12+ Games @ 1B, 2B, 3B & SS In The Same Season
Posted by Steve Lombardi on June 3, 2011
How many players have played at least 12 games at 1B, 2B, 3B and SS in the same season?
Here's the list -
| Rk | Yrs | From | To | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mark Loretta | 4 | 1997 | 2007 | 25-35 | Ind. Seasons |
| 2 | Jeff Reboulet | 2 | 1995 | 1996 | 31-32 | Ind. Seasons |
| 3 | Miguel Cairo | 1 | 2007 | 2007 | 33-33 | Ind. Seasons |
| 4 | Tony Graffanino | 1 | 2006 | 2006 | 34-34 | Ind. Seasons |
| 5 | Geoff Blum | 1 | 2005 | 2005 | 32-32 | Ind. Seasons |
| 6 | Jolbert Cabrera | 1 | 2004 | 2004 | 31-31 | Ind. Seasons |
| 7 | Shane Halter | 1 | 2003 | 2003 | 33-33 | Ind. Seasons |
| 8 | Jay Bell | 1 | 2003 | 2003 | 37-37 | Ind. Seasons |
| 9 | Mark Bellhorn | 1 | 2002 | 2002 | 27-27 | Ind. Seasons |
| 10 | Alex Arias | 1 | 2001 | 2001 | 33-33 | Ind. Seasons |
| 11 | Denny Hocking | 1 | 2000 | 2000 | 30-30 | Ind. Seasons |
| 12 | Jose Oquendo | 1 | 1988 | 1988 | 24-24 | Ind. Seasons |
| 13 | Dave Stapleton | 1 | 1981 | 1981 | 27-27 | Ind. Seasons |
| 14 | Jerry Terrell | 1 | 1975 | 1975 | 28-28 | Ind. Seasons |
| 15 | Roberto Pena | 1 | 1969 | 1969 | 32-32 | Ind. Seasons |
| 16 | Chico Salmon | 1 | 1968 | 1968 | 27-27 | Ind. Seasons |
| 17 | Mark Christman | 1 | 1943 | 1943 | 29-29 | Ind. Seasons |
| 18 | Jack Rothrock | 1 | 1927 | 1927 | 22-22 | Ind. Seasons |
| 19 | Charlie Dexter | 1 | 1902 | 1902 | 26-26 | Ind. Seasons |
.
Loretta did this three years in a row with the Brewers from 1997 to 1999. And, thanks to that, he's the only player to do this in both the A.L. and the N.L. (Remember, the Brewers switched leagues in 1998.) That - doing it in both leagues - is sort of a record that can only be tied, and not broken, right?
June 3rd, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Why are so many of these recent? Is it because teams have been carrying more pitchers so the utility man has to play more positions?
June 3rd, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Steve, does Omar Vizquel have a shot at the list this season with the Indians, given his recent 1B defensive appearance?
Long live the old middle infielder!
June 3rd, 2011 at 10:56 pm
That - doing it in both leagues - is sort of a record that can only be tied, and not broken, right?
I suppose it can be broken by 'most seasons in both leagues', so someone does it twice each in the NL and AL.
However, doing it for one team in both leagues....that will be hard to top!
June 3rd, 2011 at 11:31 pm
Loretta has a combination that's even more unusual: 60 games at both SS and 1B in the same season (1999). The only others to do that in the history of MLB are Ruben Amaro, Sr. (1965) and Dots Miller (1914).
No knock on any of those guys, but that has to be a sure sign of a poorly run team, no? If you can't find a better hitter for 1B than Mark Loretta, something has gone badly wrong in your planning.
(BTW, if you search the Play Index for 60 games at both 1B and SS, it does not pick up Amaro's '65 season, but his B-R page shows exactly 60 games at both positions. He also topped 58 G at each position in '64.)
June 4th, 2011 at 2:03 am
Love this list. These guys were underrated by folks just looking at their stats. I don't care if you hit .175, if you can fill in anywhere when the team needs it, you're useful. Maybe not as much as a slick-fielding .300 hitter, but more than some big bopper who only hits righties and can't play the field.
June 4th, 2011 at 2:06 am
Speaking of players that have the talent to play multiple positions, the last time Carlos Zambrano pitched, I was watching on my computer, because I don't have a TV, and my cat Sally was sitting on my shoulder. When the Cubs were batting Sally was quiet and almost asleep, but when Zambrano was on the mound her attention was drawn to the screen. When there was a runner on first and Z made his pick-off move Sally shot across the room like she was trying to get back to first base. It was the most amazing thing, because I can barely tell that Carlos has gone to first, but Sally the cat shoots off ot an imaginary first base. I thought that was incredible, but the very first time someone tried to lay down a bunt on Z and he pounced, Sally went into attack formation. You know with her head down and rear end up in the air. She was conviced there was a mouse under Z's glove and when he throw to first she went absolutly bat @#$%. I called channel 6 and asked if they wanted to do a story on this but they said I live too far out.
June 4th, 2011 at 8:02 am
Baseball has had more than two leagues in the past; it could happen again. I wouldn't bet on it, but it could happen.
June 4th, 2011 at 8:36 am
I assume the idea of the defensive spectrum is a contributor, the idea that third basemen are not from Mars and second basemen are not from Venus.
Especially not at the big league level, while it would be more difficult the further down you go to play many different positions adequately. Thus an increasing skill level over time in the majors would also help.
But then, maybe better defensive stats, and better understanding of defense since circa 2005 counters the trend.
June 4th, 2011 at 11:22 am
What's the record for lowest percentage of games played at a "primary" position? For instance, a guy may have a plurality of games at SS, but because of how he split his time, he may have only played like 30% of games there over a given season or maybe even over his career.
June 4th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
@9
I'm guessing the answer to that is a guy who pinch-ran a lot, maybe an Oakland pinch-runner in the 1970s. If you don't count pinch-running appearances as games, it just becomes a list of pinch-hitters instead.
June 4th, 2011 at 10:14 pm
@4 - Yo John:
""No knock on any of those guys, but that has to be a sure sign of a poorly run team, no? If you can't find a better hitter for 1B than Mark Loretta, something has gone badly wrong in your planning""
Mauch was managing the Phillies in '64 &'65 and playing Amaro at 1B had to be a by-product of Roy Sievers and/or Dick Stuart being removed for a defensive player.....Let's just dump the DH and bring back these defensive liability types. It will give us all a greater appreciation of the five-tool player
June 5th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
@9
I would expect this list would be dominated by people who switched positions due to an injury to a regular starter.
June 6th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
@ 4
Loretta played over 30 games at first in only 1998 and 1999. The Brewers won 74 games each year. They had their problems.
But Loretta was not really a problem for them those years. In 1998 he swung the bat well. In 1999 they tried to have another option. I give you the collapse of Sean Berry...
1993-1998 with Expos and Astros his OPS+ was 95-136 every year. My cursed Brewers pick him up and in 1999... OPS+ of 49 for the Crew. Just awesome.