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Switch Hitters

cooby Jun 08 2018 12:42 AM

Reading Keith’s book and he mentions ted Simmons, a switch hitter, and I wonder, are there switch hitters any more? Any insight from you who can watch games? God damn I miss watching baseball. I need to stop reading books about it

smg58 Jun 08 2018 01:30 AM Re: Switch Hitters

Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes, off the top of my head. I'd be curious to see if somebody has done any sort of study on whether there's been any sort of trend in the number of switch-hitters.

smg58 Jun 08 2018 01:34 AM Re: Switch Hitters

[url]https://apnews.com/dce0b6d88c5d4bb385c5540ae6c726d2 I found this article from just last week after a quick Google search.

Ceetar Jun 08 2018 02:02 PM Re: Switch Hitters

smg58 wrote: Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes, off the top of my head. I'd be curious to see if somebody has done any sort of study on whether there's been any sort of trend in the number of switch-hitters. They mentioned it on the Effectively Wild podcast recently, did a split by decade. It's not declining or anything from what I remember.

Edgy MD Jun 08 2018 03:13 PM Re: Switch Hitters

Sure seems to be in decline to me. The 1993 Mets opened the season with six of their eight regulars (Hundley, Murray, HoJo, Tony Fernandez, Coleman, and Bonilla) being switch hitters. Plus their reserves included switchies such as Chico Walker, Jeff McKnight, Tito Navarro, and Wayne Housie. It was going to be THE YEAR WITHOUT BAILING OUT. It turned out to be THE YEAR WITHOUT A LOT OF THINGS. By the end of the season, it was THE YEAR WITHOUT TONY FERNANDEZ, as he was sent to the Blue Jays for the second of his record four tours of duty with Toronto. It was also THE YEAR WITHOUT SO MUCH AS 60 WINS. I don't mean to suggest a correlation between switch hitters and terrible play, but it was the 1993 Mets, and they were bad.

Ceetar Jun 08 2018 03:26 PM Re: Switch Hitters

There are 78 guys that have switch hit this year. There was 82 in 1980.

seawolf17 Jun 08 2018 03:31 PM Re: Switch Hitters

BOOM. DECLINE.

Centerfield Jun 08 2018 03:38 PM Re: Switch Hitters

Does Reyes even count as a switch hitter? Don't you have to hit to be called that? I would agree that he's a switch swinger.

Benjamin Grimm Jun 08 2018 03:38 PM Re: Switch Hitters

There does seem to be fewer Mets switch hitters in recent years. I'll have to see if I can crank out some numbers.

