# Why can't pitchers hit? (1989 Column) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 10, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-pitchers-hit-1989-column/670876 "2013-10-10T15:29:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-pitchers-hit-1989-column/670876/41 "2013-10-12T02:51:15Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > You seem to be asking “Why would anyone _expect_ pitchers to be good batters?” The answer to that question is “Because they are baseball players, and part of playing baseball is batting.” Except in the AL, you must mean. But I suppose that’s a whole other thread. ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-pitchers-hit-1989-column/670876/42 "2013-10-13T01:45:10Z")
I think the column covered the reasons: [ul] [li] There were pitchers who were good hitters.[/li][li] Most pitchers aren’t good hitters because their pitching ability is way more important than their ability to hit a ball. A pitcher is in every play, and is vitally important that they’re good. A pitcher may only be up to bat 2 or 3 times, so hitting isn’t all that important.[/li][li] If a pitcher needs to practice something, it’s pitching and not hitting. Pitchers don’t get a lot of chances to swing at a ball, so they don’t develop that skill.[/li][/ul] One more thing I would put on the list: Hitting can injure your arm. A pitcher who spends a lot of time batting on the field or in practice may injure their arm which may hurt their pitching career. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-pitchers-hit-1989-column/670876/43 "2013-10-14T04:51:55Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > And nearly all of them were excellent hitters in Legion and High School ball, and many in college as well. They stopped working on their hitting to concentrate on pitching. nm. misread. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-pitchers-hit-1989-column/670876/44 "2013-10-14T04:52:56Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I don’t believe anyone questioned that they are two separate skills that use separate abilities. Good point. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-pitchers-hit-1989-column/670876/45 "2013-10-17T15:54:37Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Throwing a football and running with a ball are different, but quarterbacks have to practice both. Um, I’m guessing maybe you don’t watch much NFL, or have somehow missed ever seeing Peyton Manning or Tom Brady? Arguably the two best QBs of their generation, and neither is particularly good at running with a ball. For exactly the same reason pitchers aren’t good at hitting: it would be valuable to have the other skill, but not nearly as valuable as getting a little bit better at throwing. And teams will take a great thrower with no secondary skill over someone mediocre at both. [QUOTE=Barkis is Willin’;16748366It’s why centers are typically not as good at free throw shooting. They don’t practice shooting form nearly as much as they practice under the basket. There’s no physical reason why they couldn’t be good, they just don’t work at it as much.[/QUOTE] Actually, I think centers have it slightly harder: It’s not just that they’re completely different skills; post-up shooting is just similar enough to distance shooting that practicing it can somewhat actively interfere with distance (free-throw) shooting. Not impossible to be good at both, but just a tiny bit harder than being good at two completely different things. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-pitchers-hit-1989-column/670876/46 "2013-10-17T16:55:14Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Um, I’m guessing maybe you don’t watch much NFL, or have somehow missed ever seeing Peyton Manning or Tom Brady? Arguably the two best QBs of their generation, and neither is particularly good at running with a ball. Brady is about as mobile as a stump. Have you seen him attempt to slide? And I’m a lifelong Pats fan. The other things is that most coaches don’t want their QBs to run; even if they are very good at it (Vick, RGIII) they are just too likely to get hurt doing so. A pocket QB like Big Ben who can also get away from pursuers to make a pass is much more valuable in the long run than a QB who gains yardage by foot on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-pitchers-hit-1989-column/670876/47 "2013-10-17T18:33:19Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Actually, I think centers have it slightly harder: It’s not just that they’re completely different skills; post-up shooting is just similar enough to distance shooting that practicing it can somewhat actively interfere with distance (free-throw) shooting. Not impossible to be good at both, but just a tiny bit harder than being good at two completely different things. Not sure I totally agree, but in any case the point stands that they’d be better at distance shooting if they practiced it more. And with regards to Manning and Brady, I’m sure they spend at least some time practicing ball carrying skills. Even though it’s not a big part of their game, they still have to know how to hold the ball correctly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-pitchers-hit-1989-column/670876.md?page=2)