Storyline: The Designated Hitter devalues fielding, takes strategy out of the game, and isn’t the way baseball was meant to be played. The DH line score is 0 runs, 0 hits, 3 errors. Unite MLB. Eliminate the DH!
It’s called a “Designated Hitter”: a player does not play in the field, but does bat in place of the pitcher. The DH rule was adopted by the American League in 1973 and it’s still used by the League today.
NL teams have never jumped on the bandwagon and that stance, I believe, is the correct position. Why? The DH devalues good defense, reduces the number of strategic moves during a game, and (from a historic point of view) is not the way baseball was meant to be played.
There’s More to Baseball Than Hitting
The AL has become a haven for aging players. Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and David “Big Papi” Ortiz are just a few of the players who’ve extended their careers because they’re DHs.
Courtesy: bleacherreport.com
Is that fair? It’s no secret that hitting is the most enjoyable part of playing baseball. It’s an opportunity to get on base, drive in the tie-breaking run, and hit one out of the ballpark. Batting is fun!
But what about the other half of the inning? While hitting is individualized, fielding requires cooperation. Teammates have to be in sync to record outs efficiently and keep errors to a minimum. The DH rule isolates a player from the rest of the team; a player is not out in the field with the rest of his teammates.
DH’ers are evidently ‘too old’ to stand in one spot and field a ball, but they’re apparently ‘young enough’ to grab a bat and run around the bases. Anybody see the irony in that?
There is an alternative. Take the case of former Yankee shortstop, Derek Jeter. Jeter was a great hitter and he proved himself on the defensive side, too. He earned five Gold Gloves during his career with the Yankees.
And Jeter had character. A classy guy and hard worker, he realized that baseball was a team sport. Jeter bought into the idea of playing excellent defense to compliment the pop in his bat.
It Takes Strategy Out of Baseball
Consider this possibility. It’s the bottom of the 8th in a NL West rivalry game, Dodgers v. Giants. The host Dodgers hold a slim 1-0 lead. Dodgers’ ace, Clayton Kershaw, is working on a complete game shutout. His pitch count is in the high 80s.
Courtesy: MLB.com
But now he’s coming to bat with a two outs with a runner in scoring position at second. What do you do if you’re Dodgers’ manager, Dave Roberts? Do you pinch-hit for Kershaw, trying to pick up an insurance run? Or do you trust the southpaw to close it out in the 9th with the top of the order coming up?
This is just one of many scenarios that test the strategic skills of NL managers. Former ESPN analyst, Steve Philips, always said this whenever a manager made a move: “This is his chess move. Let’s see if it pays off.” There’s a lot of truth to that. Baseball is basically a big chess game. That’s what makes the game so intriguing.
But AL managers don’t have to think critically as frequently as do NL managers. That’s because of the DH rule.
It’s Not the Way Baseball Was Meant to Be Played
Courtesy: baseballhall.org
Sports reforms often improve gameplay. Basketball is an example. The three-pointer and the shot clock were needed to improve the game. Because of three-pointers a seemingly comfortable 15-point lead can dwindle to nothing in a matter of a few possessions. And the shot clock speeds up the game, preventing teams from slow-down play and stalling.
What’s interesting about basketball is that the aforementioned reforms are not incompatible with the original 13 Rules of Basketball as articulated over a century ago by Dr. James Naismith, the game’s founder. Naismith declared there would be no traveling, double dribble, or fouls. He also said that scoring involved putting the ball into the basket.
But do you really think that the DH was in the mind of Alexander Cartwright when he created the sport back in 1845? Of course not.
Cartwright defined baseball fundamentally as three outs per side in a nine-player system. And baseball is a “nine guys hit, nine guys field” system. The DH flies in the face of that traditional format.
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The Designated Hitter devalues the importance of fielding, takes strategy out of the game, and isn’t the way baseball was meant to be played. That makes the Line Score 0 runs, 0 hits, 3 errors.
Worse yet, the DH rule represents a symbol of three things that are wrong with society today: idleness, inability to think strategically, and disrespect for tradition.
MLB today is like a politically divided country. It’s time to unite the AL and NL.
Mr. Commissioner, remove the DH from baseball!
