Batting The Pitcher 8th

[MuresanForMVP]

[ QUOTE ]
Kevin Goldstein talked about this awhile ago, but it was about Josh Hamilton instead of Micah Owings. Hamilton routinely hit 96 mph with his fastball in high school and completed his senior year with a 0.00 ERA. The consensus is that to simply be in the big leagues doing one thing was hard enough; to be an actual two-way star would be next to impossible.

Doesn't mean it couldn't happen, though. That being said, injury risk to a pitcher who is also playing OF on his offdays has to be pretty severe.

[/ QUOTE ]

I remember hearing that about Hamilton (and Greg Toe Nash), but if you can make an educated guess, IYO where is Owings more valuablen the mound or in the field?

[kyleb]

It's harder to be a starting pitcher than it is to be a position player, so I'd have to say a pitcher. I'm familiar with Owings and his ability to hit, but a league average starting pitcher is worth a lot of money (as evidenced by the Gil Meche/Ted Lilly deals in the offseason).

[THAY3R]

Owens has no plate discipline, and a tiny sample size of 55 at bats. Also, what position could he play even decently defensively?

I would say converting him to a hitter would be retarded, but using him on an NL team as an SP/#1 or 2 pinch hitter would be optimal.

[kyleb]

Yeah, using him as your pinch hitter for platoon situations is probably the best case scenario. See also: Jason Marquis.

[MuresanForMVP]

[ QUOTE ]
Owens has no plate discipline, and a tiny sample size of 55 at bats. Also, what position could he play even decently defensively?

I would say converting him to a hitter would be retarded, but using him on an NL team as an SP/#1 or 2 pinch hitter would be optimal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Makes sense

[ProfessorBen]

I have to disagree. Has Ankiel's season taught you guys nothing? Why would you guys keep a medicore pitcher when you could have a solid, top-of-the-lineup hitter?<font color="white">lawl leveled</font>

[kyleb]

How much do league average pitchers get paid?

How much do low-patience, poor fielding, okay sluggers get paid?

[Gregatron]

Ankiel's fielding is actually not too bad.

[/nit]

[mo42nyy]

I dont even nessasarily mean that he'll be converted but see no reason he should bat ninth if he continues to hit.
I could see them letting him dh in an al park. I just dont see the point in lumping a good hitter who happens to be a pitcher in a group with the typical terrible hitting pitchers. For example it used to drive me crazy when Colorado would pinch hit for Mike Hamton (or have him sac bunt with a man on 1st and one out) with some 230 light hitting worthless player who was a worse hitter than Hampton (usually this was in the 4th inning since hampton got rocked so often)

[kyleb]

I'm talking about Owings here, not Ankiel. Ankiel is not a pitcher anymore, anyway.