Go figure: Ike Davis was the Athletics best pitcher Tuesday night
Baseball blowouts can be tough to watch. Unless you’re a diehard fan of the winning team, it’s highly unlikely you’re going to tune in to a game where one team has virtually no chance of coming back.
All of that changes the instant a position player takes the mound.
That was the case Tuesday during Oakland’s 14-1 loss against the Los Angeles Angels. With the club down 13 runs in the bottom of the eighth, first baseman Ike Davis took the mound.
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After all was said and done, Davis was the team’s best pitcher during the contest. Davis threw nine pitches, picking up three groundball outs over a perfect inning. He was the only pitcher on the Athletics to not allow a run during the game.
Davis’ success maybe shouldn’t have been that surprising. His dad, Ron, was a former major-league pitcher.
As Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle notes, Davis pitched in college as well.
Following the game, Davis seemed to have a good sense of humor about the situation. After he was seen watching video of his performance in the clubhouse, Davis said he would be ready to pitch again the next time the A’s needed him.
He also was willing to discuss his repertoire.
That seemed to work for him. Davis topped out at 88 mph during the appearance. That’s hardly considered fast for a pitcher these days, but that’s not bad for a position player. He did appear to have some deception with his fastball as well, getting a swinging strike on his first pitch.
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Davis seemed to be joking about pitching for the team again, but he might not realize what he’s getting himself into. The Athletics have had some success converting former first basemen into closers. Sean Doolittle may be sidelined at the moment, but Oakland may have found his clone Tuesday.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
