Pitchers in the Outfield?
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Re: Pitchers in the Outfield?
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Jan 9, 2008 12:54 PM
| YBS Fan
]
This is fairly common in the Central League because teams don't have to disclose their starting pitchers until shortly before game time. If a manager is unsure who the opposing starting pitcher will be (and wants to use the lefty/righty platoon for a given position), he'll often put a starting pitcher who won't see any action anyway in as a place holder, then switch just before the game starts.
The Pacific League announces starting pitchers the day before, so this practice is limited to just the Central League.
The Pacific League announces starting pitchers the day before, so this practice is limited to just the Central League.
Re: Pitchers in the Outfield?
[ Author: 2DBB08 | Posted: Jan 9, 2008 9:52 PM
]
Thanks. In going through and compiling the starting lineups, I'm using the real position player who was evidently in the lineup when the game started as the starter.
This sounds so much like U.S. baseball of 100 years ago when managers would often have several pitchers throw on the side and just before game time decide who the starter was.
I think I remembered what Earl Weaver did in the early 1970s that caused the rule to be changed. Before the DH was implemented, if he was the home team, he'd start a position player for the pitcher and have him bat third. Then in the bottom of the first he'd replace this player with his real pitcher. He'd effectively make a lineup with his pitcher bating 12th. The rules got very quickly changed to disallow this. But maybe I'm not remembering correctly what Weaver did.
This sounds so much like U.S. baseball of 100 years ago when managers would often have several pitchers throw on the side and just before game time decide who the starter was.
I think I remembered what Earl Weaver did in the early 1970s that caused the rule to be changed. Before the DH was implemented, if he was the home team, he'd start a position player for the pitcher and have him bat third. Then in the bottom of the first he'd replace this player with his real pitcher. He'd effectively make a lineup with his pitcher bating 12th. The rules got very quickly changed to disallow this. But maybe I'm not remembering correctly what Weaver did.
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An example of this occuring is the April 12th Swallows @ BayStars game. Terahara (a pitcher) is in the box score starting lineup batting 7th and playing right field for the BayStars. In his fielding stats for the season, it shows he never played right field. During this game, there are zeros all the way across for him. Since the BayStars are the home team, I can only conclude that he was replaced at right field by Furuki before the game started.
Is this situation a case where the BayStars didn't want to disclose to the Swallows who the starting right fielder was until the game started? Or is there some other explanation for this kind of entry in a box score?
I've seen it in several other box scores. It confuses me because it's not allowed in the U.S. and it's totally new to me. Perhaps I've discovered a nuance in Japanese baseball strategy? Interesting.