RIP. Gates Brown

[Smasher_Sloan]

One of the differences brought on by 12-man pitching staffs is no one would carry a PH specialist like Burgess or Staub, who required a pinch runner as well.

 

[dooley_womack1]

Ahh, typical Baby Boomer nostalgia.

Of the top 10 pinch-hitters in MLB history, seven of them spent their entire careers in the DH era. And an eighth, Manny Mota, spent 9 of his 20 seasons in the DH era.

Five of the 10 (HALF!) started their careers after 1988, including the all-time pinch-hit leader, Lenny Harris.

Lenny Harris, 221 PH, 1988-2005
Mark Sweeney, 175 PH, 1995-2008
Manny Mota, 150 PH, 1962-82
Smoky Burgess, 145 PH, 1949-67
Greg Gross, 143 PH, 1973-89
Dave Hansen, 138 PH, 1990-2005
John Vander Wal, 129 PH, 1991-2004
Jose Morales, 123 PH, 1973-84
Orlando Palmeiro, 120 PH, 1995-2007
Jerry Lynch, 116 PH, 1954-66

I wouldn't agree at all that the pinch-hitter has been less celebrated or valued (although I would agree that 12-man pitching staffs are shortening the bench in recent years.)

Less celebrated, definitely. You think people will remember Dave Hansen and John Van Der Wal the way Manny Mota and Smoky Burgess are? Not a prayer. Unless Dave Hansen pinch-hits for Rheal Cormier in Airplane IX

 

[Boom_70]

If you grew up watching baseball in the 60's and someone asked you to name
3 pinch hitters you would likely say Gates Brown, Smokey Burgess, and Manny Mota.

I just can't remember any others that distinctive and that effective in such a limited roll.

When Giambi hit the walk off last week I actually went to Baseball Reference to see how
old Burgess was when he retired. He was 40 but looked a lot older to a young kid at
the time.

 

[Joe Williams]

I always think of Mike Lum as a PH guy, too. See where he had 102 PHs.

 

[old_tony]

I always think of Mike Lum as a PH guy, too. See where he had 102 PHs.

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

 

[dooley_womack1]

I always think of Mike Lum as a PH guy, too. See where he had 102 PHs.

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?

 

[buckweaver]

Less celebrated, definitely. You think people will remember Dave Hansen and John Van Der Wal the way Manny Mota and Smoky Burgess are? Not a prayer. Unless Dave Hansen pinch-hits for Rheal Cormier in Airplane IX

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)

 

[Boom_70]

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.

 

[Drip]

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.

 

[Boom_70]

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" .

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

Less celebrated, definitely. You think people will remember Dave Hansen and John Van Der Wal the way Manny Mota and Smoky Burgess are? Not a prayer. Unless Dave Hansen pinch-hits for Rheal Cormier in Airplane IX

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.

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.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Less celebrated, definitely. You think people will remember Dave Hansen and John Van Der Wal the way Manny Mota and Smoky Burgess are? Not a prayer. Unless Dave Hansen pinch-hits for Rheal Cormier in Airplane IX

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)

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.

 

[old_tony]

I always think of Mike Lum as a PH guy, too. See where he had 102 PHs.

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?

I don't think so.

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

 

[cjericho]

Ahh, typical Baby Boomer nostalgia.

Of the top 10 pinch-hitters in MLB history, seven of them spent their entire careers in the DH era. And an eighth, Manny Mota, spent 9 of his 20 seasons in the DH era.

Five of the 10 (HALF!) started their careers after 1988, including the all-time pinch-hit leader, Lenny Harris.

Lenny Harris, 221 PH, 1988-2005
Mark Sweeney, 175 PH, 1995-2008
Manny Mota, 150 PH, 1962-82
Smoky Burgess, 145 PH, 1949-67
Greg Gross, 143 PH, 1973-89
Dave Hansen, 138 PH, 1990-2005
John Vander Wal, 129 PH, 1991-2004
Jose Morales, 123 PH, 1973-84
Orlando Palmeiro, 120 PH, 1995-2007
Jerry Lynch, 116 PH, 1954-66

I wouldn't agree at all that the pinch-hitter has been less celebrated or valued (although I would agree that 12-man pitching staffs are shortening the bench in recent years.)

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.