Baseball has positions for people with special talents. Pitchers don’t have to be good at other facets of the game. They can’t hit or run. The infield doesn’t allow them to even catch pop ups. If you believe throwing a baseball, with no other talents qualifies you as an athlete. Then in your mind they are. Fine.
I disagree.
Because trying to navigate your way off a hill increases your chance of a stumble and lowers your chance of successfully making a play. Greg Maddux won 20 Gold Gloves in 21 years, (including 13 in a row) and he wasn’t allowed to catch pop ups either.
Finding a pitcher who can hit or field ,does not change the cold hard fact. If they could not throw well, they would be gone. They are poor hitters and lousy fielders who rely on one thing, they can throw well. Are they poor athletes? Well they sure are at major league level of play.
The fielder has to navigate the mound to catch a popup. The pitcher is standing on it.
The cold, hard fact, my friend, is that being able to throw a baseball 90+ mph with movement and control, is an athletic feat so rare and specialized that there is only one position on the field with that specific requirement and those athletes called to play that position have to focus all their energies on it to stay sharp, whereas playing any other position carries with it the luxury of spreading your focus around to all five of the so-called “tools.” How many position players do you think have the strength to throw a ball 90 mph? Maybe one or two per team? And of those, how many can throw that hard to a 17" x 24" target? 100 times a game? Pitchers don’t get to spend an hour a day in the batting cage, or fielding fungos because they’re busy working on their pitching and developing their entire bodies to maximize that ability (you don’t throw with just your arm, you know). Make no mistake, CC Sabathia is a hell of an athlete and buried under that pot belly are abs that would make The Situation envious. They are absolutely elite athletes with absolutely elite skills.
They have been blessed with great arms. The fact that few have such a trait does not make it athletic, merely rare. Not all pitchers throw 90 either. Would a nuckleballer be less of an athlete?
Your argument fails.
What does this have to do with anything?
By the way, Dunn is 0-for-11 with six strikeouts in his last three games. His batting average is now .163.
It kinda is one of the things that makes them athletic.
I’m surprised we’ve made it this far without the famous John Kruk quip, “I’m not an athlete, I’m a ballplayer.” There are something like 360 pitchers in the major leagues, and it’s hard to believe you can be among the 400 best in the world at a position in sports and not even be an athlete.
What about the best bowler?
I think pitching is a lot more athletic than bowling. If being able to do only one aspect of baseball is not enough to make you an athlete, is Prince Fielder an athlete? Or Jim Thome?
Update: After missing a couple games due for “personal reasons,” Dunn stepped back into the lineup Saturday and went 0-4 including a golden sombrero. Nice work which earned him another night off tonight. Meanwhile, my main man, Ichiro, who is in the midst of his worst season ever, extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a couple more hits – he’s batting .370 during the streak and has brought his season average up from .267-.274. Dude is a stud. 
It is true that not all pitchers throw 90. A number of them throw 95. And yes, a nuckleballer [sic] could be argued to be less of an athlete – the gimmick pitchers are always guys who couldn’t make it with their natural stuff. Aberrations prove absolutely nothing, however.
At any rate, if your impression of pitching mechanics is that it involves only an arm, your understanding of pitching is woefully inadequate to be worth debating. Pitching is a systematic unlocking of energy from the tips of your toes to the tips of your fingers, requiring numerous muscles groups engaging with great power, explosiveness, and control It’s not just a great arm. Be strong and athletic top to bottom or go play first base with the immobile, pudgy guys who can hit for power. I’m afraid your argument is either misinformed, uninformed, or both.
Nitpick: He only achieved a hat trick. The Golden Sombrero is 4 strikeouts.
Whoops! Sorry, my bad – I misread the linescore. :smack:
I don’t know if Dunn is playing tonight, but Kevin Slowey is pitching for the Twins against the ChiSox. I don’t think they’ve ever faced each other.
Dread Pirate Jimbo:
By the same token, Mike Moustakas, the Royals prospect (drafted # 2 overall in 2007) who was brought up before the All-Star Break and was hitting as low as the .170s at one point, has an 11-game hittting streak going and is up above .230. He’s always had a pattern of starting badly at a new level, then adjusting and then dominating. Looks like he’s turned that corner at the Major League level now.
Slowey is having a terrible year, with an ERA of almost 7.00. Maybe Dunn can capitalize on it and pick up a hit or two to mix in with his strike out or two…
For reference purposes, a 2-for-4 day would bump his average up to .167.
My mistake, I thought we were talking about baseball players. i made that mistake because we have been. Another error was thinking we were talking about baseball pitchers. apparently not.
Gordie Howe could hit. he planted a few i n the seats during warmups. He also could pound a golfball and bowl., he was a good athlete unlike most pitchers.
Pitchers can throw. that is all they have to do to have a career.
I do not know what relevance Stafford has. it only exists in your imagination.
I will not debate crap you makeup like I said it.
Adam Dunn can’t run, field, hit, or pitch. Apparently the only athletes in the MLB are position players at their peak. And Dunn is not playing tonight. DHing for the Sox is Dayan Viciedo. I think they just called him up from the minors.