Comments on: Most Home Runs by a Pinch Runner

By: tomepp

tomepp — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:30:01 +0000

Jgeller: Thanks for the info. I recognized that the post was specifically referring to PRs (as opposed to PHs), but I was curious about hte record for any substitute. I seemed to recall that there was a player who got 3 HR in an extra-inning game as a late-inning sub but couldn't place the name (I kept thinking it was Rusty Staub, but that didn't ring exactly right, either). As a BoSox fan, I appreciated the irony of Lowell's pinch runner status. Of course, he showed his best method of beating a throw to second - hit it out of the park to begin with.

By: gerry

gerry — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:45:25 +0000

Jed, you don't have to be a subscriber to get PI to tell you that the record for most PA without an SB or a CS is 2244 by Johnny Estrada.

By: Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:14:06 +0000

Last night Lowell suggested he might have a future as a pinch runner. Earlier this year when he was part of a double steal (or something equally unlikely), he said, "Guys, I've got another gear out there. It's called second."

By: Jed

Jed — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:31:40 +0000

Slow: Kusick (listed at 6'3", 232) stole 11 bases in 1461 PA. Lowell has stolen 28 bases in 6119 PA. And then there's Essegian -- 1140 PA, zero SB, zero CS. Now I'm curious: Does he have the most plate appearances without a stolen base or a stolen-base attempt? (I'm not a PI subscriber.) Terrific stat, Raphy.

By: khgiddon

khgiddon — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:04:16 +0000

The irony, of course, about being a "pinch runner", is that Mike Lowell is without doubt one of the slowest people in baseball.

By: Jgeller

Jgeller — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:19:18 +0000

Using the Play Index Game Finder, you can click just "Sub" under the positions and search for most home runs. This gives us since 1954 at least. Art Shamsky hit 3 homers in 1966 off the bench for Cincinnati, the only to do it. According to the play-by-play, he entered in a double switch during the Top of the 8th with the pitcher. He proceeded to hit a homer in the bottom of the 8th to put his team up 1. The game went to extra innings. Bottom 10 he hit a home run to re-tie the game. Bottom 11 he did the same. Pittsburgh won the game in the 13th inning, with Shamsky 2 batters away from his 4th at-bat in the game. In short: not just the most home runs by a sub in a game, but probably one of the most valuable subbing ever in a losing effort.

Not counting Shamsky, 53 players have hit 2 homers off the bench. Dave Ross did it in June.

By: tomepp

tomepp — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:22:18 +0000

Does anyone know what the record is for most HR in a game the player didn't start (entering as PH, PR, DR, etc.)?

By: mikeyjax

mikeyjax — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:49:12 +0000

Interestingly both gus on that list before last night played for the team they did it against in the same season. Kusick after and Essegian before. I'm not trying to ship Lowell to Motown but......

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:49:09 +0000

That's a stunning stat and a great find.