Cleveland Indians: Pitcher’s Batting History

May 24, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; General view of baseballs in the dugout prior to a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Indians defeated the Orioles 9-0. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Various Accomplishments of Cleveland Indians Pitchers

The Cleveland Indians have been blessed to witness many great pitchers. Bob Feller, Mel Harder, Sam McDowell, Addie Joss – the list could go on and on. What some fans have forgotten is that American League pitchers batted before 1973, meaning that some of the greatest Cleveland Indians pitchers had to bat.

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Now, I know what you are probably thinking: why is it worth recounting how pitchers batted? After all, wasn’t the designated hitter adopted to increase offense in the game since pitchers are terrible batters? Well, yes, but not all pitchers are terrible batters. In fact, the Cleveland Indians have seen some pretty good batters by pitching standards.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the Cleveland Indians’ pitchers’ batting feats and misfortunes…

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