In boxscore but does not play - how often does this happen?

[ipitch]

A player makes his MLB debut, but doesn't even get in the game. After 16 years in the minors, the Dodgers recently called up John Lindsey. In his MLB debut Wednesday, he was in the on-deck circle and was ready to pinch-hit, but was told to take a seat for another pinch-hitter. So, he's in the box score, but didn't even get to play. He did get to pinch-hit the next day.

[cooperstownersincanada]

A player makes his MLB debut, but doesn't even get in the game. After 16 years in the minors, the Dodgers recently called up John Lindsey. In his MLB debut Wednesday, he was in the on-deck circle and was ready to pinch-hit, but was told to take a seat for another pinch-hitter. So, he's in the box score, but didn't even get to play. He did get to pinch-hit the next day.

Interesting. I wonder if this has ever happened before. I'm sure someone on this board can tell us. Thanks for sharing this.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

he s like the old docter in the movie field of dreams

[RuthMayBond]

Robin Yount's brother got hurt warming up

[ian2813]

Robin Yount's brother got hurt warming up

You beat me to it. Larry Yount's entire Major League career is a game where he didn't actually play.

[RuthMayBond]

I thought there was a guy who ended up playing pro basketball whose career was getting ejected once from the dugout.

[Seattle1]

Did Fred Smerlas play baseball?

[Squeeze Play]

I thought there was a guy who ended up playing pro basketball whose career was getting ejected once from the dugout.

There was. Bill Sharman.

From 1950 to 1955 Sharman played professional baseball in the Brooklyn Dodgers minor league system. He was called up to the Dodgers late in the 1951 season but did not appear in a game; as a result of a September 27 game in which the entire Brooklyn bench was ejected from the game for arguing with the umpire, Sharman holds the distinction of being the only player to have ever been ejected from a major league game without ever appearing in one.

[Macker]

Sharman was not ejected. The bench was cleared. Only Campanella and Lavagetto were tossed. Those cleared from the bench were eligible to enter the game. Sharman just never got into one.

[west coast orange and black]

In his MLB debut Wednesday, he was in the on-deck circle and was ready to pinch-hit, but was told to take a seat for another pinch-hitter. So, he's in the box score, but didn't even get to play.

being announced but then getting yanked back is not that uncommon - it happened to nate schierholtz of the giants against the hated dodgers on sat, 31 july at mays field. schierholtz was announced as the pinch-hitter for pitcher barry zito; then joe torre countered with replacing starting pitcher chad billingsly with hong-chih kuo; then schierholtz was lifted for pinch-hitter aaron rowand.

getting sat back down after being announced in a player's first major league plate appearance though, wow, that's an odd one.

[west coast orange and black]

another odd one involving being recalled from the batter's box:

remember when the oakland a's traded jose canseco and skipper larussa actually waited 'til canseco was in the on-deck circle as the opportunity to tell him the news? larussa later salivated that humiliating canseco was one of the highlights of that season for him.
that, along with larussa saying some extremely unflattering and rude and crude things at a couple'a charity benefits that i attended are events that - to me - succinctly represent larussa.

[ian2813]

There's also former Atlanta Brave Howard Battle, who was announced as a pinch-hitter in the 1999 World Series but then got replaced when the Yankees put in a new pitcher. He's the only guy I know of whose entire World Series career consists of a game where he didn't actually do anything.

[Spindlebrook]

Milt Kuyler's MLB debut was interesting; he was announced as a defensive replacement, but then the game was delayed by rain and eventually rained out.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bo...99009060.shtml

[west coast orange and black]

ian2813: There's also former Atlanta Brave Howard Battle .... He's the only guy I know of whose entire World Series career consists of a game where he didn't actually do anything.

good one!