That hair could be a distraction.

Did he even pitch at Ole Miss?
I really don't think he did.

Weird.
I wish some legit former two-way star was trying this.
How about Mark Kotsay? Does he still have that cannon he used to have?
He was a steamroller in college pitching and hitting.

And I hope to write and direct the 7th Harry Potter movie. We can make it, Bobby!

I think Bobby would have much more success reinventing himself as a prop comic in Las Vegas. The only problem is he might not have enough steroids to compete in that industry.

I wish some legit former two-way star was trying this.
How about Mark Kotsay? Does he still have that cannon he used to have?
He was a steamroller in college pitching and hitting.

sean doolittle was a pretty damn good pitcher in college. he hit 93 as a LHP.

joe savery is another possibility. as is zach putnam.

whatever happened to micah owings?

Nick Swisher!

I also watched a game last year in which some shortstop came in and had a ######-up windup but was throwing in the low 90s. I think it was Tony Pena but I'm not sure.

By the way, anybody else noticed Pena's -1 OPS+ in 288 plate appearances over the last two years? Go Royals!

#6--Nick Green?

I think Bobby would have much more success reinventing himself as a prop comic in Las Vegas. The only problem is he might not have enough steroids to compete in that industry.

Can't let that one pass without comment. Fun-ee!

If he's into experimenting, maybe he should have experimented with not being a switch hitter.

civil rights pioneer. first ginger-american to homer in the world series

How about Mark Kotsay? Does he still have that cannon he used to have?

Last time I saw him, he was a rotting shell of himself (2007), but golly did he ever have that cannon.

I also watched a game last year in which some shortstop came in and had a ######-up windup but was throwing in the low 90s. I think it was Tony Pena but I'm not sure.

Tony Pena is now a pitcher for the Giants.

And with a 2.33 ERA in limited minor league innings.

I always wondered why more teams didn't try to develop their own Brooks Kieschnicks. Seems like every NL team should have one.

Tony Pena is now a pitcher for the Giants

So now there's two pitching Tony Peña's? Dang!

Rhode Island Red is only 33? ####, I would have guessed he was at least 40. Dunno why.

Anyway.

I've now wondering what the minimum avg velocity a shortstop or third basemen could throw and still be a competent fielder. I always assumed that relative arm strength was not very important for those positions but it just occurred to me that someone with johnny damon's arm couldn't field those positions. Or maybe he could?

whatever happened to micah owings?

Got traded to the Reds.

Cal Ripken always said that the reason he originally decided to be an IF instead of a P (he played SS and P in high school), was that Cal, Sr. always said it's a lot easier to go back to pitching than it is to try to become a position player again. Once you've had a few years without batting and fielding, apparently, it's difficult to transition back into such a role full-time successfully. And if you know how to pitch, it's just a matter of building up enough arm strength and finding the right release point to become a pitcher again, no matter how long you've gone without doing it.

Now, I don't know that I buy this argument entirely, as there have been a number of success stories of guys who dropped pitching to become hitters (Ruth, Ankiel, et al). (There are also those who have failed, as I'm hoping Adam Loewen will do.)

I can't think of too many people who've become full-time pitchers after giving up their positional role. Nerio Rodriguez was a catcher in the minors, then switched to become a pitcher and made the show. No others come to mind offhand.

Ron Mahay's one.

A lot of pitchers were minor league position players.

Trevor Hoffman, Felix Rodriguez, and Ron Mahay, off the top of my head.

I can't think of too many people who've become full-time pitchers after giving up their positional role. Nerio Rodriguez was a catcher in the minors, then switched to become a pitcher and made the show. No others come to mind offhand.

Stan Musial, Trevor Hoffman, Troy Percival, Guillermo Mota, Felix Rodriguez, Brooks Kieschnick, Jimmie Foxx, James McDonald, Yhency Brazoban are a few that come to mind off the top of my head.

EDIT: Coke to flournoy.

How freakish of an athlete must Stan Musial have been, by the way? 1940, he goes 18-5 as a minor league pitcher. One year later, he plays a key role in an MLB pennant race as a hitter, one of the greatest September callups of all time.

Dave Stieb was also a minor league position player, although only for his first year.

Wakefield too, though that's a bit different. Someone's mentioned here before that every player on his last legs should give the knuckleball a shot.

There's a bunch of converts floating around. Mahay, who others have mentioned, actually made the bigs both ways. Now, pitchers-turned-hitters are harder to find, Ankiel and Loewen notwithstanding (Bogusevic, in the Astros system, has a decent chance to get to the bigs as an outfielder despite having pitched his first several years)...

Who are guys who tried to make it as a knuckleballers as their career was dying (position player edition)? First name that comes to mind is Lemke...

Lance Niekro

Joe Nathan spent his first minor league season as a shortstop.

But I too can't recall any guys, other than Kieschnick, that made the majors (or at least the upper minors) as a hitter, then returned to that level later as a pitcher.

EDIT: I see Mahay did it too (but how the heck did he make the majors as a hitter?).

David McCarty.

Um, Babe Ruth. Clemente or Barfield could probably have learned, although Jesse's control might not have been the best.

Link to Ichiro pitching for Orix in the '96 All-Star game, hitting 90 with his first warm-up pitch:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3897198&name=Neyer_Rob

Willie Smith came up as a pitcher for the 1963 Tigers, who then traded him to the Angels. He hit so well for the Angels in 1964 (.301/.317/.465, including 10-for-23 as a pinch hitter) that they ended up sending him to the outfield full-time. He played seven more years after 1964, and took the mound just three more times.

The funny thing is, he might have been a better pitcher than hitter. Smith finished his career with a 110 ERA+, but just a 94 OPS+.

mahay: i apologize if this is in error but ... iirc, there was speculation that part of his callup was as a thank you for scabbing (not that he wasn't considered a decent candidate regardless, but that it was a factor).
the last guy to make the position player to pitcher move who made the bigs in both roles prior to mahay may have been skip lockwood (who was a no-hit bonus baby 3b).

Clemente or Barfield could probably have learned, although Jesse's control might not have been the best.

How fast do those guys throw the ball when they are in the outfield?

Bob Lemon made it to the majors as a position player.

George Sisler made the majors as a pitcher/1B and OF. Roger Bresnahan had a nice debut as an 18 year old pitcher.

Any number of position players have pitched a bit.

Looks like Honus Wagner could really bring it. Not that he pitched a lot, but 6 Ks in 8.1 IP is a very high K rate for the day. The 6 BB and 3 WP suggest that he was better cast as a position player.

Wade Boggs was pretty well known for his knuckler.

Bucky Walters played 3B for a few seasons.

Johnny Damon heard about this and said he's willing to give it a try.

Boggs got a couple of innings work at ages 39 and 41.

Ted Williams was a league average pitcher in the majors.

Pitchiro!