Yankees History: The pitcher-turned-baserunning hero
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It's not too often that a pitcher gets to do something decisive on the basepaths.
While it's became much more of a rarity for several different reasons, using pitchers as pinch-runners is not entirely out of the ordinary. It makes some amount of sense, especially if you don't want to use up a position player bench option just yet. Just for one example, Bobby Cox used John Smoltz as a pinch-runner on 11 different occasions during his career.
That being said, when a pitcher does run the bases, you usually don't expect them to be particularly daring. However in one 1912 game, one Yankee pitcher did about the most daring thing possible on the basepaths, and it worked out perfectly.
On July 20, 1912, the then-New York Highlanders hosted the then-Cleveland Naps in a doubleheader at Hilltop Park (the final season it was used before they moved to the Polo Grounds and became the Yankees). The first game of the day was a makeup from May 16th, which had been washed out by rain. While it was still only July, this wasn't day that played much of an impact in the AL race, as both teams were under .500 and would finish fifth and — in the Highlanders' case — eighth in the pennant race.
Facing New York starter Jack Warhop, Cleveland struck quickly. With two runners on, Naps' third baseman Terry Turner hit an RBI single to give his team a quick lead in the first inning. They added to that with another run in the fourth, but the Highlanders got a run back in the fifth, with Warhop hitting a RBI sacrifice fly to help his own cause.
In the seventh inning, Deadball Era star Joe Jackson hit an RBI double to plate another run. In the process of that play, left fielder Bert Daniel committed an error which led to "Shoeless Joe" trying to race all the way around in score. However, he was thrown out at home, keeping the Naps to just three runs on the board. That ended up being somewhat important later.
The Highlanders got another run back in the bottom of the eighth thanks to some miscues of Cleveland's own. Daniels led off the frame with a single, moved up to second on a Roger Peckinpaugh error on that same play, went to third on a groundout, and then scored when Naps' pitcher Vean Gregg uncorked a wild pitch. However going into the ninth, New York still trailed by a run.
Down to their last three outs, the Highlanders got off to a good start in the ninth when Hack Simmons led off with a double. A bunt then moved Simmons over to third, at which point Ray Caldwell was sent in to pinch-run for him. This may not have been the most orthodox move as Caldwell was a pitcher, although he did make 26 pinch-running appearances in his Top-100-Yankees-caliber career. The move was more so made to take Simmons out, as he had come up a bit lame while running to third.
Next up at the plate was Jack Martin, but he only mustered a groundout that kept Caldwell anchored at third. The Highlanders were now down to their last out, at which point something wild happened. With George McConnell at the plate, Caldwell apparently picked up some sort of read. With Cleveland and Gregg likely focusing more on the batter at the plate, Caldwell took off for home, completely catching the Naps off guard. Despite representing the final out and it being a very risky move, Caldwell's gamble paid off, he slid home safely, and the game was suddenly tied.
McConnell kept the inning alive with a single, and Gregg then got a little more wild, walking two more batters to load the bases, and bring Hal Chase to the plate. Chase, who was one of the early Yankee, pre-Babe Ruth stars of the franchise, came up huge, albeit in an unorthodox way. Chase hit a high chopper right in front of the plate. Gregg from the mound had the best play of the ball, but neither he nor anyone else could get the ball to first in time for the out. Chase safely reach first with a pinch-running Pat Maloney — a more traditional pinch-running choice as a center fielder — scoring easily to five the Highlanders a 4-3 win.
To be fair to manager Harry Wolverton, the choice of Caldwell as a pinch-runner wasn't an entirely unheard-of decision, and he did steal 23 bases over the course of a 12-year career. Whether or not that was some sort of plan or Caldwell just taking a giant risk isn't said and at this point, everyone involved in this game is long gone. Maybe the most amusing part of all that is that Caldwell then started the second game of the doubleheader on the mound, recording a complete game shutout. You probably won't find many other pitchers in MLB history who've done those two things on the same day.
Sources
New York Times, July 21, 1912
