The American League and National League have had separate rules for too long. It makes sense to bring the designated hitter to the National League.
Back in 1973, in order to boost offense and therefore draw in more fans, the American League decided to implement the designated hitter rule, allowing a batter to take the pitcher’s turn at the plate and the pitcher remain in the game. This was back when there was still a fierce rivalry between the American and National Leagues, and the American League was hoping to get a leg up in fan interest.
Here we are, nearly half a century later, and we still have separate rules for MLB’s two leagues. Imagine if the AFC and NFC had different rules in the NFL, or if the Western Conference and Eastern Conference had different rules in the NBA. It seems absurd to think about, yet that’s what MLB is like in 2019. This is in spite of the fact that we now have more unity in the game, such as the emergence of interleague play and the elimination of separate league offices and “league” umpires.
To many fans, the designated hitter is an abomination; it’s not real baseball if the pitcher doesn’t bat. It’s an understandable argument to a point, especially since having the pitcher’s spot in the lineup brings a certain strategy to the game.
Despite the fact that the league doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to implement the same rules for both leagues, I think most fans would like to see uniform rules throughout the game. However, especially given the changes that have taken place in the game over the years, it makes sense for the National League to start using the designated hitter, as opposed to going back to pitchers batting in the American League. Here we look at three reasons why.
Pitchers are more likely to get injured batting
A few years ago, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright suffered what was thought to be a season-ending injury running the bases (though he was able to make it back in late September). There was also Milwaukee Brewers hurler Jimmy Nelson, who injured his shoulder sliding in 2017 and hasn’t been able to get his career back on track since then.
Those are just two recent examples of pitchers getting injured because they had to bat. Of course, every player is at risk of getting injured on any given play; indeed, regular batters get injured either by getting hit by a pitch or running the bases all the time. Yet pitchers are so specialized to throw and are not as conditioned to swing the bat or to run the bases on a regular basis; they just don’t do it often enough to stay sharp.
To this, some would object that pitchers should do more to stay in shape and should be more athletic. However, we are in an age of specialization, and pitchers need to spend more time working on their pitching. Compared to throwing the ball, batting and running is such a small component of their game that in many cases it’s not worth the time to practice it as much as they need to in order to be skilled hitters and baserunners.
Here’s something to consider: Some fans complain a lot about how starting pitchers aren’t staying in games as long as they used to. Perhaps if they didn’t have to use energy to bat and to run the bases, they’d be able to stay in games an inning or two longer.
Pitchers aren’t as exciting to watch hit
I’ve seen it happen so many times: a pivotal point early in a ballgame. Bases loaded. Two outs. Game tied. And the next batter to come up… is the pitcher hitting .050, and he proceeds to whiff on three straight pitches.
In so many National League games, a pitcher coming to the plate kills an inning.
There are a few pitchers in the league that can hold their own with the bat, but most of them are not major league caliber hitters. When you’re in a potential run-scoring situation and a weak-hitting pitcher is due up, how does that make the game more exciting? Or, when there are two outs with nobody on and the pitcher coming up, I often use that as an opportunity to get a head start on my restroom break between innings.
The bottom line is that watching pitchers bat, for the most part, is not fun.
Some fans might respond to this objection by saying pitchers should work more on their hitting. In a perfect world, that would be great. Yet the reality is, especially in this age of specialization, that pitchers need to spend as much time as possible working on their pitching to prepare for each outing. With so much advanced scouting and analytics in the game today, focusing on pitching is the best use of the pitchers’ and coaches’ time.
Would taking the bat out of the pitchers’ hands take away from the athleticism of the game, both from pitchers and from having designated hitters who don’t play in the field? Probably. Yet having a real hitter up there in every situation makes the game more enjoyable.
The DH brings its own strategy to the game
Sixth inning. Tied game. Two outs. Runners on second and third. And the pitcher is due up. He’s throwing a good game, and he probably still has another inning or two left in him. Yet runs have been hard to come by in this game, and the team really needs to score here. What does the manager do? Does he let the pitcher bat, knowing that the team likely won’t score but that he won’t have to go to his bullpen? Or does he pull the pitcher and try to take advantage of this scoring opportunity?
Critics of the DH argue that this strategy would be lost if everyone used the DH. It is a valid point, and a lot of such opportunities would be lost. Yet having the DH creates many of its own opportunities to debate strategy that we don’t get with pitchers batting.
For example, let’s say it’s the seventh inning, and the game is close with another opportunity to drive in some runs. The pitcher might have one inning left but is starting to get tired. The fact that his turn in the batting order is coming up makes it a no-brainer that you would pinch hit for him. If the pitcher doesn’t have to bat, the manager will have to decide when to take his pitcher out solely based on whether he thinks the pitcher is still effective. That will allow for plenty of second guessing after the game.
So, while we would lose one type of strategic situation with the designated hitter, we would gain another. At worst, it would be a wash.
And after decades of differing rules and debates over it – yes, some things will be lost, but others will be gained – it makes sense to bring the designated hitter to the National League.