by Patrick Caulden

Created on: June 28, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The designated hitter rule eliminates the pitcher from hitting throughout the game. In the American League, the designated hitter is allowed. In the National League it is not. The American League allows managers to make pitching changes throughout the game without regards to who is batting the following inning.

The National League manager is always thinking a couple scenarios in advance. When making pitching changes, they must think about the next inning when they are up to bat. A manager does not want to have the new pitcher batting in the first three at-bats in the next inning so they may make a double change. For instance, the right fielder may have been the last batter from the previous inning. A manager then would remove both the pitcher and the right fielder with the new pitcher going in the right fielder's spot in the batting order. This way the pitcher will not have to bat until the ninth position.

The trouble with one league having the designated hitter and one not is, the World Series. Depending on who is the home team, it will decide whether there is a designated hitter for three games or four. Now Major League Baseball has decided that the winner of the All-Star game will decide who the home team would be. It was suppose to make the All-Star game more appealling for spectators. However, this is not the case.

Major League Baseball should decide against the designated hitter. It would make the World Series more dramatic. It would allow the managers to make moves with more strategic insight. It would force teams to think more about who they have on their bench to pinch hit. The pitchers would have to hit for themselves and possibly help themselves.

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