PITTSBURGH — Given the Cubs’ recent travails, what better person to talk to about not hitting than a guy who made a career out of not hitting?
We didn’t have to go far to find one. He’s been in the Cubs’ TV broadcast booth all this time.
Jim Deshaies, the Cubs’ color analyst, was a big-league pitcher at a time when National League pitchers still hit—or at least came to the plate carrying a bat.
Deshaies holds a record that most likely will never be broken, unless MLB decides pitchers are allowed to bat again.
Deshaies, who played from 1984 to 1995, holds the record for most plate appearances (440) without hitting a double. Barry Zito, the former A’s and Giants pitcher, had 418 PAs without a double, 22 PAs fewer than our record-holder.
Deshaies had 33 hits in his career, all singles. He played for the Astros, Phillies, Padres and Giants.
Did he ever get thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double?
“No,” Deshaies said. “It’s funny. I batted left-handed, and my first-ever hit was right down the third-base line, ground ball. Got a lot of juice on that, and had I rounded first base, I might have had a shot [at a double]. But running down the line, I just ran through the bag.’’
Memory can be a tricky thing. A check of baseball-reference.com reveals that single down the line, which came off Bob Welch of the Dodgers on June 28, 1986, was the second hit of Deshaies’ career. His first hit was a single off Joe Price of the Reds five days earlier.
Those were his only hits that season. He went 2-for-43, an .047 average. But the single off Welch also produced his first, and only, RBI of 1986. In 1987, he had three RBI, when he drew bases-loaded walks from David Palmer of the Braves and David Cone of the Mets in consecutive April starts and also singled in a run against Cone.
Deshaies said he and former teammate [and future broadcaster] Larry Andersen used to debate which of them was the worst hitter in history. The late Jim Capel, the endlessly clever writer for ESPN.com, once simulated a World Series between teams made up players who hit like Jim Deshaies and Larry Andersen. “I won in seven games,’’ Deshaies said. “It was pretty funny.’’
Deshaies finished with a lifetime batting average of .088. He didn’t even crack the Top 10 list of all-time worst hitters (minimum: 400 plate appearances), finishing 13th. Dean Chance was No. 1 at .066.
Former Cub Bill Hands was third at .078; he began his career going 2-for-49 in his first full season (1966), and 1-for-57, an .018 average, in his last, 1972.
Target practice
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a line drive in the third inning Monday that was caught by Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz. It had an exit velocity of 105.2 miles an hour. He hit another line drive in the fifth caught by Horwitz. That one came off the bat at 101.3 miles an hour. In the seventh, he scorched a 100.9 mph ground ball that was snagged by Horwitz.
“I might have given Spencer Horwitz the Gold Glove,’’ PCA said. “I couldn’t miss him, man…I just think it’s important after a day like today to remind myself that eventually those turn into hits.’’
Take a whiff of this
Owen Caissie, the highly regarded outfield prospect the Cubs traded to Miami in the Edward Cabrera deal, is averaging one strikeout every 2.1 at-bats (61 K’s, 131 ABs). That’s the worst K-per-AB percentage in the majors (minimum 100 plate appearances). Tied for fourth at 2.5 are Munetaka Murakami of the White Sox (76 K’s/187 ABs) and Ian Happ of the Cubs (74 K’s/185 ABs). Also tied for fourth is Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies. Murakami leads the AL in home runs with 18 and has a .914 OPS. Schwarber leads the majors with 21 home runs and has a .970 OPS. Happ has 10 home runs and a .770 OPS. Their K’s are tolerated more than others.