The Name Game
In 1958, Dave Philley – of the Philadelphia Phillies – ran off a string of eight consecutive pinch hits … still the most consecutive pinch hits in a single MLB season. The streak started on September 9 and stretched through the Phillies’ final game of the season (September 28). In those eight pinch-hitting appearances, Philley collected five singles, two doubles and one home run – driving in nine runs. Ironically, he started three games in right field during the streak – and went just one-for-twelve (a single), with one walk and one RBI. In the 1958 season, Philley hit .409 as a pinch hitter (18-for-44, with five walks, five doubles, one home run and 11 RBI. In non-pinch roles, he went 46-for-163 (.282), with six doubles, four triples, two home runs and 20 RBI.
Philley’s record of eight consecutive pinch hits in a season was tied by the Mets’ 39-year-old Rusty Staub in 1983. In a stretch from June 11 through June 26 that season, Staub went eight-for-eight as a pinch hitter – with two doubles, one home run and seven RBI. As a pinch hitter that season, Staub went 24-for-81, with three home runs, 25 RBI, 10 walks and just six strikeouts. (Staub’s 25 RBI give him a share of the MLB single-season pinch-RBI record – with Joe Cronin (Red Sox, 1943) and Jerry Lynch (Reds, 1981) In non-pinch roles, Staub went 10-for-34 (.294), with no homers and three RBI. In the final three seasons of his 23-season MLB career, Staub was used primarily as a pinch batsman. He appeared in 236 games – 223 as a pinch hitter. Staub, a six-time All Star , collected 2,716 career hits (.279), with 292 home runs and 1,466 RBI. As a pinch hitter, he was 99-for-358 (.277) with eight home runs, 92 RBI and 49 walks.
But, I‘ve digressed – back to Dave Philley. Other pinch-hitting records he also holds are the American League single-season record for pinch-hit at bats (72) and pinch hits (24). Both set with the Orioles in 1961. In his career, Philley hit 300 as a pinch hitter 92-for-307.
A Portent of Things to Come
On June 19, 1963, Tigers’ rookie Gates Brown had his first MLB at bat. It came as a pinch hitter (against the Red Sox’ Bob Heffner), leading off the top of the fourth inning, with the Tigers down 4-1. (Brown was hitting for pitcher Don Mossi). It was a fairly inconsequential at bat (the Tigers lost 9-2), except for the fact that Brown joined the club of players delivering a pinch-hit homer in their first MLB at bat. It also was a portent of things to come, as Brown went on to set (and still holds) the American League record for career pinch-hit at bats (414) pinch hits (107) and pinch-hit home runs (16).
The overall MLB records for career pinch-hit at bats (804) and pinch hits (212) belong to Lenny Harris. In his 18-season MLB career (1988-2005). Harris delivered pinch hits for the Reds, Dodgers, Mets, Giants, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Cubs and Marlins.
One “Grand” Opening Salvo
On August 31, 2005, Marlins’ rookie Jeremy Hermida came to bat against Cardinals’ reliever Alberto Reyes with The Fish down 10-0. It would seem a bit of a “no pressure” situation for a first trip to the plate – except that the bases were loaded (no outs). Hermida took a 1-1 fastball over the left field wall – becoming the first (and still only) player to hit a pinch-hit Grand Slam in their first plate appearance. To date, Hermida also is one of only four players to hit a Grand Slam in their first at bat.
Put Me in Coach – I’m Ready to Hit
In 2017, 43-year-old Ichiro Suzuki was winding down a career that saw him record ten seasons of 200+ base hits. At this point, he was with the Marlins and was an offensive weapon coming off the bench. That season Ichiro appeared in 136 games – an MLB single-season record 109 as a pinch hitter. He also logged a single-season record 100 pinch-hit at bats, collecting 27 hits for a .270 average.
Well, That’s Rich
Rich Reese only hit 52 home runs in his 10-season MLB career (1964-73) – and just three of those were Grand Slams – but that performance still got him into the long-ball record books. All three of Reese ‘s Grand Slam home runs were as a pinch hitter. This puts him in a tie with Ben Broussard, Willie McCovey and Ron Northey for the most pinch-hit Grand Slams in a career. Reese’s MLB career stretched from 1964-73 (all but part of the 1973 with the Twins). He hit .253-52-245 in 866 games. His best season was 1869, when he hit .322-16-69 in 132 games.
