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Batting ninth, the designated hitter ...
2007-07-01 10:06
by Bob Timmermann

The Oakland Athletics are starting Kurt Suzuki as their designated hitter and he's in the #9 slot.

So, I thought to myself, why bother with a DH if he's going to bat ninth? But it does happen. Doesn't it?

Indeed it does. It's already happened 12 other times this season. The player who most frequently started as a DH and batted ninth was Nick Johnson, who did it 26 times for the Yankees in 2002 and once more in 2003. Orlando Palmeiro did it 21 times for the Angels in 2000 and 2001. From now on, 2000-2003 will not be called "the Steroid Era", but rather "the #9 hitting DH Era."

The #9 DHs alltime. The list is best read when accompanied by banjo music.

 

Comments
2007-07-01 10:34:18
1.   Jim Dean
Dueling Banjos?
2007-07-01 10:50:25
2.   Philip Michaels
On July 25, 2007, I attended a game at the Oakland Coliseum between Cleveland and the A's.

Your No. 9 hitter for Cleveland: Designated Hitter Jason Dubois.

Your No. 9 hitter for Oakland: Designated Hitter Dan Johnson

It was the first time in history that both teams batted their DH ninth.

The A's won 13-4. Guess they designated the right hitter, huh?

Dubois: 0-3, 3Ks and a walk
Johnson: 3-3, with 2 walks and 2 RBI

The game was also notable for Keiichi Yabu picking up his first -- and likely only -- Major League save by pitching three innings of relief without crashing the car.

2007-07-01 10:51:23
3.   Philip Michaels
2 Gah! I meant July 25, 2005, obviously.

I have not built a time machine to attend games in the future.

I'm just so terribly excited by the fact that the A's are scoring runs this morning.

2007-07-01 11:01:49
4.   Bob Timmermann
3
I thought Steve Jobs gave you an iTimeMachine to try out.

The problem is that the battery runs out at weird times and then you have to mail the whole iTimeMachine back through the time portal and you just don't know what "next day air" means in that situation.

2007-07-01 11:26:31
5.   Linkmeister
Hey, Suzuki is from Hawai'i, and it's the 50th and last state (so far) to join the Union, so maybe it's only fitting that he hit 9th in the order.

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