A Marquis Moment
Ben Godar
Albert Pujols epic walk-off homer, his third of the day, was the story of Sunday's Cards/Reds game. But something even more interesting and unusual happened just before that blast.
With position player Gary Bennett still on the bench, Tony LaRussa brought in pitcher Jason Marquis to pinch-hit ahead of Mr. Pujols. The reason? Marquis can flat out hit - last year, to the tune of .310 in a not-insignificant 87 at bats. The pitcher, who would start the very next day, lined a single into center field. Marquis' hit allowed Pujols homer to end the game.
I don't know that I've ever seen a situation quite like it - a pitcher used to pinch hit, not just to lay down a bunt, with a position player still on the bench. It was an elegant move that highlighted the beauty of the NATIONAL LEAGUE game.
When you play The Game the right way, the pitcher is just another position player, albeit with an extremely demanding role on the defensive side. The light-hitting pitcher is a practical result of a demanding defensive position, not an immutable truth and certainly not something that should ever have been put into the rule book by the Junior Circuit.
You can have your David Ortiz mashers swinging from their heels. I'll take a pinch hit from Jason Marquis.
Albert Pujols epic walk-off homer, his third of the day, was the story of Sunday's Cards/Reds game. But something even more interesting and unusual happened just before that blast.
With position player Gary Bennett still on the bench, Tony LaRussa brought in pitcher Jason Marquis to pinch-hit ahead of Mr. Pujols. The reason? Marquis can flat out hit - last year, to the tune of .310 in a not-insignificant 87 at bats. The pitcher, who would start the very next day, lined a single into center field. Marquis' hit allowed Pujols homer to end the game.
I don't know that I've ever seen a situation quite like it - a pitcher used to pinch hit, not just to lay down a bunt, with a position player still on the bench. It was an elegant move that highlighted the beauty of the NATIONAL LEAGUE game.
When you play The Game the right way, the pitcher is just another position player, albeit with an extremely demanding role on the defensive side. The light-hitting pitcher is a practical result of a demanding defensive position, not an immutable truth and certainly not something that should ever have been put into the rule book by the Junior Circuit.
You can have your David Ortiz mashers swinging from their heels. I'll take a pinch hit from Jason Marquis.
posted by Ben Godar at 9:30 AM
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