Designated hitter rule gives an unfair advantage in MLB
Columnist discusses downfall of incorporation into World Series
Nick Gourdoux
Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: Sports
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In 1973, the American League added the designated hitter rule. The rule allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter, to bat in place of the pitcher. The DH does not have to play in the field, and is only required to go to bat. DHs are primarily used in place of pitchers, who historically are poor hitters. The National League, on the other hand, still requires pitchers to bat.
At the time the rule was introduced, inter-league play did not exist. In the World Series, the only time the American League and National League would play each other at the time, pitchers were required to bat. In 1986, after a couple attempts to integrate the DH rule into the World Series, Major League Baseball decided that games played in an American League team's stadium would feature the DH rule, and games played in National League ballparks would require pitchers to bat.
Because of the DH rule, the American League has been given an advantage in the World Series. Teams in the National League generally assume that their pitchers, with the exception of a few, will create an out when they come to the plate.
When inexperienced American League pitchers have to bat in interleague games they too produce primarily outs. The American League is then placed in the same situation as the National League team. The players that were DHs, however, can still produce as pinch hitters. Since they are used to sitting on the bench and not playing in the field, when they are called upon to hit, they are more relaxed and tend to do better.
On the other hand, when National League teams play in American League ballparks, the players they have play DH often times do not play well. The National League players are used to playing defense and, while sitting on the bench for innings at a time, inexperienced DHs can over-think, which usually results in poor at-bats.
An argument used by fans of the DH rule is that often times the American League team has to bench their best hitter because they can't play defense. That is only the case in very rare instances.
In 2008, the only regular DH who did not play defense at some point during the season, and did not miss a large amount of the season was Jim Thome of the Chicago White Sox. Other DHs such as Aubrey Huff, Milton Bradley, Jason Kubel, and Hideki Matsui, all played defense at some point in the season. In the past, notable DHs such as David Ortiz, Travis Hafner and Frank Thomas have taken the field for a handful of games despite being relatively poor defenders.
Since 1986, when the DH rule was implemented in every World Series, the American League has won 13 of 21 World Series played, and has swept the National League in six of those victories. Something needs to change - the MLB needs to find a way to fairly integrate the DH rule.
Gourdoux is a sophomore print journalism major and copy editor of The Spectator.
