I was just thinking to myself

[Tobin S.]

"Why can't pitchers learn how to fucking hit" and then Arroyo gets a single on an 0-2 count with a man on base that leads to a run. I'm not a superstitious person, but things like that make me think sometimes. Arroyo is batting a buck thirty for the year, btw.

[david13]

1. You lose me on this one, as an adult I am no baseball fan, and

follow or watch no baseball.
As a kid many years ago, I did, and played a lot, also.
It was almost a tradition.
Maybe it had to do with different muscles or something.
Or it was the world of over specialization taking over.
But I remember at least one who was our star player. He could out pitch and out hit any kid on the team, so he was our man (age 13?).
dc

[SoxFan]

2. Arroyo is a decent hitter, for a pitcher

He clubbed a few home runs a few years ago.

[never cry wolf]

3. Tobin, I guarantee you that most major league pitchers can hit

I would bet that most were the best hitters on their high school team and probably played shortstop when they did not pitch and hit cleanup. The ability to hit against major league pitching is something then again.

Go Blackhawks!

[Tobin S.]

4. I was kinda thinking the same thing

They might hit .350 in college and look like tools in the Bigs.

[petronius]

5. But all the other players have to hit against major league pitching too

I never understood why pitchers are different - do they wear out their arms pitching and never get to practice hitting or something?

[nomorenomore08]

7. Has to do with specialization, I think.

To be even a halfway decent hitter in the major leagues, you have to devote years of your life to focusing on just hitting. Most pitchers are unable or unwilling to do this, for pretty obvious reasons.

[jobycom]

8. There are a few reasons.

Every other position is recruited mostly on hitting ability, and the other abilities are secondary. Now and then you get someone outstanding at defense and only decent at hitting, but hitting is still paramount. Pitching is the one skill so specialized that teams will recruit someone who can't hit to do it. Because of this, there are a lot of pitchers who just aren't good at hitting--it is an entirely different skill. Yeah, some are good hitters, but not most.

Also they play daily, so they get to practice a couple of hours a day on game days, and not much else. A pitcher could work hitting every hour of practice, and probably increase his average from .150 to .180, maybe .200 even. But why? They only play every fourth or fifth game, and if they don't work on pitching their productivity. The slight increase in batting isn't going to help the team as much as focusing on pitching.

I don't really get why the NL still makes pitchers bat. Considering that they aren't very entertaining at it, and you just give the other team a chance to bean your starter, I don't see how it's worth it.

[flvegan]

6. They can, but they shouldn't.

Pitchers shouldn't bat. It's an easy way to ruin a career.