Sometimes You Don't Bat: Reflections on Ross Ohlendorf and Carlton Loewer

On Friday evening the Padres dropped the opening game of their series against the San Francisco Giants by a score of 10-1. 

I was in attendance viewing the carnage up close and personal courtesy of Ma AJM. The third inning of this game, featuring the exploits of Ross Ohlendorf, was absolutely brutal. But I don't need to tell you this. You know Ross Ohlendorf. You know brutal.

How bad was the Ohlendorf Performance? By Saturday morning the right-hander would be on his way to Tucson. The Ohlendorf Performance could be measured in yet another way, as well. While he gave up 8 ER in 2.1 innings, Ross Ohlendorf also failed to get a plate appearance during the game. I suppose it happens when you open the flood gates.

As PETCO Park flooded with water and fans screamed for their lives as they headed to higher ground I formulated a question. When was the last time a Padre pitcher started a game and failed to get a plate appearance?

I'm pretty sure I had never seen such an event in person. Luckily we have Baseball-Reference.com which can help answer such questions.

Since 1969 a Padres pitcher has failed to record a Plate Appearance 261 times. The Padres have played 6,963 games in their history. You do the math. It's a fairly rare event.

Unfortunately Baseball-Reference.com is so amazing in their capabilities that they are only willing to give readers a partial list from their extensive searches -- they would like $36/annually. It's a reasonable price to pay to nerd-out on baseball but it's not a price I'm willing to pay at this moment.

So what does the partial list look like? BBR released occurrences 10-20 to me which fell within the following date range: September 14th, 2008 - May 28th, 2003.

Points of Interest

Occurence #10

On September 14th, 2008, Cha-Seung Baek failed to get a plate appearance after throwing 37 pitches in 2 innings. Injury? Or the Cha-Seung-Terribleness?

The Giants beat the Padres 8-6 in a game that also saw Mike Adams, Heath Bell, and Trevor Hoffman take the hill. Good ol' Dirk Hayhurst took the loss when he gave up 2ER in 0IP.

Other beauties on the ignominious list:

Jack Cassel: Brother of Kansas CIty Chiefs QB, Matt Cassel (September 22nd, 2007).

Clay Hensley: Current Giants reliever. From my seat on Friday night I could have hit him in the back with an ice cube (May 2nd, 2007).

Chris Young pulled of the feat twice in 2006 (August 20th and May 24th).

On Sptember 20th, 2005 Woody Williams gave up 9R (8ER) at Coors Field en route to a 20-1 loss. Sean Burroughs also logged 1 IP in this game. He pitched as well as he hit.

Earlier in the 2005 season, Brian Lawrence (September 2nd) and Tim Redding (May 8th), took part in blow-outs without logging a PA.

On July 13th, 2003, Adam Eaton pitched a game where he failed to touch the batter's box. I always liked Adam Eaton on account of having seen his debut in person.

But it is occurrences 19 (June 7th, 2003) and 20 (May 28th, 2003) that are my favorite. They were both logged by Carlton Loewer in what appears to be . . . back-to-back starts! Wait, wait, wait. Research indicates that there was one start in between those two clunkers, where Loewer recorded a win.


Carlton Loewer arrived in San Diego along with Adam Eaton as part of the Andy Ashby trade in November of 1999.

Across 2 seasons (2001 and 2003), Carlton Loewer started 7 games for the Padres. His last game in the major leagues was on June 7th, occurrence #19 on our list. Poor guy didn't even get to bat and then it was all over.

Will Ross Ohlendorf go the way of Carlton Loewer? As much as I've busted the guy's chops I certainly hope not. Everyone deserves a plate appearance.

If someone has a subscription to BBR and wants to get me the rest of the information I'd appreciate it greatly. It's a morbid curiosity.

[UPDATE]

Ducksnorts has provided us with the full list of 261 occurrences along with the Padres career leader board. There have been 98 different Padres pitchers to have started a game and not record a plate appearance.

Interestingly enough, the first Padres pitcher to do it (April 27th, 1969) was a guy named . . . Podres.

And, Good Grief! The all time leader (12 games started without recording a PA) was Bill Greif.

The Padres win despite only hitting one single. What would the NFL's version be of such random, offensive, ineptitude?

This evening, the San Diego Padres managed something that has only been accomplished by three other teams since 1920: they won a game despite only producing three walks and one base-hit of offense.

This begs the obvious question: did one of the walks score on the base-hit? Look.....that is not only the most obvious but also the most boring question that could be posited by an inquiring mind (the answer is no). The real question we need answered: what is the football equivalent to the game the Padres just played? Fortune shines upon you!!! After intense deliberations..... I have the answer you seek.

What spells futility better than winning a game by a margin of 2-0? Has it ever happened? Don't know, don't care. The margin of victory by a safety stands out as a clear-cut call but there is an inherent problem with it; a safety is a defensive score! To use this as an equivalent would just cheat the Padres offense of the recognition it deserves. No, the safety just won't do...

Kick it up a notch, then! 3-0! Death by Field Goal!

Nah....While it's an isolated score similar to a single run crossing the plate, it just fails in my opinion, to capture the proper futility of knocking a solitary hit and then stealing the win.

The NFL equivalent that best sums up such offensive, yet victorious, futility......(click "read more" to continue)

The Drop Goal. I said it.....the Drop Goal. Winning 3-0.....by Drop Goal. Yes, like in Rugby Union. Oh yea, you can do those in the NFL too. Here's the thing, though....only one has been slotted in (approx.) the last seventy years.....similar to the infrequency of getting a win via one hit and three walks. Here's the evidence.....with a nice little San Diego connection in Doug Flutie......finishing out his career playing for the New England Patriots:

Proof positive that there is more than one way to split the uprights*, earn yourself 3 points, and gracefully match the offensive woes presented by the San Diego Padres on April 20th, 2010.....who once again, won the game to move into a 1st place tie with the San Francisco Giants. It's early, I know.

*MEMO
TO: Nate Keading
FROM: A-hole Chargers Fan
RE: Alternative methods to scoring 3 points
The playoffs have been difficult for you Nate; especially against the New York Jets. Allow us to recommend abandoning the place holder and just going to a straight drop kick. Flutie made it look pretty easy. One-up your Padre brethren in 2010!