Like - Position Players Pitching

The last few innings of a blow out baseball game can be a pretty sad and boring affair. Sure, there is always the hope of an impossible comeback, but teams very rarely score 8+ runs in an inning, and especially not when it’s late in the game and they’re getting their butts kicked. Plus, there are so many games that if you get blown out in one you just have to shrug it off and come back the next day. To that end, it doesn’t make sense to keep your best players in the game in case they get hurt. It also doesn’t make sense to use good pitching arms in contests where the game is already decided. So what does a manager do when their team is up or down by a considerable amount? They let the position players pitch. That’s right, an infielder or outfielder will take the mound to hurl soft tossed pitches at the plate. This isn’t a hazing ritual; usually, there’s one guy on the team who loves pitching but just isn’t a pitcher. This guy just wants to get on the mound, his ERA be damned. It’s a fun, ridiculous element of the game that brings a smile to fan’s faces. These pitchers often give up dingers but occasionally you’ll see a position player come in and get three straight outs, making everyone laugh. It’s the perfect reminder that baseball is just a game.