Carlos Zambrano Stats, News, Photos - Chicago Cubs - ESPN

Carlos Zambrano returns, homers in win #100

Zambrano is an interesting candidate to break some of the all-time records for hitting by a pitcher. The best hitting pitcher in history (among guys who remained pitchers) was probably Wes Ferrell, who hit .280 lifetime, with 37 homers as a pitcher, including nine in one year. His lifetime OPS was .787. Ferrell had five multiple homer games and once knocked in six in a game.

After Ferrell was washed up as a pitcher (and he was once a very good one until he developed arm trouble - six twenty-win seasons, 193 wins, a .601 winning percentage), he played many years in the low minors, crushing the hell out of the ball as an outfielder. One year in the Western Carolina League he hit .425 with outstanding power - at age 40!

Anyway, Zambrano is only 28 and already has 18 dingers, but he doesn't seem to be in Ferrell's class. His BA is .240, his OPS only .637. However, he may have a chance at some of Ferrell's numbers because he seems to be improving. Last year he hit .337 with an .891 OPS.

In a way, Zambrano's stats are eerily similar to Ferrell's. After the 1933 season, Ferrell had a lifetime record of 102-62, with 18 homers as a pitcher (and one as a fill-in outfielder). At this moment, Zambrano is 100-63, with 18 homers. Ferrell, however, had accomplished all that when he was three years younger than Zambrano is now.

Speaking of great hitting by pitchers, I still vividly remember Tony Cloninger, a Braves pitcher, jacking two grand slams in one game in the summer after my high school graduation. Cloninger was not only the only pitcher ever to pull that off, but was the only National Leaguer to do that in the 20th century! Cloninger also singled in a run in that game, giving him a solid day's work with 9 RBI. He was a pretty good pitcher, as well, having won 24 the previous year, and eventually becoming a pitching coach. He's still alive and well, a cancer survivor, still working as a scout last I heard.