Seventh-Heaven … or Making those Long Balls Count
In 2000, Dodgers’ utility player Dave Hansen hit .289, with eight home runs and 26 RBI – but still the season was one for the record books. Seven of Hansen’s eight long balls came in a pinch-hitting role, setting a new single-season record for pinch-hit home runs. Three of Hansen’s seven pinch-hit home runs came in the seventh inning, two in the eighth and two in the ninth and six of the seven either tied the game (four) or gave the Dodgers the lead (two). In each case, Hansen was hitting in the nine-hole – six times for the pitcher and once for a pinch-hitter (for the pitcher), who had been announced, but was pulled when the opposing manager made a pitching change.
In 2000, Hansen was in the tenth of his eventual 15 MLB seasons. That campaign, he had a total of 147 plate appearances (in 102 games), with 65 of those PA’s coming as a pinch hitter. He went .273-7-14 in that role, adding ten walks for a .385 on-base percentage. In 82 non-pinch-hitting plate appearances, he hit ,303-1-12, with 16 walks (.439 OBP).
Hansen’s MLB career stretched from 1990 through 2005 (Dodger, Cubs, Padres, Mariners). He appeared in 1,230 games, starting just 341. He retired with a stat line of .260-35-222; .234-15-81 as a pinch hitter. Hansen made appearances defensively at 3B, 1B, LF, SS and 2B.
Well, That Didn’t Last Long
Dave Hansen set a new MLB single-season record of eight pinch-hit home runs during the 2000 season. However, his sole possession of that mark didn’t last long. The very next season, a 24-year-old Pirate rookie 1B/C named Craig Wilson collected a pinch-hit home run for his very first major league hit (May 1 against the Giants). Wilson went on to collect six more pinch-hit round trippers (out of a total of 13 home runs) in his rookie season – tying Hansen’s all-time mark. Wilson finished the 2001 season with a stat line of .310-13-32 in 88 games. He appeared 43 times as a pinch-hitter, going .294 (10-for-34) with 11 RBI and seven walks in that role. Wilson’s pinch-hit homers came in the fifth (one), sixth (two), seventh (one), eighth (two) and ninth (one) innings – four of the long balls gave the Pirates the lead and one was a walk-off homer.
Craig Wilson had a total of ten pinch hits in 2001, seven of them for home runs.
Wilson played seven MLB seasons (2001-2007 … Pirates, Yankees, Braves), hitting .262-99-292. As a pinch hitter, he hit .213-12-25, with 12 walks in 124 plate appearances. After hitting .310 as a rookie (88 games), he never reached .270 again. His best season was 2004, when he hit .264-29-82 in 155 games for Pittsburgh.
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—-Pinch Hitters with Ultimate (or even Ultra Ultimate) Grand Slams—-
Ah, the beauty of the “Ultimate Grand Slam” – a walk-off, game-winning Grand Slam coming when your team is down by three runs. And, for BBRT, there is the “Ultra” Ultimate Grand Slam – a walk-off Grand Slam with your squad down by three runs and down to it last out. Let’s look at those spectacular long balls and the players who hit them. First, those that make the BBRT “Ultra” list … coming with two outs in the final frame. There are three.
Carl Taylor, Cardinals, August 11, 1970
The Cardinals were trailing the Padres 10-6 going into the bottom of the ninth on that August 11 evening. Singles to three of the first four batters cut the margin to three tallies. Two batters later (a fielder’s choice and a walk) – with two out and the bases loaded – Carl Taylor was called upon to pinch hit for Cardinals’ pitcher Harry Parker. His walk-off Grand Slam (off Ron Herbel) to deep left gave the Cardinals an 11-10 win. It was the C/OF’s sixth and final home run of the 1970 season, in which he went .249-6-45. Taylor played six MLB seasons (1968-73), going .266-10-115. After the game, Taylor told reporters it was his first Grand Slam ever “even in Little League.”)
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A Tidy Set of Bookends
Carl Taylor’s “Ultra” Ultimate Grand Slam (for the Cardinals) was his last major league home run (despite playing three more MLB seasons). It came off Padres’ pitcher Ron Herbel. Coincidentally, Taylor also hit his first MLB home run off Herbel on May 25, 1969. At the time, Taylor was with the Pirates and Herbel with the Giants.
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Roger Freed, Cardinals, May 1, 1979
Roger Freed gets credit for the only extra inning Ultimate Grand Slam – and there’s a good chance a lot of the hometown crowd missed the big blow. The Astros and Cardinals were tied 3-3 at the end of nine and the Houston erupted for three runs in the top of the eleventh inning (No doubt, sending some St. Louis fans heading for the exits). The Redbirds, however, put together a single and two walks (interrupted by a pair of strikeouts) to load the bases for pinch hitter Roger Freed (hitting for LF Jerry Murphy). Freed then touched Joe Sambito for a two-out, walk-off game-winning Grand Slam for a 7-6 Cardinals’ victory. It was one of only two home runs Freed would hit that season, when the 1B/OF put up a .258-2-8 stat line. Freed appeared in 34 games that season – 33 as a pinch hitter. (He started one game at 1B – his last in MLB- and went two-for-four with a double and toe RBI.)
