The pinch hitters | You’ve been sitting on the bench for the entire game and now your name is called by the manager to grab a bat and get to the plate in a key moment. Long one of baseball’s toughest jobs, the pinch hitter becomes the spotlight with just one chance to make good.
With the DH firmly in place in the AL, the job of the pinch hitter has been left largely to the NL. True pinch hitters have been replaced by versatile players signed for defensive work rather than just those precious moments at the plate.
Lenny Harris and Mark Sweeney sit atop MLB numbers for pinch hitters who made their living coming through when it mattered most.

Sweeney, 14 years in the majors, is second in pinch hits (175) and first in pinch hit rbi. They played in the majors at the same time for 10 years and were keenly aware of one another.
Harris, an 18-year MLB veteran, is the all-time MLB leader in pinch hits (212) and most pinch hit at-bats.
Here are the stories of their most memorable at-bats, their preparation secrets and their memories of watching each other perform. They both relate their respect and admiration for the man each passed at the top of the pinch hit list – Manny Mota.
Insights, laughs, haunting at-bats and a Mother who saw through it all, it’s all here.
Step up to the plate and enjoy.
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If you loved this episode, check out our others:
- The Crawl of Fame | Ep 1
- 1985 American League Championship | Ep 2
- Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry | Ep 3
- 1984 Tigers vs Blue Jays | Ep 4
- 2002 World Series | Giants vs Angels | Ep 5
- UCLA vs Arizona | NCAA Mens’ Basketball | Ep 6
- ACC College Basketball | MD vs VT | Ep 7
- Army vs Navy | NCAA Football | Ep 8
- GM vs Agent | Major League Baseball | Ep 9
- 1988 NLCS | Dodgers vs Mets | Ep 10
- In The Press Box | Nightengale vs Miller | Ep 11
- Reporters | Adamson vs Coakley | Ep 12
- Coaches | Raftery vs Carlesimo | Ep 13
- Pitchers | Blyleven vs Langston | Ep 14
- Public Relations | Horwitz vs Swanson | Ep 15
- Swimming | USA vs East Germany | Ep 16
- 1983 Sugar Bowl | PSU vs GA | Ep 17
- OSU vs Oregon | NCAA Basketball | Ep 18
- Olympic Diving | Potter vs King | Ep 19
- HOF Pitchers | Palmer vs Eckersley | Ep 20
- Ironman World Championships | Iron War | Ep 21
- 1981 London Marathon | A Historical First | Ep 22
- 1984 College World Series | Ep 23
- Placekickers | Stenerud vs Benirschke | Ep 24
- For Love of the Game | Lyons vs Hudler | Ep 25
- Arizona vs Stanford | NCAA Basketball | Ep 26
- 2003 ALCS | Boone vs Walker | Ep 27
- NHL Bargaining | McPhee & Scott | Ep 28
- MLB Closers | Brantley & Shaw | Ep 29
- AFL | Flores vs Maguire | Ep 30
- NHL | Robitaille vs Granato | Ep 31
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- Flyers vs Rangers | Clement vs Stemkowski | Ep 33
- Dodgers vs Reds | Garvey vs Perez | Ep 34