Philadelphia Phillies Pitchers Who Also Rocked at the Plate (Since 1971)

As Phillies fans, we all remember Joe Blanton going yard against the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2008 World Series.

Looking at the batting averages, however, Blanton is only a .111 lifetime hitter, so he musta been feed a real juicy fastball to hit.

Most Phillies historians remember that Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton was traded for Rick Wise.

Both however, were pretty good hitting pitchers.

In his presentation, I will pick the top Phillies pitching hitters.

Criteria includes that they played for more than one season for the Phillies and unless they had an awesome display of power one game, they don't make the list unless they hit for a lifetime .200 average.

I ain't going back to the Whiz Kids, only as far as Rick Wise in 1971.

Let's face it: pitchers hit in the National League and it is what makes the National League great in terms of stragegy.

When you got a guy who has a two-in-ten chance of knocking the ball for a hit, that is a pretty good average in my book.

Rick Wise Pitches No Hitter, Hits Two Home Runs

Following the 1971 season, Rick Wise was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for future Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton.

History will show that the trade was one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history.

At the time, however, Wise was pretty popular in Philadelphia.

Not only did Wise pitch a no-hitter against Cincinnati on June 23, 1971, but he hit two home runs in the 4-0 win.

In 1971, he hit six home runs and 15 RBI with a .237 batting average.

In 18 seasons he hit .195 with 15 home runs and 66 RBI.

Robert Person Impersonates Babe Ruth

Robert Person's most memorable feat came with the Philadelphia Phillies on June 2, 2002, when he hit two home runs in one game against the Montreal Expos.

The first home run was a grand slam to left field off Masato Yoshii with two outs in the first inning; the second was a three-run home run to left field off Bruce Chen with one out in the fifth inning.

In between those home runs, he came up again with the bases loaded and drove a ball far enough for a second slam, but it was foul and he ended up striking out.

In 10 seasons, he hit .117, with four home runs and 16 RBI.

Steve Carlton Could Do Damage With the Bat, Too

Steve Carlton was best known for his 27-10 season in 1972, a nasty slider, and a Hall of Fame career.

But he was also good with the stick in his hands.

In 26 seasons, Carlton hit .201 with 13 home runs and 140 RBI.

His best year came in 1977 when he hit .268 with three home runs and 15 RBI. He was 23-10 on the mound in 1977, but also was the best hitting pitcher of 1977.

Randy Lerch Not an Automatic Out

In 12 seasons, Randy Lerch hit .206 with four home runs and 23 RBI.

His best season came in 1978 when he hit .250 with three home runs and nine RBI.

He pitched seven years for the Phillies.

Dennis Cook's Eccentricity Endeared Him To Fans

I kind of remember Dennis Cook as a free spirited kind of guy, a bit crazy or eccentric in a California kind of way.

In 16 seasons, he hit .264 with two home runs and nine RBI.

In 1990, a year which he split with the Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cook hit .306 with one home run and four RBI.

He played three years with the Phillies and retired in 2002 with Anaheim.

Not Just a Hurler

Most remember Tommy Greene for his no-hitter in 1991 against the Montreal Expos.

But he also knew how to use the stick.

In eight seasons, Greene hit .221 with four home runs and 19 RBI.

His best year came in 1991 when he hit .268 with two home runs and seven RBI.

He also hit two home runs in 1993.

He played six years with the Phillies.

Roa Pitched Average, But Good With Stick

The thing I remember about Joe Roa was pitching the last home opener at the Vet in 2003 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in freezing cold weather.

The Pirates wore these God-awful yellow pajama looking uniforms and Roa got rocked that day.

I was in the 500 level watching the game, freezing my butt off. Hot chocolate, a heavy coat, and blanket were a fans' best options that day.

But in six seasons, two with the Phillies, he could hit a little.

He hit .213 with no home runs and three RBI in his career.

His best season came in 2003 when he hit .286 for the Phillies, Colorado, and San Diego.

Honorable Mentions at the Plate

As much as his strikeout to end the 2007 season, we remember Brett Myers for his gutsy walk that led to Shane Victorino's grand slam against Milwaukee in 2008 on the way to the World Series.

But Myers does not make the cut: He is a .121 lifetime hitter.

Same goes for Blanton as mentioned in the opening slide.

Others who did well with the stick but played only one season for the Phillies were Ken Brett, Don Robinson, and Freddy Garcia.

Former Phillies pitcher Randy Wolf is good with the stick, but has a .181 lifetime average with no one outstanding hitting game.