by John Osbron

Created on: July 25, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The Designated Hitter rule is a ridiculous rule that never should have been implemented in the first place. If everyone else can play offense and defense, then the pitcher should have to also. The Designated Hitter allows players who are only good at one thing but can do nothing else to play big league ball. Plus, it takes the strategy out of managing the game.

While a man may be a good pitcher, if he is going to play at a major league level he should at least know how to swing the bat or lay down a bunt. If there were no Designated Hitter rule it would force players like Bartolo Colon to step into the batting cage every now and then and become an all around player, because watching him swing during interleague play was like watching a 7 year old try to hit major league pitching.

Not only would it force AL pitchers to be all around players it would give opportunities to some pitchers who actually are all around players. National League pitchers like Carlos Zambrano have benefited from the no DH rule. Carlos Zambrano while a pitcher still has a batting average of .356. Or recent Brewers acquisition C.C. Sabathia, while his hitting opportunities were limited in the AL despite his hitting a 440 foot homerun for the Indians during interleague play, he now plays for the NL Brewers and while his current average is .154 his slugging percentage is .462 and he's only had 13 at-bats. Or one may even see something similar to Walter Johnson actually being the all time leader for season batting average with at least 100 at-bats when he hit .433 in 1925 (he was ineligible for the batting title because he did not actually get 3.1 plate appearances per game because he did not play everyday, that record goes to Rogers Hornsby with .424) He was an AL pitcher and had the DH been in effect in 1925 he never would have gotten that opportunity.

Not only does the DH allow for one dimensional pitchers it also allows for one dimensional batters who cannot field the ball. David Ortiz and Derrek Lee are both outstanding hitters, the difference is that David Ortiz while when he is forced to field is a first baseman only does it because he has to do something in the field, and is really in the lower third of first basemen. However, Derrek Lee not only has the contact and power that Ortiz possesses but he is also a gold glover. To play in the National League one has to be an all around good player, however they get beat in interleague play all of the time because in AL ballparks the AL beats the NL with their one dimensional specialists as opposed to all around athletes.

Finally, the DH takes the strategy out of managing the ball game. In the late innings, one has to use pinch hitters for relief pitchers or know to leave the pitcher in for the next inning and hope for the best at the plate. Or it causes one to make double switches and shift the whole batting order around. An AL game may go a whole game without a single substitution.

The DH takes away from the game of baseball, it takes away the all around athleticism, the strategy, and takes away from the defense with an 11-8 score not an uncommon sight in the AL. It should never have been implemented in the first place and should be done away with completely.

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