bump, the four-time All Star was 149-90, 3.56.

Another Big Don

Don Newcombe was a solid hitting pitcher for the Dodgers – and so was another Big Don – Drysdale. In 1965, when the Dodgers faced the Twins in the World Series, the LA squad had only one hitter with at least 100 at bats and a .300 or better average.  That was Don Drysdale at an even .300 (39-for-130). In fact, the most at bats for any other Dodger that hit .300 or better that season was 13. Drysdale was seventh on the team in home runs (seven) and tenth in RBI (19).

Micah Owings, Diamondbacks … Four hits, two home runs, six RBI (August 18, 2007)

Micah Owings did not have the pitching stats of some of the hurlers in this post (six MLB seasons, 32-33, 4.86) – but he could rake. As a rookie, in 2007, Owings had quite a mid-August day against the Braves. He threw seven solid innings (three runs on seven hits, with no walks and seven whiffs.  At the plate, his day went like this: two-run double in the second inning; solo home run in the fourth; two-run home run in the sixth; RBI single in the seventh; line out in the eighth.  For the season, the 24-year-old rookie hit .333-4-15 in 60 at bats. For his career, Owings hit .283, with nine home runs and 35 RBI in 205 at bats.

A Wise Man Once Put It All TWOgether

Okay, Rick Wise was not a terror at the plate, sporting just a .195 average over 18 MLB seasons. He did, however, put it all together on June 23, 1971. Facing the Reds in Cincinnati, Wise tossed a no-hitter (one walk, three whiffs) in a Phillies’ 4-0 win. He also became the first (and still only) MLB hurler to hit two home runs while pitching a no-no.  Wise connected in the fifth (two-run) and eighth (solo) to complete a two-for-four day.  1971 was actually a solid year for Wise, who went 17-14, 2.88 and hit .237 with career highs in home runs (6), RBI (15) and runs scored (14) – in 39 games. In his pitching career, Wise went 188-181, 3.69 and won 15 or more games in six seasons.

Wes Ferrell … 37 home runs as a pitcher, nine in one season

Wes Ferrell was a good (great?) hitting pitcher, holding the record for single-season home runs as pitcher (nine) and career home runs as a pitcher (37 out of 38 career long balls). His career (15 seasons, 1927-41) line was .280-38-208 in 548 games.  In 1931, Ferrell hit .319-9-30 in 48 games for the Indians – hitting .389-9-29 as a pitcher (he was also used as a pinch-hitter).  On the mound, he went 193-128, 4.04 – winning 20 or more games in six seasons.

Two Grand Slams – One Grand Game

Braves’ right-hander Tony Cloninger got the Independence Day fireworks started early in 1966. On July 3 of that season, Cloninger became the first (and still only) pitcher – as well as the first National Leaguer (any position) – to hit two Grand Slam home runs in a game.  In the Braves 17-3 win over the Giants (in San Francisco), Cloninger hit a Grand Slam in the top of the first, added a second Grand Slam in the fourth and poked an RBI single in the eighth. He ended the day three-for-five, with an MLB one-game record (for pitchers) nine RBI. He also pitched a complete-game, seven-hitter.  That season, Cloninger hit .234, with five home runs and 23 RBI in 111 at bats. On the mound, he was 14-11, 4.12.

For his career (1961-72), Cloninger was 113-97, 4.07 on the mound and .292-11-67 at the plate.  Tony Cloninger’s best season on the hill was 1965, when he went 24-11, 3.29 (yet, somehow manage to lead the league in walks and wild pitches.) Side note: After retiring from MLB, Cloninger became a World-Class Slow-Pitch softball player. In 1978, playing for the United States Slow-pitch Softball Association Major Slow Pitch World Series Champion Howard & Carroll team, Cloninger was selected as the third baseman on the Series’ All World Team.  For more on Cloninger, click here.

Jim Tobin, Braves …. Three home runs in a game

The Boston Braves’ Jim Tobin shares the record (with Guy Hecker) for the most home runs in a game by a pitcher at three. In a May 13, 1942 game against the Cubs, Tobin flied out to deep right field in the third inning; homered to lead off the fifth; homered again to lead off the seventh; and hit a two-run home run with two outs in the eighth (to break a 4-4 tie in a game the Braves won 6-5).   On the mound, he earned the victory (a complete game – five runs, three earned, five hits and three walks) – as the Braves topped the Cubs 6-5.  Notably, the day before, Tobin was used as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of a Braves’ 9-8 loss to the Cubs and delivered a two-run homer. So, he had homered four times in the space of five at bats.

