The Designated Hitter rule came into play in the American League for the first time in 1973 and pitchers in the AL had to put their bats into storage where they still sit today. Since 1973 very few AL pitchers have had to dust off and apply pine tar to their bats before walking to home plate to try to get some wood on the ball.
Do you know what pitcher got the last hit for the Minnesota Twins before the DH cane into play? How about that last Twins pitcher to bat before the DH?
I guess it was fitting that a Minnesota native Dave Goltz would be the last Twins pitcher to bat at Met Stadium before pitchers were told not to bother to bring their bats to spring training the following season. But back to the last Twins pitcher to get a hit before the DH, it happened in the same game that Goltz had the last pitcher’s at bat in front of only 3,193 fans at Met Stadium. This pitcher finished his 1972 season with a .160 average which was a career best and six RBI. Two of those six RBI came in that last at bat when he hit a double and had two RBI off Chicago White Sox pitcher Dan Neumeier to make the score Twins 10 and the mighty whitey’s 0 in the top of the fifth inning. So who was this guy? You might be surprised. But if you can’t figure it out at least take a guess and then you can look it up in the box score.
After the 1972 season Twins pitchers never got a hit again outside of any post season action until 1997 when Interleague play was introduced. With Interleague play pitchers once again batted in NL parks but the DH was still in play in AL parks. There was one game since the DH started that a Twins pitcher came to bat in a home game and actually had a hit and that was Bobby Korecky back on May 19, 2008 in a four hour 12 inning marathon against the Texas Rangers.
Here is a list of Twins pitchers that have gotten hits since the DH came on the scene in 1973
Rk | Player | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kyle Gibson | 2015-06-16 | MIN | STL | L 2-3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2 | Mike Pelfrey | 2015-05-20 | MIN | PIT | W 4-3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
3 | Kevin Correia | 2014-07-12 | MIN | COL | W 9-3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
4 | Kyle Gibson | 2014-06-02 | MIN | MIL | L 2-6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
5 | Scott Diamond | 2013-06-26 | MIN | MIA | L 3-5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Scott Diamond | 2012-05-18 | MIN | MIL | W 11-3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
7 | Scott Baker | 2011-06-24 | MIN | MIL | L 3-4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
8 | Francisco Liriano | 2011-05-22 | MIN | ARI | L 2-3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
9 | Scott Baker | 2011-05-21 | MIN | ARI | L 6-9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
10 | Carl Pavano | 2010-06-26 | MIN | NYM | W 6-0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
11 | Carl Pavano | 2010-06-20 | MIN | PHI | W 4-1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
12 | Scott Baker | 2008-06-26 | MIN | SDP | W 4-3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
13 | Kevin Slowey | 2008-06-13 | MIN | MIL | W 10-2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
14 | Bobby Korecky | 2008-05-19 | MIN | TEX | W 7-6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
15 | Livan Hernandez | 2008-05-17 | MIN | COL | L 2-3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
16 | Nick Blackburn | 2008-05-16 | MIN | COL | W 4-2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
17 | Johan Santana | 2007-06-24 | MIN | FLA | W 7-4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
18 | Johan Santana | 2007-06-19 | MIN | NYM | W 9-0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
19 | Carlos Silva | 2006-06-21 | MIN | HOU | L 3-5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
20 | Francisco Liriano | 2006-05-19 | MIN | MIL | W 7-1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
21 | Joe Mays | 2005-06-10 | MIN | LAD | L 5-6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
22 | Johan Santana | 2005-06-08 | MIN | ARI | W 10-0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
23 | Johan Santana | 2004-06-20 | MIN | MIL | W 4-2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
24 | Johan Santana | 2004-06-15 | MIN | MON | W 8-2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
25 | Kyle Lohse | 2003-06-21 | MIN | MIL | L 1-8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
26 | Brad Radke | 2003-06-20 | MIN | MIL | L 2-3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
27 | Johan Santana | 2003-06-07 | MIN | SDP | W 6-2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
28 | Joe Mays | 2003-06-03 | MIN | SFG | W 6-4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
29 | Johan Santana | 2002-06-23 | MIN | PHI | W 5-1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
30 | Kyle Lohse | 2002-06-16 | MIN | MIL | W 7-6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
31 | Eric Milton | 2002-06-15 | MIN | MIL | W 5-2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
32 | Rick Reed | 2002-06-14 | MIN | MIL | L 5-7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
33 | Brad Radke | 2001-07-13 | MIN | MIL | L 3-6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
34 | Kyle Lohse | 2001-07-12 | MIN | MIL | W 13-5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
35 | Brad Radke | 2001-06-17 | MIN | CHC | L 4-5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
36 | Juan Rincon | 2001-06-16 | MIN | CHC | L 4-11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
37 | J.C. Romero | 2001-06-15 | MIN | CHC | L 3-5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
38 | Joe Mays | 2000-07-07 | MIN | PIT | L 6-8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
39 | Sean Bergman | 2000-06-03 | MIN | CIN | L 3-9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
40 | Joe Mays | 2000-06-02 | MIN | CIN | L 3-4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
41 | Dan Perkins | 1999-06-11 | MIN | MIL | W 9-7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
42 | Eric Milton | 1998-07-02 | MIN | CIN | L 7-8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
43 | Eric Milton | 1998-06-22 | MIN | HOU | W 5-3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
44 | Eric Milton | 1998-06-06 | MIN | PIT | L 3-4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
45 | Mike Morgan | 1998-06-05 | MIN | PIT | L 1-6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
46 | Bob Tewksbury | 1997-09-02 | MIN | CHC | L 3-9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
47 | Rich Robertson | 1997-06-14 | MIN | HOU | W 6-1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Note that in 2009 Twins pitchers had no hits. Twins pitchers also had no hits between 1973 and 1996 although four pitchers had plate appearances, but sadly they all culminated with a strike out.
If I recall correctly, Kitty Kaat was a pretty good bunter.
I always suspected that the DH rule was put in place so that fans might never again be subjected to watching Bert Blyleven bat.
Well, I’m old enough to remember those pre-DH days. Jim Kaat and Jim Perry were both pretty good in the box, and each could muscle up a dinger now and then. Ahh, those were the daze…