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Is This The Worst Intentional Walk Pitch Ever?

Parker Hageman

By Parker Hageman
in Minnesota Twins Talk

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Parker Hageman All-Star

Parker Hageman

Site Manager
Posted
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I don't know if there is a better way to summarize the 2016 Minnesota Twins season than overthrowing your catcher when you are trying to intentionally walk a batter.

 

https://twitter.com/ParkerHageman/status/779064548695375876

 

Minnesota Twins' Pat Light now joins that elite club of pitchers who have airmailed what should have been non-competitive throws. Those members include the Nationals' A.J. Cole, who launched a toss over his catchers head and allowed a run to score at the end of April. 

 

 

Cole later said that it was "just one of those things that happened, first time I’ve ever done it and hopefully it never happens again." Amen. 

 

Then there was the Yankees Dellin Betances who, just last month, lobbed one to the backstop but was fortunate enough that the Giants runner, Angel Pegan, was napping at third and did not score.

 

 

As weird of a play as it is, it's actually not that uncommon. It's happened so often, there's a near three minute Youtube video dedicated to it.

 

 

The question is: Was Pat Light's the worst? 

jimmer Wichita Wind Surge

jimmer

Verified Member
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The problem wasn't necessarily that he airmailed it. It was the complete lack of concentration or effort when he threw it.  The kind of ho-hum nonchalant way he did it.

Winston Smith FCL Twins

Winston Smith

Verified Member
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He did walk the guy which is what he was trying to do. It would have been a lot worse if he'd missed over the plate and the guy drilled a homer. So no not the worst about what we should expect really.

jimmer Wichita Wind Surge

jimmer

Verified Member
Posted
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He did walk the guy which is what he was trying to do. It would have been a lot worse if he'd missed over the plate and the guy drilled a homer. So no not the worst about what we should expect really.

allowed a guy to score.

 

probably not a good idea to just assume something worse would have happened and then say, eh, throwing a wild pitch allowing a guy to score wasn't so bad after all.

 

Additionally, the same kind of, um, logic, could be said for any of the other examples shown here.

 

But since it was an intentional walk attempt, and that's what we are discussing here, was it the worst attempt at an intentional walk? Worst I've seen, that's for sure.  For sheer lack of giving a carp about doing the task assigned.

Bark's Lounge Ft Myers Mighty Mussels

Bark's Lounge

Verified Member
Posted
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I remember seeing this - I think it was 1987 and Will Clark was being intentionally walked and the pitch was thrown too close too the plate (very high and very outside) and Clark hit a SF to the LFer.

 

I think that at least equals this feat of ineptitude.

Bark's Lounge Ft Myers Mighty Mussels

Bark's Lounge

Verified Member
Posted
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You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Pat, you can't get much higher

Come on set Pat Light on fire
Come on set Pat Light on fire
Try to set the whole pitching staff on fire...

Seth Stohs GOAT

Seth Stohs

Site Manager
Posted
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Am I the only one who has seen enough of Pat Light?

 

Not to the point of giving up on him, but he has been a little disappointing. More disappointing has been the lost velocity. Even in Rochester, Trackman showed him hitting over 100, but for the most part, he's been 93-95 in the big leagues. 

 

The other thing... I mean he was available in a trade for Fernando Abad, so I don't think the expectations should have been real, real high. 

Rigby Draft Eligible

Rigby

Verified Member
Posted
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He did walk the guy which is what he was trying to do. It would have been a lot worse if he'd missed over the plate and the guy drilled a homer. So no not the worst about what we should expect really.

He was setting up Tonkin for that honor.....

Seth Stohs GOAT

Seth Stohs

Site Manager
Posted
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My thoughts... in reality, this happens a lot. I means nothing. It's not lack of effort or apathy or anything like that.

 

I would say this... I don't know if it's something teams practice. It always seems to work better when the pitcher throws it 3/4 speed or more as opposed to lobbing it. Much better control when just throwing it rather than thinking so much. I'm almost surprised it doesn't happen more often. Not that teams should devote hours to it, but it seems like it's done often enough in a season that it should be practiced. For relievers, it happens maybe once or twice a season.

Thrylos St Paul Saints

Thrylos

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted

 

Not to the point of giving up on him, but he has been a little disappointing. More disappointing has been the lost velocity. Even in Rochester, Trackman showed him hitting over 100, but for the most part, he's been 93-95 in the big leagues. 

 

The other thing... I mean he was available in a trade for Fernando Abad, so I don't think the expectations should have been real, real high. 

 

Totally agree about the expectations.  I am talking about potential future.  Do you remember Juan Morillo, in that rainy evening in Baltimore, half a dozen seasons ago?  I swear, that's what he reminds me of when he pitches...

 

(and if the Rochester radar gun is like Fort Myers', Houston we've got problems...)

 

jimmer Wichita Wind Surge

jimmer

Verified Member
Posted
Posted

 

Am I the only one who has seen enough of Pat Light?

It was a lazy, lazy throw.  He had just made a horrible pitch, then he was told to walk the guy, and he threw it like he didn't even care.

USAFChief GOAT

USAFChief

Twins Daily Contributor
Posted
Posted

Not to the point of giving up on him, but he has been a little disappointing. More disappointing has been the lost velocity. Even in Rochester, Trackman showed him hitting over 100, but for the most part, he's been 93-95 in the big leagues. 

 

The other thing... I mean he was available in a trade for Fernando Abad, so I don't think the expectations should have been real, real high.

 

A little disappointing??

Platoon Cedar Rapids Kernels

Platoon

Verified Member
Posted
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He did walk the guy which is what he was trying to do. It would have been a lot worse if he'd missed over the plate and the guy drilled a homer. So no not the worst about what we should expect really.

A friend of mine had a son who played a little D2 as a pitcher. We were watching him in a game where he was facing a guy who had a cup of coffee with the Red Sox. He was supposed to IW him, left one on the edge, and the guy hit it over the RF fence. My friend yelled at his son, "when your supposed to throw strikes you throw balls, and when your supposed to throw balls, then you throw strikes". Lol
Seth Stohs GOAT

Seth Stohs

Site Manager
Posted
Posted

 

Totally agree about the expectations.  I am talking about potential future.  Do you remember Juan Morillo, in that rainy evening in Baltimore, half a dozen seasons ago?  I swear, that's what he reminds me of when he pitches...

 

(and if the Rochester radar gun is like Fort Myers', Houston we've got problems...)

 

All four Twins full-season affiliates use the Trackman system, so the numbers they're all getting are the same source. 

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