Tobin went 105-112, 3.44 in nine MLB seasons (1937-45). As a hitter, he hit .230 (183-for-796, with 17 home runs and 102 RBI. He was used as pinch hitter more than 100 times.

Grandiose Post-Season Visions

Dave McNally – a three-time All Star – racked up a career 184-119, 3.24 record on the mound, winning 20 or more games in four of fourteen MLB seasons. He was also 7-4, 2.49 in 14 post-season appearances.  McNally was less effective at the plate, with a .133-9-43 regular-season stat line and a .148 post-season batting average.

In the 1970 post-season, however, McNally turned his bat into a weapon.  He went two-for-five with a double in an American League Championship start against the Twins – a complete-game 11-3 win.  He then went one-for-four in a World’s Series start against the Reds – his one hit being the first (and still only) World Series Grand Slam hit by a pitcher.

Madison Bumgarner, Giants … Active leading home runs by a pitcher (19), two home runs on Opening Day (2017)

On Opening Day (April 2) 2017, the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner shone on the mound and at the plate.  On the mound, he went seven innings (no decision) and gave up three runs on six hits, with no walks and eleven strikeouts.  At the plate, he was (arguably) even more effective – becoming the first (and still only) pitcher to hit two home runs in an Opening Day game.  His day as a hitter went like this:

• Walk in the second inning (on a 3-2 pitch);
• Solo home run leading off the fifth;
• Solo home run with one out in the seventh;

While Madbum has just a. 177 career average (12 seasons), his 19 long balls are number-one among active pitchers.   His career stat line at the plate:  .177-19-62. On the mound, Bumgarner is 119-94, 3.16.  He is a four-time All Star and has four times won 15 or more games in a season.   Bumgarner signed (free agent) with the Diamondbacks before the 2020 season.

Terry Forster … .397 career average

Terry Forster didn’t show much power – no home runs in his 78 regular-season at bats – but he did put the bat on the ball.  In 16 MLB seasons (1971-86 … White Sox, Pirates, Dodgers, Braves, Angels), Forster went 31-for-78, putting up a nifty.397 average.   Five of his 31 hits went for extra bases – four doubles and a triple.  His best season as a hitter was 1972 (White Sox), when he was 10-for-19 (.526), all singles – with one run and three RBI. His final career line at the plate was .397-0-7.  On the mound, Forster went 54-65, 3.51, with 127 saves – leading the AL in saves with 24 in 1974. Forster saved 20+ games in three seasons and had an earned run average under 2.50 in five campaigns.  In 1978, for the Dodgers, he went 5-4, 1,93, with 22 saves, in 47 appearances. That season he hit .500 (four-for-eight), with a double and two RBI.

Terry Forster made it to the major leagues (White Sox) at the age of 19 – after appearing in just ten games in the minor leagues (Class A). 

Primary Resources: Stathead.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; “August 15, 1886: Guy Hecker: Hitting Pitcher,” Society for American Baseball Research, by Bob Bailey; “Wes Ferrell” bio, Society for American Baseball Research, by Mark Smith.

Primary Resources: Stathead.com; NationalPastime.com

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.  To see the full list, click here.

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Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

On this date (June 27) in 1958, White Sox’ southpaw Billy Pierce, one of my childhood heroes, took the mound against the Washington Senators (in Chicago) – and pitched what may have been the best game of his career.  (Note:  I had many childhood heroes – most of whom wore spikes and carried a glove – but Pierce was a bit special. More on that later, I’m getting ahead of myself here.)

Pierce was 6-5, 3.21 at the time, while his mound opponent (right-hander Russ Kemmemer) was 4-5, 4.04.  Pierce, who had led the American League with 20 wins the year before (20-12, 3.26) was clearly “on his game” (the phrase “in the zone” was not yet on the scene) that day.  After eight innings, he held on to a 3-0 lead, had not allowed a single base runner. He had fanned seven batters and allowed just five balls out of the infield.   Senators ‘2B Ken Aspromonte led off the ninth and grounded out shortstop-to-first (Luis Aparicio-to-Ray Boone). Next up was catcher Steve Korcheck, who became Pierce’s eighth strikeout victim.  Pierce was just one out away from perfection and a spot in the MLB history books. Due up was Kemmemer, and Senators’ Manager Cookie Lavagetto looked to his bench, where he found 34-year-old Ed Fitz Gerald.  The veteran was in his 11^th and next-to-last season and had been used primarily  as a pinch hitter (he served as a pinch hitter in 18 of the 23 games he appeared in so far that season). At the time, Fitz Gerald was hitting .313 (10-for-32, all singles).  Fitz Gerald lofted a first-pitch curve ball down the right field line that landed about 12 inches fair and ended Pierce’s bid for perfection.  Pierce then proceeded to fan CF and leadoff hitter Albie Pearson on three pitches to record a more mundane one-hit shutout.  (Pierce would throw four one-hitters in his MLB career.)