Minor League MVP
Roger Freed was selected as the International League Most Valuable Player (.334-24-130 for the Rochester Red Wings) in 1970 and the American Association Most Valuable Player (.309-42-102 for the Denver Bears) in 1976.
Freed played eight MLB seasons (1970-72, 1974, 1976-79), hitting .245-22-109 in 344 games. Despite the .245 career average, he hit for a .398 average (33-for-83 in 49 games) for the Cardinals in 1977. That season, he hit .395 (9-for-23) as a pinch-hitter. Freed was a career .269 hitter in the pinch.
Dave Bote, Cubs, August 12, 2018
On August 12, 2018, the Cubs came into the bottom of the ninth trailing the Washington Nationals 3-0 – having been handcuffed by Max Scherzer (three hits, one walk and 11 whiffs in seven innings) and Koda Glover (one hit in the eighth). The Nationals brought in Ryan Madson to pitch – and then things got a little wild. Madson got 2B Ben Zobrist out on a grounder to first to open the inning, then gave up a single to RF Jason Heyward. He then hit CF Albert Almora on an 0-1 pitch, got LF Kyle Schwarber on a foul pop and hit C Wilson Contreras on a 2-2 pitch to load the bases. The Cubs brought in rookie infielder Dave Bote to pinch hit for pitcher Justin Wilson and, with a 2-2 count (the Cubs down to their last strike), Bote took a mid-90s fastball to deep center for an “Ultra” Ultimate Slam- giving the Cubs a walk-off 4-3 victory. At the time of his Ultimate Grand slam, Bote was hitting .329, with three home runs (including the Slam). He hit just .176, with three home runs the rest of the way – to finish the season at .239-6-33.
Bote, a utility infielder, has played three MLB seasons (2018-20), hitting .240-24-103. As a pinch hitter, however, he has excelled. Through his first three seasons, Bote is .342-2-14, with six walks in 45 games as a pinch hitter (444 on-base percentage).
Now for the Ultimate Grand Slams that came with less than two out.
Sammy Byrd, Reds, May 23, 1936
Sammy Byrd came up in the bottom of the ninth (pinch-hitting for pitcher Don Brennan) against the Pirates’ Cy Blanton with his Reds down 3-0, no outs and the bases loaded – and delivered a walk-off Grand Slam for a 4-3 win. (Byrd was the third pinch hitter used by the Reds that inning.) Byrd would hit only one more home run in his MLB career (1929-36), during which the outfielder put up a .274-38-220 stat line. As a pinch hitter, he went .284-2-24 in 115 games.
Jack Phillips, Pirates, July 8, 1950
Jack Phillips came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth (pinch hitting for pitcher Murry Dickson) against the Cardinals’ Harry Brecheen with his Pirates down 6-3, the bases loaded and one out. He homered to left-center to give the Pirates a 7-6 walk-off win. Phillips played nine MLB seasons (1947-52, 1955-57) – never appearing in more than 70 games in a campaign. Observers did say Phillips had a brush with greatness, indicating his Ultimate Grand Slam tipped off the end of Stan Musial;s outstretched glove as it cleared the left field fence. Phillips, primarily a backup corner infielder, played a total of 343 MLB games, going .283-9-101. In that 1953 season, Phillips played in 69 games, hitting .293-5-34. The home runs and RBI were career highs.
Brooks Conrad, Braves, May 20, 2010
Brooks Conrad’s pinch-hit Ultimate Grand Slam was part quite a remarkable Braves’ comeback. Atlanta entered the bottom of the ninth of its May 20, 2010 game against the Reds trailing by a 9-3 score. With Mike Lincoln on the mound for Cincy, the Braves inning went like this: 1B Troy Glaus-single; LF Eric Hinske – single; SS Yunel Escobar – single (loading the bases); CF Nate McLouth – two-run single. At this point, Nick Masset replaced Lincoln on the mound and quickly walked C David Ross. Martin Prado (2B) then reached on an error, scoring Escobar and leaving the bases loaded and the Braves trailing by three. Enter pitcher Arthur Rhodes, who fanned RF Jason Heyward on a 3-2 pitch. The Reds then brought in Francisco Cordero to face Conrad, who was hitting for pitcher Craig Kimbrel. On a 2-2 offering, Conrad delivered a long fly to left field that bounced off LF Laynce Nix’s glove and into the stands for an Ultimate Slam – topping a seven-run ninth inning rally and giving the Braves a 10-9 walk-off win. (Notably, Conrad would deliver a second pinch-hit Grand Slam in the 2010 season – in the eighth inning of a July 24 game against the Marlins).