Benjamin Grimm Jun 08 2018 03:51 PM Re: Switch Hitters

Number of switch hitters who played for the Mets, by year: 1962 1 1963 1 1965 1 1966 1 1967 4 1968 3 1969 4 1970 4 1971 3 1972 2 1973 1 1974 4 1975 2 1976 3 1977 3 1978 4 1979 3 1980 4 1981 5 1982 4 1983 4 1984 3 1985 4 1986 5 1987 6 1988 5 1989 5 1990 5 1991 8 1992 9 1993 10 1994 6 1995 8 1996 7 1997 9 1998 7 1999 5 2000 2 2001 2 2002 5 2003 4 2004 5 2005 6 2006 6 2007 6 2008 7 2009 7 2010 7 2011 3 2012 1 2013 1 2014 1 2015 2 2016 4 2017 4 2018 3 Number of plate appearances by switch hitters, by year: 1962 59 1963 66 1965 39 1966 113 1967 861 1968 857 1969 984 1970 1056 1971 994 1972 543 1973 407 1974 440 1975 89 1976 592 1977 1502 1978 1190 1979 730 1980 944 1981 815 1982 1037 1983 1058 1984 1325 1985 1390 1986 1202 1987 1557 1988 1594 1989 1560 1990 1512 1991 2046 1992 2748 1993 3015 1994 1772 1995 1758 1996 1496 1997 1905 1998 1850 1999 1126 2000 10 2001 337 2002 1231 2003 1397 2004 890 2005 1825 2006 1958 2007 2025 2008 2111 2009 1644 2010 1896 2011 1534 2012 429 2013 416 2014 311 2015 40 2016 1368 2017 1390 2018 373 Switch hitters, by year, with number of plate appearances: 1962 Sammy Drake 59 1963 Pumpsie Green 66 1965 Bud Harrelson 39 1966 Bud Harrelson 113 1967 Don Bosch 101 1967 Bill Denehy 12 1967 Bud Harrelson 599 1967 Tommie Reynolds 149 1968 Don Bosch 122 1968 Bud Harrelson 436 1968 Al Weis 299 1969 Jack DiLauro 12 1969 Rod Gaspar 248 1969 Bud Harrelson 455 1969 Al Weis 269 1970 Rod Gaspar 15 1970 Bud Harrelson 679 1970 Ken Singleton 233 1970 Al Weis 129 1971 Bud Harrelson 616 1971 Ken Singleton 364 1971 Al Weis 14 1972 Bud Harrelson 487 1972 Bill Sudakis 56 1973 Bud Harrelson 407 1974 Ike Hampton 5 1974 Bud Harrelson 410 1974 Brock Pemberton 22 1974 Randy Sterling 3 1975 Bud Harrelson 87 1975 Brock Pemberton 2 1976 Bud Harrelson 430 1976 Mickey Lolich 70 1976 Lee Mazzilli 92 1977 Bud Harrelson 304 1977 Lee Mazzilli 615 1977 Lenny Randle 583 1978 Sergio Ferrer 39 1978 Ken Henderson 26 1978 Lee Mazzilli 618 1978 Lenny Randle 507 1979 Dock Ellis 28 1979 Sergio Ferrer 9 1979 Lee Mazzilli 693 1980 Wally Backman 109 1980 Lee Mazzilli 665 1980 Jose Moreno 51 1980 Mookie Wilson 119 1981 Wally Backman 42 1981 Greg Harris 22 1981 Mike Howard 29 1981 Lee Mazzilli 374 1981 Mookie Wilson 348 1982 Wally Backman 312 1982 Mike Howard 47 1982 Rick Sweet 3 1982 Mookie Wilson 675 1983 Wally Backman 45 1983 Mike Howard 3 1983 Jose Oquendo 351 1983 Mookie Wilson 659 1984 Wally Backman 499 1984 Jose Oquendo 209 1984 Mookie Wilson 617 1985 Wally Backman 573 1985 Larry Bowa 22 1985 Howard Johnson 428 1985 Mookie Wilson 367 1986 Wally Backman 440 1986 Stan Jefferson 26 1986 Howard Johnson 252 1986 Lee Mazzilli 70 1986 Mookie Wilson 414 1987 Wally Backman 335 1987 John Candelaria 5 1987 Gregg Jefferies 6 1987 Howard Johnson 640 1987 Lee Mazzilli 148 1987 Mookie Wilson 423 1988 Wally Backman 346 1988 Gregg Jefferies 118 1988 Howard Johnson 591 1988 Lee Mazzilli 131 1988 Mookie Wilson 408 1989 Gregg Jefferies 554 1989 Howard Johnson 654 1989 Lee Mazzilli 77 1989 Jeff McKnight 14 1989 Mookie Wilson 261 1990 Chuck Carr 2 1990 Tom Herr 114 1990 Todd Hundley 74 1990 Gregg Jefferies 654 1990 Howard Johnson 668 1991 Chuck Carr 11 1991 Vince Coleman 318 1991 Tom Herr 191 1991 Todd Hundley 68 1991 Gregg Jefferies 537 1991 Howard Johnson 657 1991 Terry McDaniel 30 1991 Garry Templeton 234 1992 Kevin Bass 145 1992 Bobby Bonilla 505 1992 Vince Coleman 259 1992 Pat Howell 78 1992 Todd Hundley 386 1992 Howard Johnson 408 1992 Jeff McKnight 87 1992 Eddie Murray 625 1992 Chico Walker 255 1993 Bobby Bonilla 582 1993 