Now remember, I said Pierce was one of my special baseball heroes.  That’s because, as a youngster, I was a bit undersized (in 1958, I was eleven-years-old and often mistaken for seven or eight … an issue corrected by an age 12-13 growth spurt).  Pierce was also a bit undersized (for a major league pitcher) at 5’10’, 160-pounds.  Yet, he became a true power pitcher. Between 1952 and 1957, he finished in the top five in the American League in strikeouts every season (leading the league in 1953) and among the top five in strikeouts per nine innings in all but one campaign (leading the AL in 1953 and 1954).  But again, I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let me just say here, I truly believe Billy Pierce’s major-league accomplishments do not often get the attention they deserve.  Hence, this post.

Mr. Zero

Billy Pierce, did not look overpowering as a youngster (shy of 150 pounds as a high school senior), but he pitched beyond his stature. He threw so many shutouts for his Highland Park (Michigan) High School team that he became known as “Mr. Zero.”  He was selected to play in the first All American Boys Game (sponsored by Esquire Magazine and played at the Polo Grounds in New York City). Appropriately, Mr. Zero pitched six shutout innings and got both the victory and most-valuable player recognition as the East team triumphed.

The slight of build (but heavy in potential) Michigan high-school phenom signed with the Detroit Tigers at age 17 and found himself on a major-league mound at age 18 (MLB debut – June 1, 1945).  He showcased great stuff, but also some command issues. Pierce appeared in five Tigers’ games that season and gave up just six hits and two runs, while fanning ten in ten innings.  However, he also walked ten batters.  Pierce spent 1946 and 1947 in the minors with the Triple A Buffalo Bisons, where he also pitched in 1945. In 1946 and 1947, he went 17-12, 4.04, with 169 walks and 170 strikeouts in 207 innings.  Still, Pierce’s 14-8, 3.87 record at Triple A in 1947 earned him a return ticket to the Tigers in 1948 – but he pitched in only 22 games, putting up a 3-0 record, dampened by a 6.34 earned run average and 51 walks in 55 1/3 innings. In November of 1948, Detroit traded Pierce to the White Sox for catcher Aaron Robinson (the Tigers  also threw in $10,000). It would prove to be: Advantage- White Sox and Pierce.

His first two seasons in Chicago were not rosy, as Pierce went 19-31, 3.94 – fanning 213 and walking 249 in 391 innings.  In 1951, however, things changed.  Pierce developed better command over his pitches – fastball, curveball, change – and developed a slider.  The result was a 15-14, 3.03 record, with 113 whiffs and just 73 walks in 240 1/3 innings – and a dramatic change in Pierce’s career trajectory.

Over the next ten seasons with Chicago, Pierce went 152-107, 3.08 with 1,470 strikeouts and 730 walks in 2,299 2/3 innings.  He completed 142 oi 308 starts and notched 33 shutouts. During that span he made seven All Star teams, was a twenty-game winner twice (leading the league in win in 1957); led the AL in ERA in 1955 (1.97); three times led the league in complete games; and once the league in strikeouts.

After the 1961 season, coming off an 10-9, 3.80 record (and an All Star selection), Pierce found himself traded to the San Francisco Giants (along with Don Larsen) for Bob Farley, Eddie Fisher, Dom Zanni and Verle Tiefenthaler (who was a player to be named later in the deal).  The result?  Advantage – Giants and Pierce.