Conrad (a utility infielder) played 293 games in six MLB seasons (2008-2012, 2014). He averaged .200 over 460 at bats (164 of them as a pinch hitter), with 19 home runs and 73 RBI. The 2010 season, when he notched those two pinch-hit Grand Slams, was his best in the majors – .250-8-33 (all career highs) in 103 games. Those two 2010 pinch-hit Grand Slam were the only Grand Slams of his career.
Brian Bogusevic, Astros, August 16, 2011
Brian Bogusevic (Do you have his baseball card?) came to the plate against the Cubs’ Carlos Marmol in the bottom of the ninth inning (August 16, 2011), with Bogusevic’s Astros trailing 5-2, with one out and the bases loaded. He was hitting for pitcher Aneury Rodriguez – and he delivered, popping a 2-2 pitch out of the park (left-center) for a 6-5 walk-off Astros’ win. Bogusevic, an outfielder, played in five MLB seasons (2010-13, 2015). He hit .238-19-67 in 321 games. That Ultimate Slam was his only career Grand Slam. He had a solid season in the pinch in 2011, going 10-for-33 (.303) with one home run and five RBI. On the season, he was .287-4-15 in 87 games.
Mound Movement
Brian Bogusevic was the 24th overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft (Astros) – as a pitcher. He went 14-21, 5.09 in four minor-league seasons before being converted to the outfield. In three years at Tulane University (159 games), he was a two-way standout – going 25-11, 3.65 on the mound and .330-14-129 at the plate.
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It Doesn’t Matter Who You Hit It For – as Long as You Hit It
No one had more pinch-hit home runs in a career than Matt Stairs – with 23. Stairs pinch-hit long balls for the A’s, Brewers, Pirates, Royals, Tigers, Blue Jays, Phillies and Padres. Stairs enjoyed a 19-season MLB career – going .262-265-899 in 1,895 games.
Smokey Just Smokin’ ‘Em
No player racked up more pinch-hit RBI than Forrest “Smokey” Burgess. Over his 18 MLB seasons (1949, 1951-67 … Cubs, Phillies, Reds, Pirates, White Sox). Burgess drove in 146 runs in 589 appearances as a pinch-hitter (.285 average, 16 home runs). An All Star catcher in six seasons,Burgess played 1,691 career games, hitting .295, with 126 home runs and 673 RBI.
Smokey Burgess led National catchers in fielding percentage in three seasons.
Rack ‘Em Up Coach
In 1995, the Rockies’ Johnny Vander Wal came to the plate 85 times as a pinch hitter. He collected 28 hits (seven doubles, one triple and four home runs) and 12 walks (.389 average and .471 on-base percentage). His 28 pinch-hit safeties are the MLB single-season record. Vander Wal played 14 MLB seasons (1991-2004), going 261-97-430. As a pinch hitter, he hit.236-17-95. Of his 3,166 career plate appearances, 624 (19.7 percent) were as a pinch-hitter.
Don’t want anything to Do with That
In 1999, the Mets’ Matt Franco appeared in 122 games – 80 as a pinch hitter. In 25 percent of those pinch plate appearances, he drew a free pass (the MLB single-season record for a pinch batter). This despite a .235 1999 batting average and a .237 average as a pinch hitter that season. Franco played in eight MLB seasons (1995-2000, 2002-03). He hit .267-22-117 in 661 games. In 399 games as a pinch hitter, he hit .238-7-51.
A Better “Eye” Off the Bench?
In 1999, Matt Franco drew 20 free passes in 80 plate appearances as a pinch hitter and just eight walks in 81 plate appearances as at bats in a non-pinch-hitting role.
That’s Clearly Above Average
Baseball-Almanac.com credits the Met’s Ed Kranepool with the highest-ever season pinch-hitting average (among players with at least 30 pinch at bats in the season). In 1974, Kranepool hit .486 (17-for-35) – with three doubles, one triple and one home run – as a pinch hitter. For his career, Kranepool was .277-6-55 (.270 average) with 36 walks in 370 appearances as a pinch hitter. Kranepool played in 18 MLB seasons (1962-79), all with the Mets. He hit .261-118-614 in 1,853 games.
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; MLB.com.
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