BOSTON -- Well, at least Red Sox pitchers won't be burdened with high offensive expectations over the next nine games.
"We don't expect that much out of them when they get up there, other than to get a bunt down or strike out instead of hitting into a double play," said Sox manager Grady Little. "We just hope we have a pitcher that has a chance to go 0 for 4."
Such is the reality -- some would call it the competitive disadvantage -- of interleague play when A.L. teams head for N.L. parks and pitchers are forced to play a little offense instead of relying on the designated hitter to do their work.
Starting tonight in Atlanta when Pedro Martinez strides to the plate with mayhem (ahem) on his mind, Red Sox pitchers will bat against the Braves, Padres and Dodgers.
In five years of interleague play, Red Sox pitchers are a cool 5-for-86 (.058). Last season, they went 2-for-22 with three successful sacrifice bunts. The only hits were a pair of singles -- one by Hideo Nomo, the other by Tim Wakefield. Both came against Montreal.
The numbers bear it out. When American League teams travel to National League ballparks and pitchers hit, it's as if they're giving away an out every time the ninth spot comes through the order. It's not like a murderer's row could be cobbled together from National League hurlers, but given the fact that they actually take BP and hit with regularity, it's really not even close.
Asked if any of his pitchers seem to have any particular skill with the bat, Little said, "None to speak of. Hitting a baseball is a tough thing to do and if you don't practice it, it's going to make it that much more difficult."
The pitchers are undaunted. In fact, they kind of look forward to it.
"I'd rather there be no DH, myself," said John Burkett, a longtime National Leaguer who'll be going against his old team. "I'm not good at it, but I like the idea of being able to hit. It's a lot more fun playing that way. It keeps you in the game more. Some guys are good (hitters) but overall, we're not going to be successful very often. The best guys in the world hit .300. A pitcher that hits .150 is pretty good. A pitcher batting .200 is exceptional."
When it comes to hitting, the Sox are probably a little better off than most American League staffs. Burkett, Rolando Arrojo and Frank Castillo have all played and hit in the National League and Derek Lowe is a good enough athlete to at least know which end of the bat to hold.
Aside from having pitchers at the plate, there are other strategic matters for A.L. managers to weigh. There are more sacrifices, more decisions that need to be made in terms of sending runners, additional planning that needs to be done when the nine-hole is coming up.
"I've done it before," Little said laconically. "I used to do it in the minor leagues when I managed in the Braves organization. It's fun. It's more exciting. You actually get more people involved in the game. Even though you're losing a DH, more people get involved."
There'll be no meeting of the coaching minds aside from what is normally done, said Little. "The baseball is a little bit different but we don't have to have a meeting on it. These guys know what's going on."
The strategy is interesting enough, but it doesn't outweigh the guilty pleasure of watching A.L. pitchers try futilely to hit. It's probably the same instinct that makes people slow down on the highway to gawk at an accident on the opposite lanes. And when they actually do get a hit or reach base, the fun doesn't stop there as pitchers don warmup jackets and run the bases with the grace of newborn colts.
Backup catcher Doug Mirabelli, a longtime National Leaguer, probably summed it up the best. "We're just trying to make sure they don't get hurt up there."