Billy Pierce – A Giant Among Giants

As the 1962 season closed with the Giants and Dodgers tied at 101-61, veteran lefty Billy Pierce (acquired by San Francisco in the off-season) was 15-6, 3.72 – and, perhaps most important, 11-0 at Candlestick Park.  Giants’ Manager Al Dark felt confident starting Pierce in the first game of a three-game tie-breaking playoff for the pennant (opening at Candlestick Park).  Pierce’s opponent  was another southpaw – Sandy Koufax (coming off a hand injury). Koufax was 14-6, 2.41 on the season (and in the process of winning his first of five straight ERA titles).  Fans looked forward to a pitchers’ duel – which did not materialize. The Giants knocked Koufax out of the game in the top of the second (with no outs) having already scored three runs on four hits (including home runs by Willie Mays and Jim Davenport). Pierce went on to pitch a complete-game, three-hit shutout (one walk and six strikeouts), giving the Giants the lead in the best-of-three playoff.

The Dodgers came back to win a squeaker (8-7) in Game Two.  Game Three saw the Dodgers match Johnny Podres against the Giants’ Juan Marichal, with neither pitcher figuring in the decision.  Los Angeles took an 4-2 lead into the top of the ninth inning, but the Giants scored four times to take the lead.  And, who did Dark call upon to save the win that put San Francisco into the World Series?  It was Game One playoff winner Billy Pierce, who set the Dodgers down in order to get the save. Note:  The Giants lost the 1962 World Series to the Yankees in seven games, with Pierce taking the loss in Game Three and winning Game Six.  He pitched 15 innings in the Series, giving up four earned runs on eight hits (2.40 ERA).

After helping the Giants get to the World Series with his 16-6 record (including a victory and a save in the three-game tie-breaking playoff with the Dodgers), Pierce pitched two more years for the Giants – going 6-11, 3.59, with 11 saves in 72 appearances (14 starts).  He retired after the 1964 season – at age 37 – with a career record of 211-169, 3.27, 193 complete games, 38 shutouts, 33 saves and 1,999 strikeouts in 3,306 2/3 innings pitched. As noted, he was a seven-time All Star, and led his league in victories, earned run average and strikeouts once each.

Pierce is also noted for his charitable efforts and served 46 years as a committee member of the Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities (20 years as its president).

Billy Pierce started on the mound for the AL All Star team in 1953, 1955 and 1956.

In a statement after Pierce’s death in 2015, Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said “It was an absolute privilege to consider Billy a friend. He epitomized class, not just as a ballplayer on those great Go-Go White Sox teams of the 1950s, but as a gentleman and human being who devoted so much of his life to helping others.”

For me, Billy Pierce’s career is worth reflecting on.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Stathead.com; “Go-Go To Glory, The 1959 Chicago White.” Society for American Baseball Research, edited by Don Zminda, article by Rob Neyer. 

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A strong case can be made for George Herman “Babe” Ruth as the greatest ballplayer of all time – based on his prowess as a pitcher and a hitter. On the mound, he twice won more than twenty games in a season. At the plate he topped forty home runs in 11 campaigns. He won one league earned run average title and one batting title. He led his league in games started, complete games and shutouts once each and was the leader in home runs 12 times and RBI five times.

This post, however, is not about Babe Ruth, but rather about Werner Joseph “Babe: Birrer.  As regular BBRT readers know, BBRT has a keen interest in players who have short, but somehow memorable careers.  In this post, I’d like to take a look at a player who had a short career, just 56 games over three seasons – but had one “Ruthian” day at the ballpark.

The player was Werner Birrer and the date was July 19, 1955 – when the 26-year-old rookie right-hander made just his 19^th MLB appearance. The Tigers were playing the Orioles in Detroit and Birrer relieved Tiger starter Frank Lary in the top of the sixth inning with a runner on second, no outs and the Tigers leading 5-4. Birrer pitched out of the jam (strikeout, ground out, fly out) and preserved the lead.  He went on to pitch three more scoreless frames and the Tigers’ scored seven more times to win 12-4.  It was how six of those seven runs scored that earned Birrer the nickname “Babe.” Birrer came up in the bottom of the sixth (facing George Zuvernick) with runners on first and second and two outs. He launched a three-run home run to deep left field. He came up again in the bottom of the eighth inning (this time against Art Schallock) with runners on first and third and no outs.   The result?  Another three-run dinger to deep left.  Four scoreless innings on the mound and two three-run long balls in two at bats – a Ruthian day, indeed.  (Little did the rookie know those would be the only home runs and only RBI of his MLB career.)

Coming into the game, Birrer was 1-1, 4.63 on the mound (in 18 appearances) and was hitting just .143 (one-for-seven) with a double. He would finish the season at 4-3, 4.15 and with a .158 batting average (3-for-19).  On July 30 of that same season, Birrer tossed his only MLB complete game – giving up just two runs on ten hits and two walks (with one strikeout) as the Tigers topped the Red Sox 5-2 in Boston.

