Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Now batting, pitcher Madison Bumgarner.
San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy tried something different when his team took on the Oakland A’s. Despite being in an American League, he intentionally forewent the use of the designated hitter (DH), instead placing starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner in the line up. The intentional use of the pitcher as a DH hasn’t happened in 40 years. “Look at his numbers…he’s earned this,” Bochy commented on this move.
Bumgarner has previously expressed interest in hitting in this year’s Home Run Derby in San Diego, however, Bochy has come out to say that Bumgarner will not be participating. Maybe it will happen next year, and all bias in, it should.
Prior to the start of the fourth game against the A’s, Bumgarner’s stats included a mere .175 batting average, but an impressive eleven home runs over three seasons. During his at-bats, A’s centerfielder Billy Burns dropped a long fly ball hit by Bumgarner in his first at bat, landing Bumgarner on second base. Bumgarner’s double started a rally, earning him a second at bat in the third inning. Unfortunately, he also popped up to end the inning. He scored a few at-bats later on a ground rule double hit by Brandon Belt. Bumgarner finished the night 1-4, striking out looking in his third at-bat during the 5th inning, and grounding out into a double play in the 7th. His batting average has improved to .182. The guy is also pretty good at pitching. On the mound, Bumgarner threw 104 pitches over 6.1 innings, and gave up four earned runs on six hits. San Francisco won the game 12-6, avoiding a sweep by Oakland.
With pitchers like Bumgarner and Mets Noah Syndergaard who are able to handle the bat fairly well, do you see other managers trying out Bochy’s plan of letting the pitcher hit? Is it better to avoid any injury a pitcher could face while at bat or running the bases?
