Zack Granite, pr-other-lf

[IndianaTwin]

Facebook tells me that six years ago today, I was at a baseball game in Detroit. It was a game when Zack Granite became the 18th known player to hit a home run as a "nothing" positionally. He had entered the game as a pinch runner, the team batted around and he hit a homer. He then stayed in the game and played left.

In conversation with official scorer Stew Thornley, he said that the scorer has to make separate entries. Granite first was a pinch runner, then a "nothing," because he had yet played defense, and then a left fielder. He said that the box score typically just lists it as "Granite, pr-lf," but the underlying Game Day information will have it differently. 

His baseball-reference.com splits page lists it thusly, as "Other":

 

Definitely one of those, "You can go to a baseball game and see something that you've never seen before" moments.

 

Additionally, the next day was Brusdar Graterol's debut. No one was there, so tickets were cheap and I sat right behind the Twins dugout. I remember thinking, "Holy crap -- 100 mph is LOUD when it hits the glove." 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Who else has hit a homer without a position?

 

How many other plate appearances have there been?

 

And what other circumstances get categorized as other?

[IndianaTwin]

3 hours ago, sampleSizeOfOne said:

Who else has hit a homer without a position?

 

How many other plate appearances have there been?

 

And what other circumstances get categorized as other?

1. I don’t know. I got the 18th number from Stew. 

2. I don’t know. I assume it’s pretty unusual, but if there have been enough instances to have 18 homers happen, it can’t be the most unusual thing in the world. If it happened even once out of every 20 plate appearances, that would be 360.

3. I don’t know. 

(I’m not much help. 😄)

[sampleSizeOfOne]

No worries.

 

I am sure when i care enough, i'll go looking for answers myself.

[Shaitan]

I was trying to remember Granite's name last week (for a completely different reason). Thanks.

[IndianaTwin]

2 hours ago, Shaitan said:

I was trying to remember Granite's name last week (for a completely different reason). Thanks.

I get that it would be hard trying to remember Granite. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

6 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

I get that it would be hard trying to remember Granite. 

Ex-Zach-ly so.