During a recent edition of his “Great Game or What” podcast, legendary MLB reporter Tim Kurkjian retold a funny Roger Clemens and Doc Gooden All-Star Game story that he believes shows why pitchers should still be hitting.
For many lifelong National League fans, pitchers putting on a helmet and grabbing a bat to take some swings at the plate was a normal part of MLB. Sure, they were some of the worst hitters on their teams. But it created funny moments or forced unique decisions that showcased the various strategies used in a baseball game. However, MLB put an end to pitchers hitting, once and for all, in 2022.
While some fans prefer a universal designated hitter rule. There are many old-school fans who long to see pitchers taking at-bats again. However, this week during his podcast, longtime ESPN reporter Tim Kurkjian retold a great All-Star game tale that gives evidence for why it is actually beneficial to pitchers to see pitches at the plate as a batter.
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Seeing pitches from Doc Gooden made Roger Clemens look at his own stuff differently
“In ’86, back when pitchers were still batting in the All-Star Game, Roger Clemens — basically the best pitcher in the American League — was facing Dwight Gooden — the best pitcher in the National League. He hasn’t batted since high school, and now he’s facing Gooden in the All-Star Game.
“First pitch comes in at like 98 miles an hour, and it just takes off through the strike zone. Clemens steps out of the box, he looks at the home plate umpire and says, ‘Do I throw that hard?’ And Bruce Froemming says, ‘Yes, Roger. You throw that hard.’ And he went, ‘Damn’, like that.”
While the story itself is funny, Kurkjian says that moment made the Boston Red Sox legend look at his pitches differently. And despite already being an elite pitcher at that point, it made him realize that if his fastball is just as nasty as the New York Mets great’s then he should throw it more.
“That’s why I think it’s a shame that pitchers don’t get to bat anymore,” Kurkjian said. “Because I think it gives them another look at what great pitching actually looks like.”
Unfortunately, outside of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, pitchers are unlikely to take ABs in games again anytime soon.