Birrer, ultimately played in three MLB seasons (1955-Tigers, 1956-Orioles, 1958-Dodgers). On the hill, he went 4-3, 4.36 in 56 appearances, completing one game in three starts. At the plate, he hit .259 (7-for-27).  Birrer who played in six minor-league seasons (1947-54 & 1955 (a gap due to military service) before being called up, played professionally until 1966 (primarily at the Triple-A level).

To close out, here are a few MLB “pitchers and the long ball” tidbits (all part of my #WhyIHateTheDH sentiments).

• The Boston Braves Jim Tobin holds the record for the most home runs in a game by a pitcher at three. In a May 13, 1942 game against the Cubs, Tobin flied out to deep right field in the third inning; homered to lead off the fifth; homered again to lead off the seventh; and hit a two-run home run with two outs in the eighth (to break a 4-4 tie). Notably, the day before, Tobin was used as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of a Braves’ 9-8 loss to the Cubs and delivered a two-run homer. So, he had homered four times in the space of five at bats.  On the mound, he earned the victory (a complete game – five runs, three earned, five hits and three walks) – as the Braves topped the Cubs 6-5.  Tobin, by the way, went 105-112, 3.44 in nine MLB seasons (1937-45). As a hitter, he hit .230 (183-for-796, with 17 home runs and 102 RBI. He was used as pinch hitter more than 100 times.  Side note: Guy Hecker of the American Association Louisville Colonels also hit three home runs in a game on August 18, 1886.
• Just five pitchers have gone deep in a game in which they pitched a no-hitter – and Rick Wise is the only hurler to hit two long balls while pitching a no-no. Wise’s achievement came on June 23, 1971, as his Phillie topped the Reds 4-0 in Cincinnati. Wise gave up just one walk (three strikeouts) in his no-hitter – and he drove in three of the Phillies’ four runs with a two-run home run in the fifth inning and a solo shot in the eighth.  Others to homer while pitching a no-hitter include Frank Mountain (Columbus Buckeyes, American Association – June 5, 1884); Wes Ferrell (Cleveland Indians– April 29, 1931); Jim Tobin (Boston Braves – April 27, 1944); Earl Wilson (Boston Red Sox – June 26, 1962). For those who like the back story, Wise pitched in 18 MLB seasons (1964, 1966-82 … Phillies, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, Padres). He was a two-time All Star and wrapped up his career with a 188-181, 3.69 record (wining 15 or more games in six seasons).

The Day My Twins Were “Catfished”

Okay, this tidbit is not about pitchers and the long ball. Let me just note that, with no MLB baseball being played, my mind tends to wander.

On May 8, 1968, Catfish Hunter threw a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins – a 4-0 win in Oakland.  Not only did he dominate the Twins from the mound (11 whiffs in the perfect outing), he also roughed them up at the plate. Although he didn’t homer (like the players featured in this post), Hunter had a double, two singles, and three RBI I the contest.  Note:  There have been 23 perfect games in MLB history, the pitchers twirling those gems have recorded at least one base hit in six of them.

• Wes Ferrell Holds the MLB record for most home runs in a season by a pitcher (9) and in a career by a pitcher (37). Side note: Ferrell also hit one home run as pinch hitter. In 1931, Ferrell went .319-9-30 in 48 games (40 as a pitcher). All nine of his home runs game in games in which he appeared on the mound. Ferrell played 15 MLB seasons (1927-41), was a two-time all Star, won 20 or more games in six seasons, led his league in complete games four times and innings pitched three times. He ended his career with a 193-128, 4.04 record. As a hitter, he went .280 (329-for-1176), with 38 home runs and 208 RBI.
• Ken Brett is the only pitcher to homer in four straight starts. From June 9 to June 23, 1973, Brett started four games and won them all – tossing three complete games (and one of 7 1/3 innings) and putting up a 2.88 ERA, He also homered in each of those four contests (the only hits he had) – going 4-for-13 and driving in five runs. Brett had a 14-season MLB career (1967, 1969-81), going 83-85, 3.93.  At the plate, he hit .262 (91-for-347), with ten home runs and 44 RBI,

• Braves’ right-hander Tony Cloninger got the Independence Day fireworks started early in 1966. On July 3 of that season, Cloninger became the first (and still only) pitcher – as well as the first National Leaguer (any position) – to hit two Grand Slam home runs in a game.  In the Braves 17-3 win over the Giants (in San Francisc0), Cloninger hit a Grand Slam in the top of the first, added a second Grand Slam in the fourth and poked an RBI single in the eighth. He ended the day three-for-five, with an MLB one-game record (for pitchers) nine RBI. He also pitched a complete-game, seven -hitter.  That season, Cloninger hit .234, with five home runs and 23 RBI in 111 at bats. On the mound, he was 14-11, 4.12.