Vince Coleman 399 1993 Tony Fernandez 203 1993 Wayne Housie 17 1993 Todd Hundley 446 1993 Howard Johnson 280 1993 Jeff McKnight 182 1993 Eddie Murray 659 1993 Tito Navarro 18 1993 Chico Walker 229 1994 Bobby Bonilla 460 1994 John Cangelosi 133 1994 Todd Hundley 320 1994 Jeff McKnight 32 1994 David Segui 373 1994 Jose Vizcaino 454 1995 Jeff Barry 16 1995 Bobby Bonilla 350 1995 Carl Everett 329 1995 Pete Harnisch 36 1995 Todd Hundley 321 1995 Ricky Otero 55 1995 David Segui 91 1995 Jose Vizcaino 560 1996 Carlos Baerga 89 1996 Carl Everett 215 1996 Jason Hardtke 59 1996 Pete Harnisch 68 1996 Todd Hundley 621 1996 Kevin Roberson 45 1996 Jose Vizcaino 399 1997 Carlos Baerga 495 1997 Carl Everett 480 1997 Jason Hardtke 61 1997 Pete Harnisch 9 1997 Todd Hundley 505 1997 Luis Lopez 192 1997 Brian McRae 160 1997 Yorkis Perez 1 1997 Turk Wendell 2 1998 Carlos Baerga 545 1998 John Hudek 0 1998 Todd Hundley 141 1998 Luis Lopez 291 1998 Brian McRae 640 1998 Tony Phillips 229 1998 Turk Wendell 4 1999 Bobby Bonilla 140 1999 Roger Cedeno 522 1999 Luis Lopez 118 1999 Brian McRae 339 1999 Turk Wendell 7 2000 David Lamb 6 2000 Turk Wendell 4 2001 Desi Relaford 335 2001 Turk Wendell 2 2002 Roberto Alomar 654 2002 Roger Cedeno 560 2002 Mark Guthrie 2 2002 Gary Matthews 1 2002 Esix Snead 14 2003 Roberto Alomar 300 2003 Roger Cedeno 526 2003 Tony Clark 279 2003 Jose Reyes 292 2004 Wilson Delgado 147 2004 Kaz Matsui 507 2004 Jose Reyes 229 2004 Esix Snead 0 2004 Victor Zambrano 7 2005 Carlos Beltran 648 2005 Anderson Hernandez 19 2005 Kaz Matsui 290 2005 Jose Offerman 79 2005 Jose Reyes 731 2005 Victor Zambrano 58 2006 Carlos Beltran 613 2006 Anderson Hernandez 67 2006 Kaz Matsui 139 2006 Jose Reyes 702 2006 Jose Valentin 432 2006 Victor Zambrano 5 2007 Carlos Beltran 634 2007 Luis Castillo 231 2007 Ruben Gotay 210 2007 Anderson Hernandez 3 2007 Jose Reyes 764 2007 Jose Valentin 183 2008 Carlos Beltran 705 2008 Raul Casanova 61 2008 Luis Castillo 357 2008 Abraham Nunez 2 2008 Angel Pagan 105 2008 Argenis Reyes 119 2008 Jose Reyes 762 2009 Carlos Beltran 356 2009 Luis Castillo 579 2009 Anderson Hernandez 149 2009 Angel Pagan 376 2009 Argenis Reyes 18 2009 Jose Reyes 166 2009 Tobi Stoner 0 2010 Carlos Beltran 254 2010 Luis Castillo 299 2010 Luis Hernandez 46 2010 Gary Matthews 64 2010 Angel Pagan 632 2010 Jose Reyes 601 2010 Tobi Stoner 0 2011 Carlos Beltran 417 2011 Angel Pagan 531 2011 Jose Reyes 586 2012 Andres Torres 429 2013 Eric Young 416 2014 Eric Young 311 2015 Danny Muno 32 2015 Eric Young 8 2016 Asdrubal Cabrera 561 2016 Ty Kelly 71 2016 Jose Reyes 279 2016 Neil Walker 457 2017 Asdrubal Cabrera 535 2017 Ty Kelly 1 2017 Jose Reyes 559 2017 Neil Walker 295 2018 Asdrubal Cabrera 243 2018 Jose Lobaton 53 2018 Jose Reyes 77

Edgy MD Jun 08 2018 04:08 PM Re: Switch Hitters

Benjamin Grimm wrote: 2000 10 That's pretty incredible. Pennant winner and everything. I checked Baseball-Reference — it was 6 by David Lamb and 4 by Turk Wendell.

seawolf17 Jun 08 2018 04:29 PM Re: Switch Hitters

So obviously the problem is not that there's not enough switch-hitters, but too many switch-hitters.

cooby Jun 08 2018 04:54 PM Re: Switch Hitters

Centerfield wrote: Does Reyes even count as a switch hitter? Don't you have to hit to be called that? I would agree that he's a switch swinger. Lol

smg58 Jun 08 2018 06:49 PM Re: Switch Hitters

I'm pretty sure Jose Oquendo only hit right-handed when he was with us. I think I remember (it's been 35 years) that either Johnson or Bill Robinson had suggested it to him without success, but that somebody in St. Louis finally sold him on it.