Pinch hitter

In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, American football, or ice hockey, baseball does not have a "free substitution rule" and thus the replaced player in baseball is not allowed back into that game. The pinch hitter assumes the spot in the batting order of the player whom he replaces.

The player chosen to be a pinch hitter is often a backup infielder or outfielder. In the major leagues, catchers are less likely to be called upon because most teams have only two catchers, while pitchers are almost never used as pinch-hitters, because they tend to be worse hitters than other players on the team. The pinch hitter may not re-enter the game after being replaced with another player.

The American League of Major League Baseball, the Pacific League in Japan, the KBO League in Korea, and various other leagues use the designated hitter rule, such that pitchers seldom bat. This removes one possible situation where a pinch hitter may be desired.

For statistical and scorekeeping purposes, the pinch hitter is denoted by PH.^[1]

Usage

Pinch hitters are often used to replace a starting player when the pinch hitter is thought to have a better chance of reaching base or helping other runners to score.

In the National League of Major League Baseball, the Central League in Japan, and various other minor leagues, pinch hitters are often substituted for the pitcher in the middle or late innings of a game. This is because pitchers are often poor hitters and get tired after six to seven innings of pitching. Thus, as the manager often plans to replace the pitcher in the next inning, the major downside of using a pinch hitter, namely that the player being replaced cannot re-enter the game, is taken away.

This use of a pinch hitter is often part of a double switch, in which a relief pitcher replaces a defensive player who will not bat soon, and at the same time a defensive player replaces the pitcher who is scheduled to bat soon.

The pinch hitter may remain in the game following a pinch-hit at-bat and need not (but may) assume the same position as the player for whom he pinch-hits as long as some other player assumes that position. For example, on 16 August 2009, the Washington Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman pinch-hit for second baseman Alberto Gonzalez and then remained in the game at third base, with previous third baseman Ronnie Belliard switching positions to play second base after the change.^[2] Alternatively, the manager may designate another player to replace the pinch-hitter; this scenario is common when a team pinch-hits for a pitcher without executing a double switch, such that the new pitcher then replaces the pinch hitter and assumes the previous pitcher's place in the batting order.

If a pinch hitter hits for the DH, the new pinch hitter stays in the game as a DH, and may not be used in the field. If the new DH does take the field, then the team forfeits the DH.

MLB all-time pinch hit leaders

This is a list of players with the most pinch-hits in Major League Baseball history. Names which appear in bold are active players. Includes games through July 22, 2011.

All-time pinch hit records

• Most pinch hit at-bats

Lenny Harris – 804

• Most pinch hits career

Lenny Harris – 212

• Most pinch hit grand slams

Rich Reese, Willie McCovey, Ron Northey – tied with three each

• Most pinch hit home runs

Matt Stairs - 23

• Most pinch hit game winning grand slams

Brooks Conrad – 2

• Most pinch hit grand slams by one team in a season

Atlanta Braves – 3 total in 2010

Single season pinch hit records

• Most pinch hit games

Ichiro Suzuki – 109 (2017)

• Most pinch hit plate appearances

Ichiro Suzuki – 109 (2017)

• Most pinch hit at-bats

Ichiro Suzuki – 100 (2017)

• Most pinch hits

John Vander Wal – 28 (1995)^[3]

• Most consecutive pinch hits

Dave Philley and Rusty Staub – tied with eight each (1958 and 1983)

• Most pinch hit home runs

Dave Hansen and Craig Wilson – tied with seven each (2000 and 2001)

• Most pinch hit game winning grand slam home runs

Brooks Conrad – 2 (2010)

• Most pinch hit home runs for a team in a game

St. Louis Cardinals (Jeremy Hazelbaker, Aledmys Diaz and Greg Garcia) – 3 (April 8, 2016)^[4]

• Most pinch hit RBI

Joe Cronin, Jerry Lynch, Rusty Staub – tied with 25 each (1943, 1961 and 1983)

• Most pinch hit walks

Matt Franco – 20 (1999)

Pinch hit home runs

• The following players have been called into a game and hit a pinch-hit home run during their first ever Major League at-bat:

American League

Date	Name	Team	Inning
April 30, 1937	Ace Parker	Philadelphia	9th Inning
September 5, 1962	John Kennedy	Washington	6th Inning
June 19, 1963	Gates Brown	Detroit	5th Inning
September 30, 1964	Bill Roman	Detroit	7th Inning
September 12, 1965	Brant Alyea	Washington	6th Inning
August 7, 1968	Joe Keough	Oakland	8th Inning
April 7, 1977	Alvis Woods	Toronto	5th Inning

National League

Date	Name	Team	Inning
April 21, 1898	Bill Duggleby	Philadelphia	2nd inning
April 14, 1936	Eddie Morgan	St. Louis	7th Inning
May 21, 1948	Les Layton	New York	9th Inning
September 14, 1950	Ted Tappe	Cincinnati	8th Inning
April 12, 1955	Chuck Tanner	Milwaukee	8th Inning
September 8, 1998	Marlon Anderson	Philadelphia	7th Inning
April 17, 2001	Gene Stechschulte	St. Louis	6th Inning
August 21, 2005	Mike Jacobs	New York	5th Inning
September 1, 2005	Jeremy Hermida	Florida	7th Inning
September 4, 2006	Charlton Jimerson	Houston	6th Inning
September 8, 2008	Mark Saccomanno	Houston	5th Inning
August 28, 2009	John Hester	Arizona	6th Inning

See also

• Designated hitter
• Pinch runner

References

External links

• Pinch hitting record from the Baseball Almanac