First baseman Chris Gimenez pitched in relief, then hit a homer while technically listed as a pitcher
Position players pitching. It's all the rage, as teams across MLB have done this so much this season there's already a new single-season record, set a month ago. It's undeniably a thing.
On Sunday, the Twins lost a tough game to the Rangers, 18-4. Even with the roster having expanded on Saturday, Twins manager Paul Molitor opted not to spend another relief arm in the eighth inning, opting instead to let first baseman/catcher
He allowed five runs in his inning of work, but he did also record a strikeout:
The real fun happened in the top of the ninth. Gimenez hit a homer for his first hit with Minnesota, but did so as a pitcher.
That's how he was announced and listed in the box score, after all ...
He was announced as pitcher, Chris Gimenez, as he came to the plate ... https://t.co/62wq1e2JQl
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) September 2, 2018
If you're curious, the most recent home run struck by a Twins pitcher came on May 14, 1972, off the bat of Jim Kaat.
Thanks to his exploits on Sunday, Gimenez -- a position-player-pitcher-hitter clobbering a homer under an unusual context -- now has his own place in Minnesota franchise history, if you think about it.
Fun stuff, right Chris?
