RIP. Gates Brown

I'll always remember the back of his baseball card with the little cartoon drawing noting that he was Hawaiian.

 

Did it show a map of Hawaii?

 

No, because neither of them were name-dropped in one of the most famous comedy films of its era or involved in the best David-and-Goliath baseball story of the last 60 years.

But I would argue that someone like Francisco Cabrera is quite celebrated for his pinch-hitting — granted, we're talking about one famous pinch hit here — but with 108 of his 374 career plate appearances coming as a pinch-hitter, he fits the definition a lot better than Manny Mota.

Hell, just on the Braves alone in the last few years, Eric Hinske, Brooks Conrad and now Evan Gattis have been celebrated specifically for their pinch-hitting exploits. Other teams have their own celebrated pinch-hitters, too, like Matt Stairs with the Phillies for a few years.

But I'll let y'all get back to your nostalgia now. 8)

 

Maybe it was because Burgess / Mota / Brown stood out because they were unique. I can't recall any other teams that had dedicated pinch hitter.

I grew up watching Yankee baseball and it was always a big deal to the announcers
when Brown or Burgess would grab a bat. Burgess looked like he was out of another
baseball era.

 

Tony Taylor did an outstanding job as a pinch hitter for the Phillies. Danny Heep and Denny Walling weren't too shabby for the Astros.

 

Always think of Taylor more as "utility player" .

 

Mota was almost exclusively a PH for the last eight years of his career. Like Burgess, he was a guy who was kept on a ML roster into his 40s just to get the occasional pinch hit. That's why he's remembered for pinch hitting.

 

Hinske I'll grant you, but he played quite a bit in the outfield during his Braves tenure because of injuries to other players. And Conrad lasted only one year with Atlanta --- and quickly washed out of the majors altogether --- specifically because he couldn't field. Gattis only made the team because of McCann's injury, and has been more-or-less a full-time player all year.

 

I don't think so.

Matter of fact, now I know it didn't.

 

But some of those guys were average or above average fielders. Harris could play a few positions and Vander Wal was a solid OF. Guys like Kranepool and Staub, especially at the end of the careers, were there just for their bats. Don't have the stats, but I would think they more often pinch hit and didn't remain in the field.