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- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 5:00 pm
I don't know about the A's, but Don "Caveman" Robinson definitely pinch hit for the Giants in 90 and 91, when he won Silver Sluggers. I'm pretty sure Livan Hernandez pinch hit a few times in 99-02 for them too, but I'll have to verify that. Mike Hampton is another guy from that era who had to have pinch-hit at least once; he was easily the best hitting pitcher of his time. Carlos Zambrano was an excellent hitter, but a terrible pinch hitter; apparently the pressure wilted the troubled soul. Brooks Kieschnick, an all-American hitter/pitcher, pitched and pinch-hit for the Brewers in 2003 and only did the latter well. And Micah Owings, who was also an excellent college hitter, also probably pinch hit a few times, so I'll check that out.
As for older pitchers, I know Don Newcombe and Walter Johnson were used as pinch hitters often and were pretty good at it. Those who have better knowledge of old baseball than I could surely add to the list.