San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Position players pitching no longer a rarity
Twelve runs down in the seventh inning? So, you’re saying there’s a chance?
Well, no. Not at all. Mathematically impossible, in fact. That’s according to Statcast, our reliable source of MLB metrics that determined the San Francisco Giants were all done when trailing the St. Louis Cardinals 14-2 in the seventh inning last Sunday.
The Cardinals’ win probability at the time was 100%, according to Statcast. Thus, Giants outfielder Luis González came on to pitch with two outs in the bottom of the seventh — and stay on for the eighth — at Busch Stadium.
Three days later, the Oakland Athletics were trailing by a not-as-awful seven runs through eight innings, 11-4, but Statcast had the Minnesota Twins’ win probability at 99.9%.
So A’s outfielder Chad Pinder took the mound for the top of the ninth.
Position players getting summoned to pitch has become a regular thing, not to mention a delight for fans and diversion for players in the process of getting boatraced. In blowouts, managers take the opportunity more than ever to rest their bullpens and make a hitter’s dream a reality.
As tough as it is to accept, it’s the equivalent of waving a white flag, an odd gesture by baseball people who are taught no lead is insurmountable, especially with no shot clock.
González and Pinder were thrilled to take the mound — an absolute fantasy for them, bragging rights in the clubhouse no matter how good or bad their pitching lines would be. It was González’s first time pitching since he was at the University of New Mexico and Pinder’s first time since he was at Poquoson High School in Virginia.
Last season, managers called on position players (not named Shohei Ohtani) to pitch 89 times, according to Baseball Reference. In 2019, the previous full season, it was 90. It’s a far cry from 2010 when it was done just nine times. It has become a more popular practice in recent years — 26 in 2016, 36 in 2017, 65 in 2018.
Entering Friday, it had happened 14 times this season. As bullpens extend and tire in the summer, the figure is expected to spike. Especially in an era in which managers and front offices are well aware of the win expectancy models and don’t hesitate to give up on the day.
“The bullpens are where the velocity is. The bullpens are where the strength is,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “When you get down like that, it’s tough to come back. With the velocity in the game, guys are working harder than they worked (in the past), and injury is an issue.
“You see that pretty constantly in the game right now, and that leads to managers trying to protect those guys. Everyone in the dugout understands those guys down there, those teammates down there are an important part of this team, and we want to protect them.”
Especially in the wake of an epic run of games for the A’s, 15 in 13 days including two doubleheaders in five days. Kotsay’s bullpen was taxed, which isn’t abnormal these days.
In the era of openers and bullpen games, a team’s relievers going all out without pacing themselves can work as many innings as the starters and their usage can lead to fatigued bullpens.
“We had three outs left in the game,” Kotsay said. “It’s for the protection of those guys, not wanting anybody to get hurt.”
Kotsay couldn’t exhale, however. He still had concerns about Pinder, whose wild velocity differential ranged from 44 mph to 86 mph.
“I wanted to yell at him, like, ‘Calm down,’ because I’ve seen guys go out there and gas it and get hurt,” Kotsay said. “I’m thankful he got off the mound and feels good.”
González had a similarly wacky differential (42 mph to 85 mph), and Giants manager Gabe Kapler said a goal in such an environment is no injuries. The preference is throwing marshmallows, not heaters. That’s what Albert Pujols was throwing. The Cardinals’ legendary hitter pitched in the same game González did, and González was one of two Giants to homer off him.
“You’re not trying to set any ERA records when you send a position player in there to pitch,” Kapler said.
While certain hitters have made it clear they’d be willing to pitch, including those who pitched in recent days for the Giants and A’s, Pinder isn’t a big fan of the practice.
“Yeah, my opinion is that it shouldn’t happen, to be totally honest,” Pinder said. “I understand that it is part of the game and you’ve got to play nine innings and you don’t want to exhaust your bullpen. That’s the rule. You still can, so I have no problem with it whatsoever. But in my opinion, it shouldn’t happen. But it’s not my rule to write.”
There almost was a rule written. The criteria had been in place for the 2020 season for position players to pitch only in extra innings or in a game in which a team was winning or losing by at least six runs.
Then the pandemic arrived, and that rule was scratched. Just as before, a position player can pitch at any point in a game. That’s fine. Fans dig it. For the most part, players dig it. So long as a team isn’t stuck in a position to do it all the time.
“It’s cool for one day,” Kapler said.