Primary Resources:  Baseball-Reference.com; Stathead.com, MLB.com

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On this date (May 18) in 1958, Indians’ rookie Carroll Hardy hit his first major league home run – and it was a big one, a walk-off, in fact.  It was a three-run shot in the bottom of the eleventh inning (off Billy Pierce) and it gave the Indians a 7-4 victory over the White Sox.  Notably, Hardy was pinch-hitting for a fellow who would later gain quite a reputation for the long ball – Roger Maris. It would be the first of only 17 MLB home runs for Hardy – and it came on his 25^th birthday. This dinger, and Carroll Hardy, caught Baseball Roundtable’s eye for a trio of reasons.

First, the thrill it must have been to have your first home run be a walk-off.  Second, Hardy is most noted in MLB for his notable pinch-hitting appearances. Third, it gave Hardy the distinction of having both homered in the major leagues and scored a touchdown in the National Football League.

For BBRT’s Minnesota Readers

Carroll Hardy’s last MLB appearance came as a Minnesota Twin. On September 27, 1967, in a game against the Angels (in Minnesota), Hardy pinch hit for Twins’ pitcher Jim Merritt with one out and no one on in the bottom of the ninth inning. (The Twins were down 5-1 at the time). Hardy flied out to second base. Hardy finished that season appearing in nine games for the Twins – going three-for-eight, with a walk, one home run and two RBI.

We’ve already looked at reason one.  Let’s move on to two and three.

Carroll Hardy as a pinch-hitter.

Carroll Hardy was a career .225 hitter. However, not only did he pinch hit for Roger Maris, he also – on September 20, 1960, in Ted Williams’ final MLB season – became the only player ever to pinch hit for the Splendid Splinter. It came in the top of the first inning of a game against the Orioles.  The BoSox had a runner on first and no one out, with Williams at the plate. Williams (hitting .313 at the time) fouled a ball off his foot and had to leave the game.  Enter pinch-hitter Hardy (hitting .217), who hit into a pitcher-to-first double play.  (Side note: Hardy was also the final player ever to replace Williams on the field – replacing him in left field in the ninth inning of Williams’ final game – on September 28, 1960. Williams, who had gone deep in the bottom of the eighth, took the field for the top of the ninth, but was called back to the dugout to set the stage for a final standing ovation.  Hardy took Williams’ place in front of the Green Monster.) On May 31 of the following season, Hardy pinch-hit for another future Red Sox Hall of Famer, Carl Yastrzemski.

Carroll Hardy and Football

Carroll Hardy played for the San Francisco 49ers (receiver/half-back) in 1955 and, like his first home run (that walk-off I talked about earlier), his first “catch” was memorable – a 78-yard touchdown reception (from quarterback Y.A. Tittle) in a 38-21 win over the Lions.  It was the 49ers’ longest play from scrimmage that season. Hardy appeared in ten games in 1955, catching 12 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns and rushing 15 times for 37 yards.

Carroll Hardy – All Around Athlete

Carroll Hardy earned ten varsity sports letters at Colorado University (1951-55). He earned four letters in football; four in baseball; and two in track. Hardy was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.  His college football coach (Dial Ward) said he “was the best all around athlete Colorado has ever produced.” Just a few highlights, Carroll Hardy: was a two-time honorable mention All-American in football; was the 1955 Hula Ball Most Valuable Player; gained 238 yards on ten carries in his final game for Colorado and averaged 9.2 years per carry for the season; had a 41.6 yards per kick average as a punter in his final college season; had a career batting average of .392 at Colorado; ran a 9.8 in the 100-yard dash.    

Hardy played in eight MLB seasons (1958-64, 1967 … Red Sox, Indians, Astros, Twins) going .225-17-113 in 433 games.

Primary resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Colorado Sports Hall of Fame; Colorado University Athletic Hall of Fame; Carroll Hardy Bio, Society for American Baseball Research, by Bill Nowlin. 

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