Cleveland Sports Forum

Alternate question. Since when a new pitcher comes in to replace a previous pitcher he’s called a relief pitcher. So why isn’t a new hitter who comes in called a relief hitter?

I try to remember this every time the Tribe gets their ass kicked in ST

https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/02 ... -take.html

Nobody likes to see their team lose even if it's a backyard pickup game.

Originally posted by Captain Cold Nose View Post
If Mathewson was using the phrase In a pinch, it undoubtedly was well set in the common vernacular. I've always taken pinch hitter like that, a hitter who is brought up in a pinch, a potentially testy situation that calls for special effort.
I can confirm this. Pitching In A Pinch serves as a guide to what was then contemporary baseball. In his book, Matty describes the slang and going-ons to the reader. On page 54 of my version (published by Forgotten Books):

"In most Big League ball games, there comes an inning on which hangs victory or defeat. Certain intellectual fans call it the crisis; college professors, interested in the sport, have named it the psychological moment; Big League managers mention it as the "break," and pitchers speak of the "pinch." "

Thus, as you and the OP deduced, the term eventually extended to any moment that hangs in the balance. A "pinch" hitter was at one time the equivalent to the modern "clutch" hitter, or one who arrived in a situation on which hung victory or defeat, as Matty put it. Because pitchers generally went the whole game, you only substituted for them if you really needed a better bat to get you ahead. The substitute was more likely to arrive in a situation that warranted a RBI in a close game, or the "pinches." Otherwise, you let the pitcher do his thing. Even guys who got shelled lasted a lot longer than we'd expect today because of the limited pitching staff.

Somewhere along the line, the term must've been gradually minimized to describe anyone approaching the plate in place of another in order to further the game. Instead of "substitute," he became the "pinch hitter" regardless of the situation.

Had the pleasure of sitting on the grassy area beyond the left field fence at Talking Stick ballpark when Frankie hit his 3 run bomb today.

No i did not catch it and the guy I was with ran over to try to catch it...to no avail

Was his name Bauers?

What a bad day for that kid.

4 ABs...4Ks and an error in the field.

Guess the heart-to-heart talk with Tito fell on deaf ears.

seagull - view from left field grass area in Scottsdale.

seagull wrote:Was his name Bauers?

What a bad day for that kid.

4 ABs...4Ks and an error in the field.

Guess the heart-to-heart talk with Tito fell on deaf ears.

I mean talk or no talk where is the spot for him on this team? They aren't going to use him 1-2 days a week I don't believe. Back to AAA for Bauers and if he tears it up good.

Haven't been to that stadium yet. You young guys can sit on the grass. I probably couldn't get up.

Seagull- Can you still chase balls in the minors areas?

Not like Florida, Lou. Everything is fenced off in Az.

Seagull - going to see the Tribe and A's at Diablo Field (Tempe) ...about 3 miles from where I stay.

But just got tickets for March 15 (Sunday) for the Tribe at Goodyear (vs. Rockies). Figure Sundays the traffic will be much lighter, at least it is in the East Valley I know for sure on weekends. Also I may use the new 202 South Mountain.

Angels at Diablo...A's at Hohokam

Yeah I wasn't clear.

Going to see Tribe at Angels at Diablo.

Going to see A's at Angels at Diablo.

Rockies at Tribe at Goodyear.

After fighting the traffic coming home from Scottsdale yesterday, I'm trying to be traffic smarter. So Diablo it is. And Goodyear on a Sunday.

By the way the fact the Angels...play at a place called Diablo....there's gotta be some irony there.

I can't keep track of who plays where. They've moved teams around since the Tucson teams move up here and Mesa built the Cubs a new stadium.

15 teams within a 60 minute drive is a lot better than Florida. Traffic still sucks.