The Designated Pitcher

I loved yesterday's story in which Chris Davis, normally a first basemen and designated hitter with the Baltimore Orioles, was inserted as the pitcher in the last two innings of a 17-inning game with the Boston Red Sox.

The Orioles won the game 9-6 with Davis as the winning pitcher.

The Red Sox also had to go to a position player (Darnell McDonald) on the mound as Baltimore and Boston each used eight pitchers before running out of pitching arms.

It was the first time since 1925 in which both teams in a major league game had to put a position player on the mound.

In his two innings, Davis did not allow a run and stuck out two (including slugger Adrian Gonzalez on three pitches).

Davis did not do as well at the plate during the day.  He went 0-8 and stuck out five times as the designated hitter for the Orioles.  Fortunately, he was better as the designated pitcher yesterday.

Davis was the first position player to be the winning pitcher in a game since Rocky Colavito did it for the Yankees in 1968.  Sidenote-Colavito was one of my favorite players when I was a kid and he was playing for the Indians and the Tigers.