Bolt as a pinch runner in the MLB?

It has been done before. Indoor 60m champ Herb Washington was a pinch runner on the Oakland A's in the 70's.

He was fast, but it didn't always work out for him. It was so painfully obvious that he was going to steal that the other team could keep him close to the base. Also, a true baseball player often steals on the pitcher, not the catcher, because they know when to take off from first. Herb Washington didn't have those baseball instincts, so he would leave about a tenth or two too late, which completely negated his speed.

It would take a lot of training. The best base stealers are fast, but more importantly they understand when and how to steal a base.

Herb was picked off at a crucial moment in ( I believe) the '74 World Series vs. the Dodgers.

This was copied from Wikipedia:

Herbert Lee Washington (born November 16, 1951 in Belzoni, Mississippi) became one of the world's most celebrated sprinters as a student-athlete at Flint Central High School and Michigan State University. He went on to gain further recognition as a player for Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics, despite his lack of previous baseball experience.

Washington first caught the attention of sports fans when he was enrolled at Michigan State. The four-time all-American won one NCAA title, seven Big Ten titles, and tied or broke the world record in the 50- and 60-yard dashes several times

In 1974, Washington was tapped by Oakland owner Charlie Finley to become the A's "designated runner." Despite having no professional baseball experience, and having last played baseball in high school, Washington was a member of the Athletics 1974 World Series championship team. His major league debut was on April 4, 1974 against the Texas Rangers.

Appearing as a pinch-runner for Joe Rudi in game two of the 1974 World Series, Washington was picked off first base in a crucial ninth-inning situation by Dodgers' reliever Mike Marshall.

Washington played in 105 major league games without batting, pitching, or fielding, playing exclusively as a pinch runner. He had 31 stolen bases in 48 attempts and scored 33 runs during his short career, numbers which were relatively low considering his great speed. He was released one month into the 1975 season.

Washington's 1975 Topps baseball card is the only baseball card ever released that uses the "pinch runner" position label.

It's not a good idea. He'd be terrible. there's a big difference between running 30 meters and 100. Reading pitchers is another story entirely.

but just how intimidating would it be to the SS/2B when Bolt comes barreling down the basepaths?

The only reliable use for him would be as a pinch runner on third base going to home on sac flies. That's pretty basic. But I can't imagine holding a roster spot open just for that.

Stop it already

dunno wrote:

but just how intimidating would it be to the SS/2B when Bolt comes barreling down the basepaths?

No more intimidating than about 50 players currently in the league.

Blitzenhein wrote:

No more intimidating than about 50 players currently in the league.

Name them. I know a lot about baseball, so please enlighten me.

baseball's full of 6'5" guys over 200 lbs. but probably none of them run sub 11 second 100m. however, to steal a base, he'd have to slide.

I'm stating the obvious here, but even if a team gave him an offer there's no way Bolt would take it. He is king of his domain in the track and field arena (and boy is he just lapping it up), he would just be a sideshow in MLB.