Jayson Stark issued an alert ….
Another project for @dianagram !!! https://t.co/WMYlX2TaoQ
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) May 5, 2017
which referenced THIS tweet ….
.@EliasSports @Kurkjian_ESPN @jaysonst @MLBRandomStats @baseball_ref What’s the biggest letter difference between a pitcher and hitter ever? pic.twitter.com/fHVV8ajEZ3
— Zack Raab (@ZackRaab) May 5, 2017
and some folks chimed in with the ultimate a partial answer ….*
@jaysonst @dianagram Saltalamacchia has faced Cliff Lee 6 times and Dillon Gee 4 times.
— Kazuto Yamazaki (@Kazuto_Yamazaki) May 5, 2017Loyal reader
(* Loyal reader Richard Chester adds in Radhames Liz and Chris Ray)
That’s a difference of 11 letters (14 – 3)!
None of the two-letter surnamed pitchers ever faced batters with 13+ letters in their surname (and vice versa).
2-letter last name players:
| Chin-lung Hu |
| Chia-Jen Lo |
| Chih-Wei Hu |
| Fu-Te Ni |
| Seung-hwan Oh |
13+ letter last name players:
| Gene DeMontreville |
| Lee DeMontreville |
| Kirk Dressendorfer |
| Todd Hollandsworth |
| Al Hollingsworth |
| Bonnie Hollingsworth |
| Austin Knickerbocker |
| Bill Knickerbocker |
| Ken Raffensberger |
| Lou Schiappacasse |
| Tim Spooneybarger |
| John Van Benschoten |
| William VanLandingham |
| Asher Wojciechowski |
| Steve Wojciechowski |
| Jarrod Saltalamacchia |
Saltalamacchia has 14 letters.
Saltalamacchia also hit against pitchers named Liz and Ray.
Good catch!
I’ll propose Alan Mitchell Edward George Patrick Henry Gallagher (45) against James Lee Kaat (12), 11 plate appearances in 1973. Difference of 33 letters.