What Is A Two Way Baseball Player?
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A two-way baseball player is someone who both pitches and hits. Two-way players are rare in baseball, but they offer a lot of value to a team.
What is a two-way baseball player?
A two-way baseball player is someone who bats and throws right-handed, or someone who bats and throws left-handed. This is a very rare type of player, as most players either bat or throw right-handed, or bat or throw left-handed. Two-way players are sometimes called “switch-hitters”, because they can hit from either side of the plate.
The benefits of being a two-way baseball player.
There are many benefits to being a two-way baseball player. For one, you get to play two positions on the field, which can be a big advantage. You also get to bat from both sides of the plate, which can give you a big advantage over Single A and Double A hitters who only get to hit from one side of the plate. Finally, you get to throw both right-handed and left-handed, which can be a big advantage when it comes to pitcher matchups.
The drawbacks of being a two-way baseball player.
The two-way player is something of a baseball rarity. In the modern era, pitchers are used as pinch-hitters only in the most dire of circumstances and position players almost never see time on the mound. In theory, the two-way player would be the perfect baseball player: someone who could provide value both at the plate and on the mound. In practice, however, there are several drawbacks to being a two-way player.
First and foremost, pitchers and hitters are very different types of athletes. A pitcher who is also a hitter would need to be able to excel at two very different types of physical activity. This is not impossible, but it is very difficult. Most professional athletes specialize in one sport for a reason: it is very difficult to be great at two completely different sports.
Second, even if a two-way player could excel at both hitting and pitching, he would still likely be worse than a specialist at either position. A hitter who also pitches would probably not be as good at hitting as a dedicated hitter because he would not have as much time to practice hitting. Similarly, a pitcher who also hits would probably not be as good at pitching as a dedicated pitcher because he would not have as much time to practice pitching.
Third, pitchers are much more likely to get injured than hitters. This is due in part to the fact that pitchers throw much harder than hitters swing, and also due to the fact that pitchers put more stress on their arm with each pitch than hitters do with each swing. If a two-way player gets injured while pitching, he will not only be unable to pitch but he will also be unable to hit. This would obviously be a major problem for any team that rely heavily on a two-way player.
Finally, there are simply too many things for a two-way player to keep track of. A pitcher has to worry about his mechanics, his pitches, the batter’s weaknesses, the count, and so on. A hitter has to worry about his stance, his swing, the pitcher’s repertoire, the count, etc. A two-way player would have twice as many things to worry about while trying to excel at both hitting and pitching. This would obviously be very difficult (if not impossible) for even the best baseball players
How to become a two-way baseball player.
Pitchers who can also hit are a dime a dozen. But what about position players who can also pitch? That’s a much rarer commodity, and it’s one that every major league team would love to have on their roster.
The two-way player is a baseball rarity. In the modern era, there have only been a handful of position players who have also been pitchers. The most recent example is Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, who made history in 2018 as the first player since Babe Ruth to pitch and hit in the same season.
Ohtani is just the latest in a long line of two-way baseball players, dating back to the early days of the sport. Here’s a look at some of the most famous two-way players in baseball history.
Babe Ruth: The Sultan of Swat was also a pretty decent pitcher, going 94-46 with a 2.28 ERA in his career. He even won four World Series titles as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox.
Rick Rhoden: A journeyman pitcher who played for eight different teams in his 16-year career, Rhoden was also an accomplished hitter. In 1986, he became the first player in history to hit a home run and earn a save in the same game.
Danny Darwin: Darwin pitched for 21 years in the majors, winning 166 games and earning an All-Star selection in 1988. But he was also proficient with the bat, hitting .271/.333/.345 in 275 career plate appearances.
Tony Bartola: Bartolo was primarily known for his pitching prowess, winning 140 games over his 15-year career. But he could also swing it at the plate, hitting .333/.361/.667 with two home runs in 33 career plate appearances